Is It Just Me, or Have Gun Prices Just Gone Crazy?

[Watchdog]

This is sort of a semi-rhetorical question, okay? I'm looking at a S&W Model 25-7 in .45 Colt on a popular auction site. It's supposedly new and unfired, in the matching box with tools and paperwork. And the reserve of $1700 (yes, $1700) has not yet been met. I have never seen a 25-7 priced this high.

Now, I know these guns are somewhat rare, Smith & Wesson having made only 2000 of them in 1989 only. I happen to have two of them, both with matching boxes, paperwork, and tools. They aren't unfired, but both are pretty pristine except for the turn line. And find me one of these that doesn't have a turn line. I'd rate either one of mine at 98%, maybe one of them at 99.5%.

So my question is this: Is $1700 (or more) totally unrealistic for one of these guns, or is this just more of the trending upward of S&W revolver prices, sort of similar to what's going on with the Model 28 now?

Just for the record, I've shot one of my 25-7s, and it's the most accurate S&W I've ever shot, bar none. See attached photo, which I don't think is doing too badly for an old guy wearing bifocals.

So I'm not looking for a hard and fast answer here...just looking for knowledgeable opinions on prices for these particular revolvers.

All comments and opinions will be appreciated.

EDIT: I just realized I posted this in the wrong forum. It should go in the S&W Revolvers: 1980 to the Present.

So if some kind admin wants to move it, I'd appreciate it.

 

[zonker5]

$1700 seems high to me, but I am seeing a lot of really high asking prices these days. Don't know that they are really selling at those prices.

 

[Watchdog]

$1700 seems high to me, but I am seeing a lot of really high asking prices these days. Don't know that they are really selling at those prices.

Yeah, it seems at least $500 too high to me. Or maybe I just happened to buy mine at the right time and got good deals on them, I don't know.

Thing is, I'm not really looking to buy the gun. But if the reserve is $1700, you aren't going to get it for less than that unless the auction tanks and the seller relists it at a lower reserve or no reserve at all.

What I'm really sort of trying to do here is get a ballpark idea of what I should ask for one of mine should I decide to sell it.

Thanks for your input.

 

[arjay]

All he needs is the buyer that wants one,doesn't have the time for,or interest in,the hunt.And cash to burn.

 

[H Richard]

arjay; you are pretty on target. Unfortunately for the rest of us, it places the "expected" value of lots of guns too high. I've seen guns listed on Gunbroker for mile high prices with reserves to match and they keep getting re-listed time after time. I think the sellers just have time to wait and don't care to make a sale unless the price gets to where they can't say no.

In my opinion that 25-7 is $800 - $900 overprice.

 

[Watchdog]

All he needs is the buyer that wants one,doesn't have the time for,or interest in,the hunt.And cash to burn.

Thank you for your reply. And you're correct, of course.

 

[clevolver]

I think sometimes sellers list a gun at an obscene reserve price because they don't really want to sell it, but do want to find out what it's worth.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk

 

[Comrad]

That's what the American Pickers call the "I don't want to sell it price"

 

[pharmer]

That particular price is crazy. Almost 3X what I gave for this( and no, I didn't get it in the 20th century). Joe

 

[S&W45Colt]

How about the $450 642's with locks.

 

[A10]

That particular price is crazy. Almost 3X what I gave for this( and no, I didn't get it in the 20th century). Joe

Extremely early production run then? I'm thinkin' you meant 21st century.........

 

[italiansport]

What you are seeing IMO is the result of the contrived "assault weapons" and ammunition shortage. Last year after the election and the shooting tragedies by nut jobs that should be under lock and key many assumed that new laws would be passed severely restricting firearms availability.
While this has actually occurred in a few "Blue" States for the most part none of the radical changes the left wanted have come to pass.
What did happen with the sharp rise in assault weapon(ASKING) prices and ammunition as everyone opportunist saw a chance to make a killing on guns they owned or extra ammunition.
This has mostly subsided at least where I live and I saw AR15s **in the $600 range at the last gun show. Ammo; 22s excepted, has returned to high normal prices and is readily available here.
If everyone would just "BACK OFF" for a while supply would continue to catch up with demand and pricing will be adjusted accordingly.
Jim

**Right now from what I can see there seems to be a glut of AR15s available and I no longer see people walking around with them at gun shows with stupid prices on them.

 

[rburg]

Ah. Some minor complaints with the OPs post. First, NIB doesn't mean the gun is perfect. Some NIB guns aren't even operable, others have serious cosmetic issues. A NIB gun can vary all over the map, and some wear has nothing to do with firing. Shop wear in a busy gun shop can make a new gun look, not so new....

OK, the next issue is percentage ratings. I've complained many times that "your" rating for the gun is meaningless. What you must do is make your ratings confirm to what the rest of the gun world sees. If you don't, a gun can be worn out and you can still rate it at 100%, and it will still convey nothing to the next guy. So what it comes down to is if you and I both look at a gun, and give our objective rating, unless they match someone is wrong.

For an informative lesson, take a less than perfect gun to a group of guys who do guns. Take along pens and blank cards. Have each inspect the gun and then write down how they'd rate it, condition wise. Expect some pretty wild variations. A rating system that doesn't yield the same results from different individuals is worthless and ripe for abuse (read cheating).

