How close are BLUE BOOK values to real world prices?

[H Richard]

There is an old saying, "You never pay too much, but you can buy too soon".
I think year 2020 added 3 "years" to a lot of prices.

 

[mauser9]

Geez think mine is from 1999. I like it mostly for the info concerning years of a model produced but certainly not up to date on pricing. Think I paid around $33 for my copy back then.

 

[lkabug]

It appears the gun value book price is the low end starting point for the worse looking gun one can find.

 

[Drm50]

I don’t need no stinking books. I’m only going to pay what it’s worth to me.
I get PE’od when at a show and some “dealer” starts thumbing through a Blue Book. If you are familiar with them you know a rookie would have a hard time finding the date on one, if he was smart enough to look for it.
Some shysters use one about ten years old. It always has a lot of note paper sticking out to make it look official. I do buy them when junk stores have out dated ones for 99 cents.

 

[ChargerBill]

I’ve got two recent examples where the bluebook was meaningless.

Before I started really getting into Smith & Wesson revolvers, I thought I wanted a Ruger GP 100. I couldn’t find one at all, and when I did they were from $800 to $900… seemed high, but given you can’t find any guns for sale here in CA, I was going to take the hit so I could put it on my CCW. A few days later a GP 100 in perfect shape landed in my lap for $650. Go figure…

A few days later a 90% Model 19 no dash came up for $600…. should have been $1000 all day long. Now, I know a lot of gun owners, buyers and sellers, and I know I stole both these guns, but I’ll tell you that patience has been my best ally… just wait for the right gun at the right price.

I could profit off both these guns, but I’m keeping them for now because I like both of them.

I’ve also bought 3 more in the past two weeks… I’ll post them soon.

 

[SLT223]

No book will beat live market data. Gunbroker seems to the standard and tracks auction completion. You can buy a price guide for 1.99, or you can use its advanced search option and look at a recent history of completed auctions for free. Hope this helps.

 

[AJ]

If you really want to know what items are selling for, then go to the local guns shops and look. A lot of times these are inflated so there is some wiggle room on a used piece. I use the "Completed Sales" on Gunbrokers Search to see what is actually selling and for what price.

Books are good for references, have a ton of them.

 

[TheHobbyist]

For revolvers and such it is likely not commensurate with market.

For odd ball stuff or vintage shotguns, lever guns, et cetera, I have found use. Online sold auctions are the best.

Just my $0.02.

 

[handejector]

I carry a Blue Book to every gun show and auction I attend. I keep it close to my desk.
I am interested in many types of guns that I am not an expert in. The BB has a lot of useful and mostly accurate data about those guns.
However, mine is the 25th edition. What edition are they on now? That should give you some idea of how much I value it as a price guide. I buy a new one every couple of decades when the old one falls apart. I refuse to pay $40 every year to update the inaccurate prices.

At my age, I may get by without ever buying another one.

 

[pharmer]

I refuse to pay $40 every year to update the inaccurate prices.

I get last year's for $10 whenever the new one comes out. Used to be May I think. They are usually in the stack right next to this year's $45 editions. Didn't help much trying to price a 1871/88 Beaumont Vitali a friend brought out of his attic. Joe

 

[AJ]

I carry a Blue Book to every gun show and auction I attend. I keep it close to my desk.
I am interested in many types of guns that I am not an expert in. The BB has a lot of useful and mostly accurate data about those guns.
However, mine is the 25th edition. What edition are they on now? That should give you some idea of how much I value it as a price guide. I buy a new one every couple of decades when the old one falls apart. I refuse to pay $40 every year to update the inaccurate prices.

At my age, I may get by without ever buying another one.

A friend who lives in another state buys two Blue Books about every three years or so. He keeps one and sends one to me. That way when he finds something he is thinking of buying, we can look at the same Blue Book even though we are 1300 miles apart. He just tells me what page the gun he is talking about is on, makes things easier.

 

[Jason Demond]

This day in age, if a dealer pulls out the book on a gun that you are trading in. You are about to get the shaft hard.

