With all due respect to those that know more

[olin]

I can be serious.

I want to ask a question of those fellows that have lived the life of revolvers and have a feel for the pulse of what's going on in the market of buying and selling.


Is there a sudden jump going on currently with old guns and what people are asking? I have seen some good deal here on this forum that seem below what the major places are selling. the only guy in the major field that seems to stay stable in pricing used guns is gurney. I understand that there are only so many 27-2 - pythons - 3inch etc old guns but in reading old posts from just three and sometimes two years ago it seems like the prices have doubled.
Now I understand the concept of not liking the locked guns and not liking mim parts but whats the reality because I have also read that the old N frames were in the shop a lot more than the L frames.. So are the MIMs really that terrible or is it just the herd mentally? I have both the 27-2 in 4 inch nickel and the one I just got from twogunjay the 27-8 horton retro classic and with the exception of the trigger not being broke in and the top of the grips not being as thick as I would like, its a great shooter, so much so that I am looking for a new three and half inch classic as well as the older 27-2. Which ever one comes my way first and I have an email into a place thats listing they got the 3 and half classic for 1100. Which is about the same for what I am seeing on the older versions.. and if the zit lock bugs me I have seen plugs on here and its not too hard to take the lock out if you have the right tools and guts to mess around with sharp metal things near a nickel or stainless finish..
ARE the collectors overtaking the shooters? I would venture to guess that most of these old guns are going to people that are not planning on shooting them much. Which I admit would include me, the sigs in 40 cal are so heavy the recoil ain't that bad even for an old geezer with rheumatoid arthritis.
In and extensive search for a week I found no deals anywhere and I been everywhere man. If someone does put up a 27-2 its gone like in ten minutes. I don't know if people are camping out in front of their computers or if there is software that rings a bell but they are gone. When I have seen a post where someone is asking what they should expect to pay the older posters always say some low ball numbers that I have not seen anywhere and of course it all comes down to what a buyer is willing to pay.

and one last thing - if anyone knows of a place selling the new classic 27-9 in three and half for less that the 1100 I mentioned
please let me know.

has it come to this? the "when I was a boy or when I was a young man I remember getting a 27-2 for 160 dollars.. is that what we can now look forward to. Tales from the one foot in the graves folks? ( don't take offense my foot is in there with yours tapping to the beat of cat stevens "we are only dancing on this world for a short time."

Its not going to change is it? The prices are only going to go higher on all things old. Unlike old men who become invisible to women as they age it seems like these old smiths take on a flashing neon buy me buy me finish and everybody is seeing them wide eyed with a smile.. and a handful of green.

 

[m1gunner]

Gun values historically have tracked gold values fairly closely. Not long ago I could have bought all the gold I wanted for under 300 an ounce, not today!

I turned down a 90% or better M-27 for $500 just last week. I prefer the K frames over the N frames.

Just about every gun I run across on the internet these days is priced at retail an then some.

 

[walnutred]

People tend to collect what they could not afford when they were younger, which results in a parabola effect in pricing. Assuming we are still allowed to purchase firearms in 15 years there will be some version of this web site where people will be exchanging stories of finding a Glock with box and papers because square plastic guns is what you see in movies and on TV now.

Look at Model A and T automobiles. When I was a teenager those were what caught peoples eye and my 69 Chevelle was just a used car. Now As and Ts are very slow sellers and my 69 Chevellle would draw interest. However my sons generation had no interest in the old muscle cars because they can do amazing things with small fuel efficient cars and computer chips.

As usual I did thing backwards in life. In my 20's and early 30's I had several M57s and 25s, usually with wooden cases and even one RM. Now in my 50's I have K's J's and I's, none with adjustable sights.

 

[18DAI]

The price of what I am interested in, pre lock K-frame magnums, has continued to rise over the last six years or so. I don't think there are more collectors. I do think that more people want the good stuff as they gain experience with the new stuff.

I think the cost cutting measures S&W implemented like MIM, and two piece barrels, drives them up to some degree. I think the lock does too. Yes, you can buy that plug, but you still have the ugly new frame lines, and IMO the ugly finishes and designs.

