What makes this Blackhawk box so special?

This is the link to a Blackhawk box on Ebay that the current bid is $260.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F382586134895
What makes this box so special as opposed to other OM boxes? Please educate me.
Thanks,
Rodney

Yikes. And all the purchaser is getting is some cardboard for that amount of money! I can't explain it.... But then I never understood why box and papers are worth anything. Just me though...

I think that is a very good deal "if" they leave the revolver in the box! Otherwise that is just nuts. I can say that because I don't intentionally keep the boxes they come in. On second thought though maybe I should have......!!!!

Un-cataloged flattop box.50 plus years old
Great shape hard to find box with the paper work.
May even go higher

I agree, so far a heck of a deal, and YES it should go higher...it is ,what it is as noted above

if you do not know what it is, and why it is worth so much, then you do NOT know Rugers :?

as often said over the years, "get, and read the books....." 8) :roll: :wink:

While some folks do not understand why "cardboard" sells for so much,, others of us do,, and wonder why it goes so cheaply sometimes.

Yes,, it's a cardboard box.
BUT,, it's the type of box it is,, that makes it valuable,,,,,,,,,, to collectors.

A collector likes to have an "as shipped,, original, complete package." From displays to general collecting & all,, the small items,, OTHER than the gun,, can be harder to find.
Why? Well, as many allude to,, they trash the box,, & keep the gun. That makes boxes harder to get than guns. And when you have a rarer gun,, the boxes are even rarer.

Go price a Tri-Color Lightweight,, gun.
Then,, go price either box they may have shipped in.
There were 2 different boxes,, one with a green wreath, and one with a black wreath.
Green wreath boxes,, JUST THE BOX,, collector grade,, value $1600,, while a black wreath box is worth about $900. But the guns,,, between $650 and $950.
Why? Not many green wreath boxes,, with more being black wreath ones,,! BUT,, due to buyers trashing the boxes,, more COLLECTOR value is placed on the good boxes,, than the more plentiful guns.

There are many examples of this,, but it boils down to COLLECTORS,, vs shooters.

Rdtay10 said:

This is the link to a Blackhawk box on Ebay that the current bid is $260.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F382586134895
What makes this box so special as opposed to other OM boxes? Please educate me.
Thanks,
Rodney

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Boxes are just like guns; there's the run of the mill and then there's the scarce and rare model guns that command a lot more! Notice there's no barrel length listed on that box, and for when the gun was made with only a 5 digit s/n, that box is in great condition.

Although I'd rather buy another gun for what that box will sell for.

Jim,
How can you tell about the serial number?
Or the model #?
Thanks to all for the education!!!
Rodney

A .357 Blackhawk with a serial number in the 20000 range would date to 1959 and has the brochure, warranty card, and Anderol lubricant card. The entire "package" is in great shape for being nearly fifity years old and many collectors would love to have it. If you look at the bid history, it looks like a one or two person auction. Who knows how high it will go, particularly if both really want or need it for their collection.

Bill Cross

Rdtay10,,, we collectors get the books, we study & know what goes with what. The cheapest & best info is the Red Eagle News Exchange. Join, and you get the Ruger Reference Guide. It's invaluable.
Now,, it doesn't have everything you need,, but it does have more than most will ever use.
One of the basics,,, model info.
Look at the box mentioned. It doesn't have the "BKH-34" that later guns would have printed on their box ends. Why? Because when the Blackhawk first came out,, it was in one caliber, and one barrel length. When the 6-1/2" barreled guns came out,, the box had to be longer to accept the longer guns,, AND then the models had to be distinguished from each other for shipping & selling,, so they were given model info,, such as BKH-34 or BKH-36. In fact,, due to the age of that box,, the model for it was first called; ".357 Blackhawk from 1955-1957."

A lot of this information is what we collectors study & look for in an original package of a gun, the paperwork, and even the shippers. The shippers are even more rare,, & can command huge premiums,,, due to the fact that different, more detailed information was found on the shipper,, not on the box.

And,, if you really want sticker shock,, I have seen JUST a box sell for as high as $2700,, for an OM 357,, the BKH-30. It was on sleezbay if I recall correctly,, and a few members here were after it as a gift for a prominent collector. They stopped at $2500,, if my faded memory is correct.
Currently,, according to the RENE price guide, here are a few examples of box prices. (JUST the box,, no extras or shippers etc.)
Non cataloged .357 box, (like the one mentioned here,) $435
Non cataloged 44 mag Blackhawk; $560.
BKH-30; $1600
BKH-46; $1550
BKH-47; $935
BKH-40; $1450
Hawkeye; $545

These are but a few examples,, and all this info came from the RENE.
It's all about rarity, and collectors who desire a complete package.

