What is going on???

[bigedd]

I'm sure I'm not the first to notice, but what is going on with the prices of old single actions. I haven't seen anything sell even close to what RENE says is an average price for months. I understand the hipe over ARs, semi-auto pistols (black stuff), but why the old Rugers? Does anyone know where the prices are reasonable, because they sure aren't that way on sites like Gunbroker? :?:

 

[contender]

Well, I don't follow GB a lot unless it's something I want to watch. That said, the RENE guide is exactly that, a guide. It's a guide of what collectors will pay another collector for a specific piece. It's data gathered from different parts of the country & averaged. What might be hot & hard to find in one area may be common & easy in another area. Prices reflect such activity. (Although the prices have gotten closer together in the last few years due to the internet.)
As for reasonable prices,,, you have to shop around, haunt the gun shops, pawn shops, & even the classifieds here. Then have the ability to buy it when you find it.
Just a bit over a week ago,, I found a rarer variation of an OM Blackhawk in a gun shop. Very reasonable for what it was. You just gotta do some hunting,,,!

 

[ndcowboy]

In American Rifleman last month the last page talked about the value of Ruger Flatgates. It claimed they could be purchased in that $250-275 ballpark in pretty good shape. Now tell me, where can you buy pretty nice flatgates for $250 to $275?

 

[stantheman86]

I have a few theories, basically the use of locks in some new Ruger SA's is driving up prices for the older ones. Look at what that did with the S&W's, the locks started being used on S&W revolvers in 2001 or so and prices for the older models shot up instantly.

Also, the SA's made in 1962 or prior are C&R eligible, which explains some of the insane prices on the C&R eligible Blackhawks on GunBroker. A C&R collector can have these guns shipped right to them and save them the transfer hassle, which is worth a $100+ premium to many people.

Basically, the "older is better" thing is driving up prices for older guns all across the board. There is nothing wrong with the new stuff at all, but for a lot of people a Blackhawk from the 50's or 60's has more "vintage cool" factor than a newer one.

I collect Ruger DA's and I am also seeing this with the Sixes, the "rare variations" are starting to go for higher prices, like the 1976 .38 Special Service Sixes, .38 Special Security Sixes, low backs, etc. There are just more "collectors" out there now, not just people looking for utility grade shooters.

 

[DGW1949]

It seems to me that OM's perty-much go up in price as NM's go up in price, which is another way of saying that it aint so much that either is actualy "worth more" as it is that the dollars we use are simply worth less.

An OM Flat Top .357 was about $89 in 1959. That sounds perty-cheap to us today....but how much was a new car back then?....or a gallon of gas?

DGW

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

No question the prices of OM Rugers has declined. I've been shocked to see some of the ones in the classified section that take days to sell when a couple of years ago they would have been snapped up in a few minutes at that price.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

More accurately, the RENE price guide reflects what folks SAY they would pay for any given piece.

YMMV

:mrgreen:

 

[DGW1949]

No question the prices of OM Rugers has declined. I've been shocked to see some of the ones in the classified section that take days to sell when a couple of years ago they would have been snapped up in a few minutes at that price.

I guess I aint seeing what you are seeing. I'm just a shooter-tinkerer though, so I haven't paid much attention to the "collector" guns.
A couple of years ago, $275-$375 would still fetch me a "shooter grade" OM-357, depending on how nice the gun was. I don't see them at that price these days. These days, the one's that I see around are more like $350-$450.

DGW

 

[stantheman86]

I also admit I don't look at the "rare" stuff, as a Ruger fanatic who loves to shoot and carry my guns, the stuff like Micro sight flat tops and rare Old Models isn't something I look for.

Mostly NIB collectible stuff commands the high prices, like the .357 Max or rare flat tops.

Then again I have seen some dogs sell for more than I thought they should have.

IMO Ruger is not like S&W, I think the new Ruger SA's are just as good as the old ones value-wise. I can go to my local gun shop right now and buy a new .357 Blackhawk that does the same job as one made in the 1950's.

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

No question the prices of OM Rugers has declined. I've been shocked to see some of the ones in the classified section that take days to sell when a couple of years ago they would have been snapped up in a few minutes at that price.

I guess I aint seeing what you are seeing. I'm just a shooter-tinkerer though, so I haven't paid much attention to the "collector" guns.
A couple of years ago, $275-$375 would still fetch me a "shooter grade" OM-357, depending on how nice the gun was. I don't see them at that price these days. These days, the one's that I see around are more like $350-$450.

DGW

I'm not talking about collector grade guns either. Now maybe things are different in your part of the country. I'm just talking about what I've seen here in the classifieds on this forum. I would expand it to say that the used NMs are also selling a lot slower than a few years ago. Now if we're talking NIB SA guns in gun stores, well that's a different animal as they have gone up considerably in the last 5 years.