The high price tags on the IL guns pushes the price up on the pre locks too. I've heard more than one seller say "Well if the IL 686 is worth + $600 my pre lock 686 is worth alot more." Probably so.

The current products are aesthetically unappealing to me, and evidently to others too. Those night guards look awful. So do the 8 shot railed revolvers and the 5" J-frames ect. You get the idea.

So the limited number of older revolvers which many of us came up on, and shot for years.....and barring the unforseen, will continue to shoot for years, continues to increase in value.

I use to hope for a return to some of the models S&W made in years past, but gave up hoping some time ago. I probably have enough.....no...I have enough pre lock S&W's to last me.

I just hope the same thing doesn't happen with the 3rd generation semi auto's as folks spend time with the tupperware guns. Regards 18DAI.

 

[oldman45]

Making this short, there is only so much land so the value keeps going up. Same with guns.

Revolvers have been popular for many years and now people are finding them attractive and durable. The older, real metal guns are proven winners and now being sought.

Collectors have always been the backbone of gun onwership. Virtually everyone owns more guns than they actually shoot regularly. Places to shoot are getting fewer so there are less shooters and more gun owners.

 

[Andy Griffith]

Lots of factors, but easiest is the fact that there is more money chasing goods, and fellers that wanted these pieces when they were younger couldn't afford them, and now they can.

Also, don't go off of what items are priced, but what items actually sell for... What something is priced in a store or an auction site has no correlation with actual selling price.

I wouldn't pay even half those prices, but I'm a bottom feeder, and I don't see the value personally.
It's all in the eye of the beholder.

 

[redlevel]

Lots of factors, but easiest is the fact that there is more money chasing goods

Classic definition of inflation.

 

[feralmerril]

In the late 50s I remember colt SAAs and pythons were $125 new. To me that looked like a fortune when a & $1.25 a hour was a fair job! Now the same guns are $1,250s and on up. So whats different?
The other day my wife wanted some ice cream from a coldstone shop near us. We got two fancy double dip cones for $10.06!!! My grandpa would have got a heart attack for sure. I was brought up in his old country general store durring world war two, and the cones would have come to .20 cents FOR BOTH!! No, they wouldnt have had the sprinkels and nuts in em. I bought a brand new winchester 94 in 1958 I think for $55s to $65s. I bought a new 27-2 in about 1972 for $160s, a new colt trooper in 1969 or so for $108s. I think in those days my wages was $2.50 to $3.00s a hour. My house was $12,500s, $106 a month. (Had a room mate that I charged $90s) Those were the days!
The point is, it was just as hard to buy those guns then as it is today if you find the same guns NIB!

 

[oldman45]

Yep, I paid $135 new for a S&W model 36 in 1972 while I was only making $800 a week. Now it would run in the upper $300 range and my salry has not trippled.

I paid $175 for a new S&W model 25 in 1978 and turned down $650 for it this week.

My guns is doing better than my 401K and I get the use of them.

 

[Faulkner]

I've been collecting M1 carbines for over 25 years. I have some carbines in my collection that I paid less than a hundred bucks for back in the '80s that I would not sell for a thousand now.

I like what author and gun collector Bruce Canfield has been quoted as saying, "with some guns you don't pay too much, you just pay too soon."

 

[Engineer1911]

A different view

Five years ago, Augusta had 4 gunshops that took used guns in trade and 3 big box stores that only sold new guns. About half the handgun inventory in those 4 gunshops was used for about 60% to 80% the price of a new gun. Today two of those stores are gone (1 because of retirement and one for IRS trouble), the third store is almost out of business (19 year old son is not a business person), and the fourth store has ONE used S&W for sale. Auction sites or internet sales are the only source I have for guns.

My wife likes guns, I'm retired + working part-time and have some "retirement savings". A savings account that pays 1.25% annually is not a great investment. I've bought 10 guns this year because I wanted them, the price was acceptable, and I had money. I paid too much for five of them ($75 to $150 too much), but I own them now. My spending contributed to the price inflation.