It's about having the complete package. A collector may have the gun and it's worth, as an example, $500. They buy the box for $300 and now as a package it's worth $1000. The ones only looking at it as a cardboard box are the same ones that only see the gun as another ol' shooter.

Thank you all very much for the education. What does LHS #747", and "859" mean on the box?
Rodney

Rdtay10 said:

Thank you all very much for the education. What does LHS #747", and "859" mean on the box?
Rodney

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Rodney,

The serial # is in red grease pencil on the left side of the box label.

These LHS #747" and "859" are not factory notations; most likely something to do with the dealers inventory control #s.

Ah Hah! Thanks Jim.
Rodney

I cannot speak for the Blackhawk. However, I purchased Ruger Gold Label shotgun bunch of years ago. It was a firearm writers test gun, and came to me used directly from Ruger for employee price, courtesy of Mike Fifer. It had the original box and all the documentation. Buddy of mine and I fired it up a local range, trap shooting. That shotgun handled beautifully. BUT, the joint between one barrel was not completely sweated, leaking cleaning fluid. Called Ruger, sent it back, came back to me fixed. BIG mistake, I sent it back in the original box and they sent back to me in a new box. SOBBB. I didn't know what I was thinking.

After a few years this gun was meant for upland game and NOT sporting clays, which I am into. Put it on the Ruger Forum, and it was sold to a collector in Texas. We discussed it at length, came to an agreed price significantly more than I paid for it. He then told me if I had the original box, he would have probably added $700.00 to his offer.

I am not a collector, but the buyer was very tickled to receive the shotgun and all the provenance that it came with.

Coop

Maybe the box i have listed here should go on ebay.

it went for 405+8.95 shipping insanity!

dixie cat said:

it went for 405+8.95 shipping insanity!

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No, not really.
You guys that throw the cardboard away when you get a brand new gun are the reason there are so few of these original cardboard boxes left.
Most people also think that guns are just guns (heck, even the Ruger factory thinks that)
But some people recognize the rarity of some guns and collect them (like the coin collector who just paid over 4.5 million dollars for a 1913 nickle recently). It is all about supply and demand (check your change...some 1969 lincoln pennies with the "S" mintmark are worth from $7K to over 100K depending on the condition!). :shock: But to many of you, a nickel will always be just a nickel.
If you are a collector, you realize the value of having a complete package, even if it is a common gun, it can be a "condition rarity" if it has the original box, outer shipping carton and all the original papers.
Probably 90% of all Ruger Old Models no longer have their original boxes. So if a collector finds a gun that doesn't have a box, they will generally try to find a correct era box to go with it. The benefit of this is that when you sell the collection, a boxed gun of a particular variation will always be easier to sell than a gun of similar variation without the box.
The record for Ruger cardboard is in the $2,200 area....yes, true because I'm the one to sold it to another collector on ebay, and there were several other collectors who pushed it to that level.
Chet15

You guys that throw the cardboard away when you get a brand new gun are the reason there are so few of these original cardboard boxes left.
Most people also think that guns are just guns (heck, even the Ruger factory thinks that)

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Hey, I resemble that remark . My enjoyment is shooting them and hitting what I aim at. That's what Ruger designed them for . Guns belong in a holster and used . That said, I do understand the obsession of collecting (guns/boxes, coins, paintings, baseball cards) somewhat. I mean, why do I have 'several' .45 Colt revolvers when one would do? We each enjoy guns in different ways!

Rclark said:

You guys that throw the cardboard away when you get a brand new gun are the reason there are so few of these original cardboard boxes left.
Most people also think that guns are just guns (heck, even the Ruger factory thinks that)

Click to expand...

Hey, I resemble that remark . My enjoyment is shooting them and hitting what I aim at. That's what Ruger designed them for . Guns belong in a holster and used . That said, I do understand the obsession of collecting (guns/boxes, coins, paintings, baseball cards) somewhat. I mean, why do I have 'several' .45 Colt revolvers when one would do? We each enjoy guns in different ways!

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I see "collectors" collecting guns they can't and won't shoot. what good are they? it's like having a car you can't drive. or knives you can't sharpen and use. or building a house and not live in it. what good are they? you are just going to die and leave this earth and someone else will use them. I am a user collector, I use what I collect,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,