What would a New In Box 12 Gun Set Worth Today?

[Roland45acp]

Just curious here.
what would a brand new in boxes 12 gun set be woth today?
I understand they would be worth a lot, but just how much?
I have heard of one set going for around $20,000 a few years ago but todays prices?
I have seen seperate guns from the set on auctions before but never the whole 12 peices.
The S&W 12 revolver sets were made in 1990
Each gun has a scene engraved on the sideplate.

January--- "The Hostiles" was a Model 29 with 8 3/8" barrel

February--- "With the Wolfhounds" was a model 686 with 6" barrel

March----- "Mountain Lion" Model 629 4"

April----- "Critical Moment" Model 66 with 6" barrel

May------- "The Last Cartridge" Model 57 6"

June------ "The Revolver" Model 17 6"

July------ "Through the Line" Model 24-4 6 1/2"

August---- "The Last Stand" Model 14 8 3/8"

September- "Outnumbered" Model 27 with 7" barrel

October--- "The Attack" Model 29 with 7 1/2" full lug barrel

November--- "The Horse Thief" Model 25-5 8 3/8" barrel

December--- "Hands Off" Model 19 with 6" barrel
A big thank you for any and all that have the time to answer this question,
Roland

 

[Joni_Lynn]

I liked these guns and they are certainly unique. They didn't appear to generate much interest and don't seem to bring much if any premium over other similar period guns.
I've bought several of the individual guns and thought the prices were reasonable.
The sets don't seem to sell well when I've seen them for sale or auction.

 

[luis]

I agree that they do not go for much at auction.

 

[redbos]

Someone explained it in a thread awhile ago and I think it went like this, each gun NIB would sell for $650 each . I saw a set at my LGS and my friend who owns the store wanted $7,800 for the set. He has had it on consignment for 2 yrs now. He has got offers around $6,000 and the owned said no way. I think $6,000 was probably fair.....

 

[gr7070]

I see a lot of long-barreled guns I'd have little interest in. One or two would be great, maybe eve three or four makes sense. There's ONE gun < 6" and 5 are 7" or longer. They have two 19/66s with the same length; why not a snub or a 4".

I have no clue if a little better variety would have helped the set or not, but I don't think it would have hurt any.

Also I think we need to look at the difference between NIB and LNIB.

 

[pharmer]

About Christmas 2009, a guy was shopping this 99%, no accessories, 29-5 around the Orlando show for $600. After half a day, he offered it to me for $500. If it weren't for Dick (Dimonback68) twisting my arm, I might have passed. Haven't shot it yet though, definitely not because of "collector value. Joe

 

[Snowbandit]

I agree with gr7070, most of these revolvers had too much barrel. The only one less than 6-inches is March, the Mountain Lion, that was a 4-inch. Last I knew there were at least 3 of the Mountain Lions owned by members of the forum but you don't often hear about the other months.

 

[Joni_Lynn]

My opinon on some of them is that they just aren't appealing to me. I don't care much for some of the finishes.
The 24-4 is a nice revolver as is the Mt Lion and the 7.5" 29-5 with recessed chambers. I can't think of others that I feel the desire to own.

 

[PhilOhio]

The problem with all of these "special editions" and "commemoratives" is that the people involved in promoting them, including S&W and large distributors, have shot themselves in the foot by super saturating the market with ordinary production models with fancy stuff machine engraved or stamped on them.

It worked at first, with noobies to gun land. But that's over, except that new noobie generations are continuously propagated. So I suppose most manufacturers and promoters, like the Franklin Mint and America Remembers, are committed to the process as a way to keep sales figures up.

But as to value, sure, good guns are almost always worth as much as their unadorned counterparts, unless the decorations have been carried way to far. And sometimes that happens, making them less valuable. There is a cottage industry taking this stuff off and creating more valuable "normal" guns.

Then we have a situation like this one, where some person invested quite a lot of money, probably thinking it was going to appreciate. Sooner or later, the present seller (in this instance) will correctly conclude that since holding out for an unreasonably high package price seldom works, it would be prudent to sell them off, one at a time, to multiple prospective purchasers. In this case, it should be easier, because of minimal defacing of the general appearance. But all those long barrels don't help.

I know of a now deceased gentleman. a serious collector of military rifles mostly, who lived nearby in Michigan. Over many years, he invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in buying every embellished version of every rifle and handgun that came out, from Colt, S&W, and Winchester. There were dozens of them, some just stunningly beautiful. His kids kept a few because they were so pretty, even though none of them knew a thing about guns. The rest went to a local small town dealer, on consignment. I suspect he is still trying to unload some of them, years after the owner died.

Oh yes, the decedent was an undertaker. Some of you may have known him.

 

[Maximumbob54]

I bet if they did a three inch collection like that it would show some real interest. Long tubes just aren't in vogue anymore right now. That could change some day, but not today.

 

[Joe in SC]

I bought a 6" model 66 called "Critical Moment" from a guy walking around trying to sell it to dealers at a local gunshow. The gun had been fired and the stainless finish re-buffed in an attempt to hide the fact that it had been shot. The re-buff was well done except the markings were very thin and had been severly altered by the buffing. They are so thin they are hard to read. I think the markings are lazer etched or similar.

Anyway the dealers had pissed the guy off with low-ball offers which was to my advantage because I bought the gun for a very reasonable price. It has great presentation grips which I removed and put away in the box. I'm very satisfied with the gun. It is an accurate shooter that will hang in with anything at 25 yds. on a bulleye target. Haven't fired at longer distances but it should do well. I've had a few offers to buy it from me but I'll hold on to it because it really is a sleeper. For such a late S&W version it is well fitted and lacks the tool marks and sometimes shabby quality of guns of it's era. Hey, the price was right, what can I say?

 

[pharmer]

Apparently someone thought the unbroken set was worth $7000( $583.33/ unit; set# 66 that FlGuy posted). I'm sure If that set is kept new, unfired with all the accessories, it will appreciate over time. Trouble is that's a dozen guns you can't shoot and 7K out of pocket. I will pay what the gun is worth without the "special features." That "Hostiles" .44 was worth exactly what I paid for it, no more. Joe

 

[jessegpresley]

The sets don't seem to sell well when I've seen them for sale or auction.

Yeah, it's a lot easier to find 12 guys with $600 burning a hole in their pocket than 1 guy with $7,000.

Another problem with these commemorative-type things is that the seller always thinks he's got some super rarity, and asks silly money for it. This type of stuff just seems to collect dust in gun shops.

 

[S&WIowegan]

Too make the complete sets even more rare, they never sold 500 sets. The whole deal petered out somewhere in the 300s. IIRC, this was a gun-a-month kind of thing and apparently people lost interest or ran out of money. I can remember Old Town Station had a set offered at $6K about 6 yrs. ago that was a slow mover. I think S&W dribbled the individual guns into the market after Ellett Bros. gave up on the deal.

I would say the price of that set on GA sold about right.

 

[Rad29]

One other unusual gun in the set was the nickel 17!

Bob

 

[Joni_Lynn]

Ellett brothers made the choice to go with Ruger when they were forced to make the decision between S&W or Ruger. This ended the plans for the 12 gun series. S&W sold off the single guns and I'd guess whatever sets were left.

 

[Chop]

Ms. Joni. I have allways wanted the Mountian Lion one after seeing your pictures a few years ago. Chop

 

[Joni_Lynn]

I like mine, with good grips on it it's so much easier to shoot.

 

[32 Revolver]

Pharmer, If you still have that 8 3/8" 44 "The Hostiles" and want to sell it, I'll buy it! I actually have the box for one. My 7 1/2" 29-5 " The Attack" came in it. I'd like to fill it with the proper gun.