Fair market value

[bearden]

What is going on? Last weekend I went to a 300 table gun show looking for a M77 in a common calibre (30.06), I did find three at 1400.00, 1250.00 and 1000.00, nothing special about them (note- the 1400.00 had iron sites) but the condition was 85-90% at best.
I have been going to gun shows for more than 30 years and I do realize it,s the asking price and a the starting point but the dealers were not budging even on the last day. So I purchased the new blue book on gun values (2023) and even allowing for some judicious condition issues it should be around 450.00 to 650.00 maybe 750.00 on a good day with all the planets aligned. Now I agree its what the market will bear but whats going on. I have noticed Ruger prices seem to me to be greatly inflated. (example-same show- Ruger No3 in 30-40 craig asking for 2000.00 and a standard MKll in the box-tapered barrel for 550.00).
I have been buying Ruger firearms since 1975 and this inflation is a bit much.
Not sure who is out there collecting at these prices.

 

[thinckley]

Election year jitters and scalpers trying to take advantage. Inflates the price of guns, ammo, and accessories. Not to mention what it does to emergency preparedness supplies.

Only people paying those prices are the people who don't think they can afford to wait.

 

[hittman]

77/22 rifle prices

Son showed me a couple of consigned 77/22 SS boat paddle rifles a (sort of) local shop had for sale on consignment. One new unfired with wood grain inserts @ $2200. One fired but looks new with a $150 scope and green inserts for $1600. Both have open sights. He asked me if I might rethink...

www.rugerforum.com

 

[rugerguy]

wow, way out of line, but hey, thats the gun "shows" for you, they can ask anything they want for anything they have for sale, but what is the "market value" and not even what they are asking on auction sites, see what they go for in a REAL ( live) auction ,,way less than any of those prices...see them around here at shops for way, way less than that and especially in 30-06 , even saw a Winchester mod 70 pre 64 in 30-06 for
for way under any book value....oh well a fool and his money will soon 'part'...

 

[tazbigdog]

Auctions, such as Proxibid, are good places to look.

 

[Mobuck]

I quit attending gun shows several years back. The prices were so inflated that it was a worthless endeavor. Only worthwhile if looking for a specific used gun and willing to pay whatever it takes to bring it home.

 

[arfmel]

Gasoline, rent and groceries have doubled in price over the last few years, too.

 

[Busterswoodshop]

The blue book of guns is great for information.
As far as what guns are worth , not so much. I have never found their prices to be close to what things actually sell for.

 

[RC44Mag]

Gasoline, rent and groceries have doubled in price over the last few years, too.

 

[GasGuzzler]

A boat paddle stainless M77 sells for about $1400 locally. Don't see many blue and wood ones but they're usually $900-1200.

 

[bigbillyboy]

A boat paddle stainless M77 sells for about $1400 locally. Don't see many blue and wood ones but they're usually $900-1200.

Those prices reflect what I see here in pa. at auctions.

 

[bigbillyboy]

The blue book of guns is great for information.
As far as what guns are worth , not so much. I have never found their prices to be close to what things actually sell for.

I no longer but a new edition every other year as I once did , the prices are no way correct . I use the blue book strictly for reference now .

 

[DGW1949]

We all know that a used gun is worth exactly what a prospective buyer is willing to pay for it. Plus. as stated earlier in this thread, looking at what auctions bring can give one a fair idea of a gun's value. Much more so than "Blue Book's" or similar "price guides"....That being said though, my common sense tells me that if a seller want's more for a used gun than I can buy a new one for, why bother?....Of course, some guns ain't being made any longer, so that is a horse of a different color.

DGW

 

[GasGuzzler]

Of course, some guns ain't being made any longer, so that is a horse of a different color.

Pretty much where I am. Can't think of anything new I want and the last new thing I bought new was in 2013 and it's been superseded/outdated. So buying only FTF in cash and only paying what I want to combined with only being interested in older stuff (may still get a new Wrangler), I don't get to buy too many.

 

[DGW1949]

Yeah on all that. I don't buy a gun very often either. As it happens though, I am presently in the market for a newer-style Mini-30. To be more specific, a model 5854. That particular model comes from Ruger with scope rings, a weaver-type rail, two 20-Rd mags can be bought from several vendors on the web for a shade under $1000, and sometimes with free shipping to your FFL.....but....every one I see offered for sale used, the owner seems to think that theirs is worth whatever Ruger's MSRP is that day. Plus, gun shows have become a bad joke and people in general are becoming so afraid of the boogy man these days that the old fashioned "face to face for cash" is all but gone....Point to all this is that I can relate to everything mentioned in this thread so far.

Sad, that's what it is.

DGW

 

[hittman]

There's a nice Mini30 for sale right now in our Classifieds.
Not sure if it's the model you want but …..

 

[DGW1949]

There's a nice Mini30 for sale right now in our Classifieds.
Not sure if it's the model you want but …..

Yeah, I saw it in there a day or so ago....To my earlier point though, the guy is wanting more than I can get a new one just like it for....Plus, that one doesn't seem to include the factory stock, and a factory Mini-30 stock ain't that easy to find......So....

But thanks for trying to help.

DGW

 

[GasGuzzler]

Plus, gun shows have become a bad joke and people in general are becoming so afraid of the boogy man these days that the old fashioned "face to face for cash" is all but gone....Point to all this is that I can relate to everything mentioned in this thread so far.

Well it seems more likely more "vendors" attend shows with nothing for sale. They just have things to show off in person. FTF cash sales are not dead yet. But vendors need to have guns, ammo, shooting supplies to sell at gun shows as advertised. You'll find your mini30.

 

[peachhead]

I'm going to go the other direction with this. I go to gun shows all the time as a vendor. My prices are very competitive. I do see some every so often that are better, I do see some that are a lot higher. I do not inflate my prices for gun shows. As a matter of fact often my prices are a little lower than they generally are when I'm in a show.

As a vendor, who is running a business for a living, what gets on my nerves is the number of people who automatically expect me to come down on my price before they buy something at a show. "What's your best price on this" is something I hear all day. To be honest, I'm at the point where whatever it says on the price tag, that's my best price. I have bills to pay just like everybody else and my prices are calculated to allow me to do that. I thought about asking people, do you call your electric company and ask them if they can do any better on the bill before they pay it? Well, you might, but it ain't gonna work.

Yes I agree, prices are inflated, a lot of older guns are going for a lot more money than they probably should. But then again so are houses and cars and new guns are no exception.

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

I don't think the word has got around that prices have gotten soft. I've seen Zytel stock rifles as low as $800.