Ten years ago, my income was $60K plus and I was lucky to buy 1 gun a year. This year I might break $18K in income and am really enjoying life. There were several S&W's I wanted, none were cheap by any standard but they were <$1,000 each.

My plan is to die happy and broke. I've achieved happy and now I'm working on broke.

 

[olin]

It's nice to be on the same page.

Thanks for the perspectives.

See this is the thing the anti gun folks need to see and understand.

That the majority of people who own guns do so because it brings them joy.

My old man once had 22 cars out on his land (while he lived) and no one ever came out to check on him or question him.

Except me of course. And I asked "why so many cars" and he said he filled a whole lot of hours looking for each and everyone and besides jerry springer and divorce court and meds and feeding the dogs and cats - they gave him a purpose to tend to
each and every day.. Near the end he had to use a golf cart to get around with his battery charger but he was dedicated to keeping them all running right up until they took him away for good once the blood started coming up.

I have a 19-5 thats been all over with me and I am glad it was with me in some of the places I found myself. It let me sleep in some of the dives I was in because they were cheap but down right spooky.

no one will know those stories and the same can be said for many of the guns everybody here owns either the history of before you got it or the history of you owning it. In a lot of ways they mimic wedding rings at the pawn shop. A whole history of unknown configurations involved that are lost to the past.

I agree they bring more joy than money in the bank. Which could collapse at any time. I was never close to my old man but in looking for guns and thinking about this and that and the things connected I get to know my old man more everyday. I understand all his cars now.

Maybe the younger won't understand this. But a man no matter what age has to have something that means something to him to keep moving forward. Whether its cars, guns, or cats or dogs.
He has to have at least one thing..

Not everyone is blessed with a good wife who goes the distance and speaking from experience some are blessed when their wives leave and go a long distance (away) and don't come back.

I see some thoughful replys on this tread

so good karma to you all and I hope your next find brings a real
big smile.

olin

 

[ia1727]

Many guns you see on auction sites are way overpriced--even by todays standards. If you watch them very close you'll see not a lot of them are selling and many just keep rolling over and over.

One exception I've found to this is the new buyers--you can tell by feedback and their ratings their very new to it--some will pay almost anything.

I'm also of the opinion that some are just showing off their amassed collections--pricing so hi that if the item were sold they would make a butt load of cash on it.

Forums--gun shops and pawn shops are probably now and always will be the best bet--forget gun shows--at least around here. Most are there to trade with other dealers and unload their junk on the general public.

Wish the Chinese would come out with a S&W knock off for say a buck 685 so the uninformed would buy there junk and leave the good stuff to the rest of us.

Done ranting--good luck--hope you can find a deal out there--I'm not having any luck.

Steve

 

[rimfired]

Buy low, sell HIGH!? Isn't how it's supposed to work? I keep getting it wrong.
I'm confused???
I try to learn something new everyday. I embraced this philosophy many years ago.
Currently it's my home address...........

 

[GatorFarmer]

Chinese handguns can't be imported into the U.S., thus a PRC made S&W would only be available in Canada. In Canada the PRC Sig knock offs can be had, but I don't think that it has dropped demand for the real Sigs.

 

[Kevin G]

I got reinvolved in shooting 10yrs ago, developed a fondness for Smiths.
I'm not attracted to the newer production, futhermore I can pick up what I view as the equivalent in older production for far less money.
Kevin

 

[ia1727]

I got reinvolved in shooting 10yrs ago, developed a fondness for Smiths.
I'm not attracted to the newer production, futhermore I can pick up what I view as the equivalent in older production for far less money.
Kevin

Buy Equivalent or Better and Pay Less--truly an anomaly in todays market place--be it guns or anything else. Makes you wonder why American manufactures have lost so much of their own markets to imports.

Then why is it that corporate take overs seem to last such a short time ? They buy out a quality manufacturer, fire almost everyone, cheapen the product and quality control and wonder why it just doesn't work out. Enough to boggle the mind. Sound like any company you're familiar with ?

 

[bwickens]

The "market" dictates the price. Whether it's guns, cars, old boats or any other thing you can't get any more of, it is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.