Most of us who have been playing with guns for a while don't ever rate a gun higher than 98% Anyone rating a gun, and especially their own gun at 98.5% isn't to be trusted in their ratings. For a while we had a goof ball out on the west coast that rated his guns at things like 94.6% or other off the wall ratings. No, you really couldn't argue with him except to laugh and point out he wasn't being honest with his gun ratings. Ever wonder what the difference between a 92.3 and a 92.4 conditions was? My guess the best answer was it related to what he had for breakfast, not to a difference in the gun.

Watch the "big boys" and how they rate their guns. Most adhere to rating a perfect specimen at 98%. Remember NIB could be one submerged in salt water for a year, but never taken out of the box. Then showing just very minor signs of having been made or handled at 95%. A little lower and you drop to 90%. Notice no stops at 92% or anywhere else. If its not 95%, its 90%. And if you hand the gun to our esteemed forum owner and he doesn't agree with you, its probably the lower of the two suggestions. Not the higher as the seller would wish.

And what it all filters out to is unless you personally know the seller and how he rates guns, you probably won't be real happy if you're the buyer. I can offer up some bright spots. In the past I purchased a few guns from Old Towne Station (Jim Supica). I was always happy with how he rated guns and I always got a gun that was well on the high side of what I imagined. I've bought guns from David Carroll and had basically the same results. And then 4 years ago I bought a 1950 4th model 44 from Lee Jarrett. His condition comment wasn't %, it was just that he said he couldn't imagine one being better.

So when you're in the market as a buyer, you often get some hints as to how dependable the seller is. The big guys who either make a living or a side income on dealing generally need the great reputation. Anything else is just not acceptable. Its the other guys who occasionally get a little excited and "enhance" the guns attribute. Be wary.

 

[riversalmon]

I know if my wife told me I had to sell my pistol'es, that would tend to inflate my prices. oops.

 

[JSR III]

I think that prices have jumped a little over the past year.

Remember NIB could be one submerged in salt water for a year, but never taken out of the box.

Dick, I have to respectfully disagree with you on this one. I don't think that anyone would think of a gun submerged in its original box in salt water for a year as NIB even if it had the correct papers and tools.

Some folks do differ on the term NIB. To some it means a gun purchased directly from the factory or original dealer and owned by only one person and never sold, fired or touched.

To others, it is a gun that is still in its original box with original unopened tools and un three hole punched papers but that has gone through the hands of several owners. As long as it remains unfired and unmolested (a virgin) shall we say, it is still considered NIB.

I personally subscribe to the second option. I don't feel that I own my guns but am merely a caretaker. If I can purchase a package from someone that has remained a virgin even though it has been owned by several prior owners, I consider it NIB and will hopefully pass it along to another caretaker preserved in original condition.

Packages that are put together, with a box from the right timeframe even if in near perfect condition coud not be considered NIB. Perhaps they could be referred to as ANIADB (As New In A Different Box)

 

[BAM-BAM]

rburg..... well said....... why I don't buy/sell guns on line.....even pictures don't help a lot of the time due to lighting and "fudging"......guns that have been fire (outside the factory) no matter how well cared for ....... are to me, at best 95%


As a "nobody"........

In evaluating my guns I stop at "I would rate it as 95%+" which for me is a gun I would accept as "new" if I was going to buy it "new" at a gun shop. Said gun could be a 2014 model or 60 years old.

I always try to check out David Carroll's catalog.......and compare my gun to a similar one pictured and grade mine ....... plus (not likely) or minus against his.

Heck even a gun that has been in a sock drawer for 50 years will show indications of being in that drawer for 50 years.


One of the few "truly collectable" guns I've sold I pushed the buyer to meet me half way...... I think he thought it was because I didn't trust him... I had described the gun as 98%/lnib...... based on David Carroll's pictures and the independent opinions/ratings of 2 Pa Gun Collectors Assoc. members/gun dealers .....

But I wanted him to look at it and decide if he wanted it at the price I was asking......... if not..... we could both just go home or reach an mutual understanding/price. As an aside he bought the gun at the asking price.


JSRIII what about a truly new in box/ old stock gun...... poorly stored in a LGS backroom or warehouse for five years....... with rust under the grips........ I've seen it!

 

[Jack Flash]

Good shooting Watchdog! That is a really fine looking revolver as well, whatever it rates at percentage-wise.

I have to echo what the others say about the price being crazy high. Maybe that is the seller's starting point, and he can slowly lower it over a period of a few months... who knows? Does he have a lot of other guns for sale?

 

[Tony Marbury]

Yes the older smiths have skyrocketted
In price, its unbelievable, but when u think
About the difference in parts and the newer
Models having the lock on them, and the clip
Spring that never goes bad, and they never jam.
And has no recall issues (generally)
I think it was bound to happen.
The Rugers have
Went up too.
It was long overdue...IMHO.

 

[BoltThrower13]

I live in Massachusetts and since we have "Approved" new guns, everything is rarer. New Glocks are almost never sold here for example, so a beat up Gen 2 19 is $800 at times!

That being said, the old S&W wheel guns I love are now shooting up in price. It cost me $445 to get the Model 36 I wanted, sans original grips and no box or anything. Two years ago my Model 10 was $275, while probably more common most old revolvers were cheaper then.

I hate it. I want people to just buy polymer semi-autos so I can hog all the old revolvers!

 

[gutterman]

I bought a 4" nickel 25-5 about a year ago for $950 and I really thought I'd paid too much. But I really wanted it and other 25's were going for around $1100 plus at the time. But even seeing what prices have done in the last year $1700 seems out of touch. Maybe the seller is just "testing the waters".