The dealer will sell the gun at what price the market will bear, regardless of what the book says.

Just a for instance...

You have a like new in box 4" 686-4 that you are looking to sell. Dealer pulls out an out of date blue book that says your gun is worth 500 bucks, offers you 400 and you walk about the door with that 400 bucks.

The dealer knows that market price on those guns are 1000 to 1200 bucks in today's market. There is no way in hell he's going to price it for 600 bucks. I use the 686 as the example because they are common, everyone knows what they are, and they are still in high demand. You could apply it to any other classic Smith though.

The blue book is only used now to skin idiots.

 

[LVSteve]

As a reference for different guns I'm sure the Blue Book is OK. It's as useful as a door stop when it comes to prices. Now the OP has let slip he's in CA, I can see why he is confused by the prices in a two-year old book versus what's going on in the market.

 

[Engineer1911]

The Blue Book for S&W prices is just as useful as a 12" crescent wrench, a poor tool.

 

[AJ]

This day in age, if a dealer pulls out the book on a gun that you are trading in. You are about to get the shaft hard.

The dealer will sell the gun at what price the market will bear, regardless of what the book says.

Just a for instance...

You have a like new in box 4" 686-4 that you are looking to sell. Dealer pulls out an out of date blue book that says your gun is worth 500 bucks, offers you 400 and you walk about the door with that 400 bucks.

The dealer knows that market price on those guns are 1000 to 1200 bucks in today's market. There is no way in hell he's going to price it for 600 bucks. I use the 686 as the example because they are common, everyone knows what they are, and they are still in high demand. You could apply it to any other classic Smith though.

The blue book is only used now to skin idiots.

As a reference for different guns I'm sure the Blue Book is OK. It's as useful as a door stop when it comes to prices. Now the OP has let slip he's in CA, I can see why he is confused by the prices in a two-year old book versus what's going on in the market.

I have seen dealers use a old Blue Book to quote prices to seller in their shops and at gun shows. Saw one use a 20 year old Blue Book to show a friend what was the value of his shotgun. I happened to have the same Blue Book in my collection. Told my friend we can get a better price and moved on. Just one of the tricks of the trade I guess. Have seen more than one dealer do this.

 

[Simson-Suhl]

On certain firearms information is certainly lacking. The Makarov pistol. Makarov pistols were produced in Russia, East Germany, China, and Bulgaria. The Miltex Makarov was produced in Bulgaria under contract by Dale Stoffel an American. The Simson Suhl, produced after the German Reunification, the only Factory produced Makarov that one can open the action to inspect the chamber with the safety engaged.
A Chinese Military, not the commercial import, the military will bring an outstanding price. What about the YK2? As I have stated, the book lacks information on certain firearms.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Blue Book is only good for a door stop and nothing else.

 

[Muss Muggins]

I use the Blue Book to review configuration, options, barrel length, etc., so I know exactly what firearm I'm talking about. If it's a S&W, I use the SCSW first, and back it up with the Blue Book. Then I go elsewhere for value . . .

 

[AJ]

On certain firearms information is certainly lacking. The Makarov pistol. Makarov pistols were produced in Russia, East Germany, China, and Bulgaria. The Miltex Makarov was produced in Bulgaria under contract by Dale Stoffel an American. The Simson Suhl, produced after the German Reunification, the only Factory produced Makarov that one can open the action to inspect the chamber with the safety engaged.
A Chinese Military, not the commercial import, the military will bring an outstanding price. What about the YK2? As I have stated, the book lacks information on certain firearms.

Books that are 100% correct are a rare bird. I use the margins to add information on a lot of items in all of my books. If the margins are not wide enough then Post-It notes will serve the purpose. Submit your corrections to the folks that publish the Blue Book, maybe they will add them next year.

 

[AJ]

I use the Blue Book to review configuration, options, barrel length, etc., so I know exactly what firearm I'm talking about. If it's a S&W, I use the SCSW first, and back it up with the Blue Book. Then I go elsewhere for value . . .

Pretty much the way an informed individual does it, that way they don't get taken to the cleaners.