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Anticipate a change in collectible firearms auctions?

Silver Star 5301Silver Star 5301 Member Posts: 47 ✭✭
I attended an auction before the lock down.  Got a nice buy on a S&W .22 revolver.   My friend got a few LC Smiths, but lamented hat the economy was bringing up prices.   We had a recent conversation, and he thinks the collectible market might drop, but folks who will be buying are looking for defense firearms.   

Any thoughts on that? I am seeing a lot of antiques listed on Gunbroker with salty beginning bid lists but no takers.  Many Burnside and Maynard n there with nary a bite. 

Comments

  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,649 ✭✭✭
    +1, for the personal protection guns. The corona, has a lot of folks spooked. So many folks, out of work and hurting. Collectible firearms are on the back burner. 

    On the other hand, if  your OK money and health wise? Might be able to score. Years ago I had a original Civil War Maynard, ( capping carbine ), it was a good design, and a lot of fun to shoot. One of the few successful  Civil War designs, that were made as center fires as late as the 1880's.
  • mac10mac10 Member Posts: 2,539 ✭✭✭✭
    remember during the 22 shortage  collectable 22 became a commodity
  • toad67toad67 Member Posts: 13,019 ✭✭✭✭
    I think it will slow some of the weekend collectors down, but it seems like the serious ones always have money, and are probably drooling at what they hope might be coming..
  • neatgunsneatguns Member Posts: 126 ✭✭
    I see on-line auctions thru proxbid or auction-zip prices are insane. Common items sell for top price and rare variants can be 3 or 4 times that.  GB sales seem slow unless a uncommon variant. I just don't get it.  Pay big $ + 20% buyers premium for a gun with a poor description and few photos. Miss-match, replaced parts, re-blued, bad bore.....Too bad. No returns, no buyers remorse, just move on. And it works for those sellers. 
  • kimikimi Member Posts: 44,723 ✭✭✭
    As for Winchesters, it's my opinion that high and low end pieces still bring top dollar, whereas those in lesser condition have dropped an awful lot in price.  Don't know about other makes and models, though.
    What's next?
  • GrasshopperGrasshopper Member Posts: 16,704 ✭✭✭✭
    My belief is that the collector market on most things will be down especially in the coming months. How can it not be? This economy will be hurting for some time. I see cheap junk pistols on here now bringing about 3x their worth also. Reason, cheap self defense? And look at all the NR buyers on here now, half are kids the other half looking for home defense. your mileage may vary.
  • Silver Star 5301Silver Star 5301 Member Posts: 47 ✭✭
    @Grasshopper  I think you are onto it. I had a conversation yesterday with the friend I mentioned in my first post. He is in his eighties and has seen a lot. He says wait two months and the values will be down.     As a youthful sixty year old, I have no choice, but to listen to his advice. 
  • 1873man1873man Member Posts: 128 ✭✭
    The old Winchester guns have been soft for quite a while except for the high end ones which are being bought by the people that have plenty of cash. What is responsible for this is the  age of the collectors are getting older and the new collectors want the guns they saw on TV growing up.
    NRA Life Member
    Cody Firearms Member
    Winchester Arms Collectors Association Life member
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