On the eve of 1914… what will happen to WW1 milsurp values?

flying pig said:
What about the one about the Australian miners? I liked that one.
Click to expand...

Beneath Hill 60. Yeah, they did a good job on that one, unlike any other WW1 movie made recently.

I doubt values will increase in 2014. I don't think the anniversary is going to get a whole new group getting PALs so they can buy an SMLE. They're already happily living in moms basement texting their friends about how there's no reason to go to war, ever, under any circumstances, and the 100th is a celebration of carnage, blah, blah and other hippy sentiments.
Maybe I'm just cynical though.
 
stripperclipper said:
My feeling is that as the old timers head off to that shootin range in the sky, their collections will come up for auction. Or when all the baby boomers move into condos with no storage space, the market will be saturated enough for me to buy some of the things on my wishlist. I think there's a lot of guns out there with no one to inherit them.
Click to expand...


I'm not sure if it will go that way or not. I sense that even though the newer generations are further away from the historical events they are still likely to get the bug. Heck, I wasn't born during either of the world wars and have a pretty strong...OK obsession...with milsurps from those eras. Even if fewer do as a percent there will be more of them as the population grows. If current price increases and sales of decent rifles are any indication, this business isn't fading away soon. Even prices for parts is high which tells me there are rifles being restored which indicates a strong demand.

And what better place than a thread on old milsurps could there be to show a picture of some of my old dogs.

 
I doubt the monetary value will get much of a boost. WWI has pretty much past from living memory. It might as well be the War of 1812.

I think the movies that we might possibly see are a remake of "All Quiet on the Western Front", an aviator movie, and I predict, a movie following a young Hitler. Or Rasputin.

Another extremely interesting story from that exact time is the Endurance Expedition. They left when soldiers were marching off with flowers in the muzzles of their rifles and people believed the war would be over by Chrstmas.
 
I think we will see a slight influx in value on WWI rifles and handguns, but I believe the biggest change will be in other "non firearm" WWI pieces like medals, bayonets, etc. For many of the folks out there, it just won't be worth the hassle of getting a PAL or RPAL just to have a No 1 Mk III or Webley like they see in some movie. A nice P1907 bayonet or WWI Victory medal, on the other hand, is simple and easy to take home. I just hope this doesn't bring an increase to the number of non-prohibited firearms getting dewatted for the sake of those who won't get their PAL. Remember, every time a firearm is dewatted, some unnamed diety kills a kitty or puppy.
 
bogusiii said:
I'm not sure if it will go that way or not. I sense that even though the newer generations are further away from the historical events they are still likely to get the bug. Heck, I wasn't born during either of the world wars and have a pretty strong...OK obsession...with milsurps from those eras. Even if fewer do as a percent there will be more of them as the population grows. If current price increases and sales of decent rifles are any indication, this business isn't fading away soon. Even prices for parts is high which tells me there are rifles being restored which indicates a strong demand.

And what better place than a thread on old milsurps could there be to show a picture of some of my old dogs.

Click to expand...

What a fine line-up...Superb collection:)
 
wbaad said:
And hopefully the few that do appreciate them will have them all! (fingers tented)
Click to expand...

I've yearned for an M95 for a while now and hopefully they pop up again as I'd probably have one as my next rifle in general. Hope I didn't miss my chance as Trade Ex is finally sold out unfortunately.
 
I've been collecting Great War arms for some time.
My collection now includes:
1912 Enfield No1MkIII (cutoff/volleys) with 1911 dated P1907 bayonet with hook quillon
1917 Enfield No1 MkIII* Canadian marked
1916 Webley MkVI

1916 Amberg Gew 98
1917 Erfurt Kar98AZ
1888 Spandau Gew 71/84
1890 Erfurt Gew 88 (matching/unmodified)
1911 DWM P-08
1917 DWM P-08
Mauser M1914
1917 Steyr Bavarian Contract M1911

1898 Torre Annunziata Fucile 1891
1915 Terni Fucile 1891 (tubata marked)
1918 Terni Fucile 1891
1915 Brescia Moschetto 1891 TS
1916 Castelli Bodeo M1889 Revolver

1909 Budapest Bulgarian Contract Steyr M95
1917 Wien Steyr M95
1915 Budapest Steyr M95 Carbine
1888 Steyr M1886
1913 Budapest Roth Steyr M1907
1914 Steyr M1911

1898 Tula M1891
1916 Izhevsk M1891
1914 Tula M1895 Nagant (single action)

Kokura Type 30 Arisaka
Kokura Early Type 38 Arisaka

DWM Serbian M1899 rifle.

1917 Tulles rebarrel MAC M1886/93 Lebel
1918 MAC M1886 Lebel
1915 MAC Berthier M1907/15
1917 MAC Berthier M1916 Carbine
1891 Ste Etienne Berthier M1890 Carbine
1897 Lebel M1892 Revolver

1918 Rock Island Arsenal US Rifle M1903
1918 Eddystone US Rifle M1917
1914 Colt US Army M1911
1909 Colt M1909 Revolver.
 
Last edited:
Just to be clear, the 4" smoke discharger is hard pinned and welded (dewat) to keep it legal.

bogusiii said:
I'm not sure if it will go that way or not. I sense that even though the newer generations are further away from the historical events they are still likely to get the bug. Heck, I wasn't born during either of the world wars and have a pretty strong...OK obsession...with milsurps from those eras. Even if fewer do as a percent there will be more of them as the population grows. If current price increases and sales of decent rifles are any indication, this business isn't fading away soon. Even prices for parts is high which tells me there are rifles being restored which indicates a strong demand.

