Milsurp price insanity

I tallied up part of my Milsurp collection so my wife will have an idea of what it’s worth should something happen to me. So far I’m at $8500, with another dozen or so rifles to go…..
 
*lawrence said:
I had a friend, now passed some 25 year ago who was in the air force in WWII and afterwards. He said that for six months after the war he and a bunch of others loaded DC 3's with surplus .303, flew out over the St. Lawrence and pushed it out as a means of disposal. He said the airfield was line both side with millions and millions of rounds. Our tax dollars at work.
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I saw 3,000 Enfields get ground up by APC Borden airfield 1994.
 
Hi C67. Its always the best idea to have visable paper audit with dated values in every collection. I have helped sell several gun collections over the years and it can be a massive undertaking for amateurs. In most cases the widow has no idea what the values are. Leaving a disc or paper with expected values is also a waste of time as no one wants to lug a gun around for years trying to get that last $100. The best way is to have a travel buddy or old gun friend sell them with an understanding of his compensation under the guidance of an inventory. We have all seen vultures sweep in before the body is even cold. Also some family member interference can be horrific. Estate planning is essential in everyone's property life to give advantage to those who deserve it. JOHN
 
jtaylor said:
Hi C67. Its always the best idea to have visable paper audit with dated values in every collection. I have helped sell several gun collections over the years and it can be a massive undertaking for amateurs. In most cases the widow has no idea what the values are. Leaving a disc or paper with expected values is also a waste of time as no one wants to lug a gun around for years trying to get that last $100. The best way is to have a travel buddy or old gun friend sell them with an understanding of his compensation under the guidance of an inventory. We have all seen vultures sweep in before the body is even cold. Also some family member interference can be horrific. Estate planning is essential in everyone's property life to give advantage to those who deserve it. JOHN
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Just read this thread, very interesting. What John says above is spot-on. I see this often, where the widow gets wheedled. When I have sold firearms for widows, I don't take a penny for myself.

Doug
 
Nestor said:
I have no clue. Myself I wouldn't pay more than $700 for one.
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Nestor said:
I think the bottom line is that one can still find what one is looking for at a decent price.
Even with this market. It will just require more time, a bit of luck and a lot of patience.
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You'd better have a lot of time, patience and even more luck if your trying to collect matching k98's for 700$. If you don't realize truly collectable milsurps, there is no point turning your nose up at them because of the price.
 
Buckmastr said:
You'd better have a lot of time, patience and even more luck if your trying to collect matching k98's for 700$. If you don't realize truly collectable milsurps, there is no point turning your nose up at them because of the price.
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Thank you for the lesson. Patience pays off as they say. Often without breaking the bank. Have yourself a nice day. Mine sure is :)

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Buckmastr said:
You'd better have a lot of time, patience and even more luck if your trying to collect matching k98's for 700$. If you don't realize truly collectable milsurps, there is no point turning your nose up at them because of the price.
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Truly collectable milsurps is a oxymoron. Collecting is about finding things that interest you, not about price or what others are seeking.

For example my collecting tastes have evolved over the years to now I am trying to pursuit a action type collection instead of any specific countries or wars weapons (ex. Mosin Nagant, Lee Enfield, Carcano, etc.). Why? Because I enjoy the variety of the different action designs, the history of their development, and I don't see much point with the prices the way they are in having a ton of basically the same firearm with slight differences (i.e. No. 1 Mk. 3 Lee Enfield, No. 1 Mk. 3* Lee Enfield, or a bunch of No. 1 Mk. 3s but one is made at Lithgow, one at Ishapore, one at LSA, etc.). That doesn't mean those aren't valid ways to collect as it's about what interests you not what interests others.
 
Insanity it is.

Watching prices skyrocket is today's funny papers. Saw some crazy prices today on EE. One Enfield is going for 3x what I paid for mine 2 years ago. Another for 6x what I paid for mine (albeit, it looks like it was drug behind a truck ).I collect old shooting/ hunting books. I also read them. I accumulate old rifles, alas, I also shoot them .I have a Mosin PU sniper and an "Irish contract" Lee Enfield. I shoot them;), by the time my kids decide to sell them they will still be worth a lot more than I paid for them or more likely they will be outlawed and worthless.In any event, I wish I was friends with the folks paying these outrageous prices, bet they have great parties.

Meanwhile,Marlins are up a lot, not entirely sure why, Winchester levers up less so and my favourite SAKO Finnwolfs not up much at all. I guess it's all hula hoops, Cabbage patch dolls, and other 'valuable"ephemera.

So gentlemen and ladies, eat, drink, reload, shoot and be merry, for tomorrow.......:cheers:
 
Heck, I've gone on missions in reverse order...
Making a purchase on a few bayos, then finding the appropriate rifle they fit..LOL

Eaglelord17 said:
Truly collectible milsurps is a oxymoron. Collecting is about finding things that interest you, not about price or what others are seeking.
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I have posted about this before.

The milsurp market is really a “follow the leader” market. Most milsurp “collectors” buy what is trendy. if its not popular, people don’t buy. Some really fantastic deals on milsurps out there and on here, that don’t fall into the mainstream discussions. Most “collectors” are not collectors, they just buy things. To be honest, even on this board, there are very few real collectors, just a bunch of sheep following whats in front of them.

So, the popular/trendy guns have their prices driven up and the less known milsurps don’t move all that quickly; until somehow they become trendy, then the cycle starts.
 
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