And what better place than a thread on old milsurps could there be to show a picture of some of my old dogs.

Click to expand...
 
Coyote Ugly said:
I think prices will probably stay where they are. I don't know if the movie "War Horse" had any impact. Maybe if they make a real bad WW1 movie, prices will drop!
Click to expand...

Maybe...just maybe... some of "my" generation aren't being led by the nose by a hollywood movie.....maybe some of us actually have a lifelong interest in the history of the times and the instruments of war that were a part of it.

Sometimes the condescension and contempt for new collectors shown by those who managed to "chose" to be born at a time that WW1 milsurps were sold for a few dollars out of a barrel is a real turn off.

Maybe we won't to see an sharp increase in WW1 era milsurp prices more due to the already high cost...not because of disinterest or lack of respect for the history...or because hollywood hasn't told us to care yet.

I have 2 WW1 SMLE's.....but I had to wait and save and spend carefully. I don't have the funds to rabidly buy up pieces just because I watched Joyeux Noel.

But if the "real" collectors want to smugly believe that they are the only legit collectors cause they didn't need Steven Spielberg to tell them to care....fine. Enjoy the illusion.
 
What got me started was that I already had an interest in history, primarily both wars. Owning firearm that fought in them was a way for my to take in interest to the next level, past books, movies, and yes being 27, video games. As of now my collection is mostly of war 2, save for an M1917. I find it very satisfying to read a book, or watch a classic movie, then go the next day and handle and shoot these pieces of history.

Speaking of movies and shows. Anybody remember the show Combat? and nobody mentioned Gallipoli, or Sgt York.
 
vermintrex said:
Maybe...just maybe... some of "my" generation aren't being led by the nose by a hollywood movie.....maybe some of us actually have a lifelong interest in the history of the times and the instruments of war that were a part of it.

Sometimes the condescension and contempt for new collectors shown by those who managed to "chose" to be born at a time that WW1 milsurps were sold for a few dollars out of a barrel is a real turn off.

Maybe we won't to see an sharp increase in WW1 era milsurp prices more due to the already high cost...not because of disinterest or lack of respect for the history...or because hollywood hasn't told us to care yet.

I have 2 WW1 SMLE's.....but I had to wait and save and spend carefully. I don't have the funds to rabidly buy up pieces just because I watched Joyeux Noel.

But if the "real" collectors want to smugly believe that they are the only legit collectors cause they didn't need Steven Spielberg to tell them to care....fine. Enjoy the illusion.
Click to expand...


A new collector is always welcomed to this forum. I and many people here have helped people starting out with parts or information. This is a fine forum for people that truly care about military small arms and the history surrounding them. Yes it can be expensive at times but don't feel alone, it's been expensive for all of us. Even back in the days of barrelful's of Enfields that was a lot of money compared to what we were making. Bide your time, buy what interests you and welcome to the club.
 
Claven2 said:
Oh, and surprised nobody mentioned Laurence of Arabia yet.
Click to expand...

'cause you spelt it wrong...its Lawrence.

I have watched that movie dozens of times. I have a library of over a dozen books about him plus a 1:16 scale model of the Brough motorcyle
upon which he died.

I lived in Yenbo (Yanbu) on a 2 year contract and visited the ####eem green wood covered house where he lived.

(You might remember Faisal (Alec Guinness) saying that he was advised to defensively fall back on Yenbo.)

A complicated, tortured person.

I have recently come across evidence that he gave the details of the Sykes-Picot Treaty and of the Balfour Declaration personally to Faisal.

That, strictly speaking would have made him a traitor guilty of treason.

Hmmm...did I ramble off topic?
 
Coyote Ugly said:
Rat Patrol!
Click to expand...

for me it probably started with The World At War....that theme song just struck a chord...and horror/sorrow

...and of of course Sgt. Rock comics......was able to endure many an hour and hundreds of miles bouncing around the back (no seatbelt of course) of the forest green Ford Gran Torino station wagon on the way to the cabin reading about Easy Company's sensational (if not totally historically inaccurate) exploits.
 
mr.e moose said:
A new collector is always welcomed to this forum. I and many people here have helped people starting out with parts or information. This is a fine forum for people that truly care about military small arms and the history surrounding them. Yes it can be expensive at times but don't feel alone, it's been expensive for all of us. Even back in the days of barrelful's of Enfields that was a lot of money compared to what we were making. Bide your time, buy what interests you and welcome to the club.
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong.....there are some really great guys who have gone out of their way to help me out with advice, technical info, and most important enthusiasm and encouragement. But there are some who have some deep seated resentment for anyone trying to get in on "their thing".

It's an expensive pastime....I'd venture to say that those of us getting into it now...at todays prices....are possibly more committed than some of those, looking down their nose's at us, who enjoyed the vast selection of collectable pieces that were to be had in the 50's, 60's and 70's.

Yeah...absolutely there are some new collectors that went out and got their PAL the day after watching SPR or finishing COD and wanted an M1.......to that I say SO WHAT ?!?!

at least they learned a bit...are coming into the hobby with an interest in history and preservation of history.

times are a changing.....wouldn't it be better to introduce a new generation however possible so these pieces continue to be revered....than sneer at them, turn them away....and soon no one cares ?
 
Always loved WW1 aviation movies. The Dawn Patrol,Hells Angels and the Blue Max are among my favorites.Other WW1 favorites are All Quiet on the Western Front and Paths of Glory.As a kid I loved watching Combat ,The Rat Patrol and anyone remember this? Garrison's Guerrillas.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom