Am I the only one that thinks milsurp prices are in a "bubble"?

Just my observation: military surplus firearms rocketed up in 1994 for the 50th anniversary of the Normandy landing and the end of WW2 in 1995, and have been kept there by people demanding higher and higher prices for junkier and junkier rifles. In 1985, we were buying WW2 Mauser 98s for $50 each and stripping them for the actions, which we drilled and tapped for scope bases, cut off the bolt handles, welded on new bolt handles, polished and blued, and then sold for $120 to people who wanted a Mauser sporter (because a commercial 98 cost $180). In 1994, those same K98k rifles jumped up to $300. Nowadays you can't hardly give away a fine sporter Mauser (and get accused of "ruining a valuable piece of history" when you do), and beater 98s that spent their whole life in South America sell for $600. Is it a bubble? I think so, because the generation of men that fought that war are pretty much dead, and their kids are retiring now and they want a rifle "just like the one Dad brought home from the war" (never mind that Dad probably got it from the local surplus vendor). In a decade or so their grandkids will dump them so they can buy an AR and then there will be WW2 Mausers on the market again. But I will not be here to see it. I saw it the first time.
 
LOL!! If you really want to be grossed out, find some American Rifleman mags from the mid 60s and look at the ads from Hunter's Lodge (Sam Cummings Interamco). Lee-Enfields, $14.95, Mosin Nagants, $14.95, Webley & Scott revolvers $14.95, Lugers $39.95, Garands, $59.95, etc., etc.
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Seriously? In the 70's I was buying German Mausers out of a 55 gallon drum at Gibson's dept. stores for 15.00, 03 Springfields weren't much more. K-Mart had SKS's for 49.00 and AK's for 79.00 in the early 80's. Mosin's were going for nine bucks at gun shows with not many if any takers.
 
Interesting discussion.

My real "wonderment" is not so much whether it's a "bubble"- as 44 AMP mentioned, we'll find out...
But rather, when it will top- or if it already has.

I think many values today arereasonable- but like most that invest in the markets, it needs to be for long-term.

I just cannot see the current "trend line" continuing for much longer, and it will be interesting to see what happens with time and geopolitical changes.

Just wait until CMP starts selling off all the surplus (100,000 or so ) M1911 and 1911A1's. It's going to be a freaking nightmare!

Probably no one was more surprised than I, that none other then our President signed off on this...
 
It is really no more than economics 101. If the supply is finite and the demand rises, the price will go up. My first military surplus rifle was bought in 1968. I paid a bit too much for it ($25 for a pristine No4Mk1) but it was from the local gun shop. Today that same rifle will no doubt cost you $450 or so.

I always marvel at those that live in a fantasy world where they think that prices on guns will go down "if I just wait awhile". Actually prices have been rather steady for the most part with what seems like no more than an increase reflecting the constant devaluing of the dollar as Barkey's Fed keeps printing more money.

I collect guns that I like, sometimes I get a deal and sometimes I pay at least the going rate if I want something bad enough. What I don't do is agonize over a few dollars either way. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff.
 
If the supply is finite and the demand rises, the price will go up.
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Very true, but the other factor is the advent of the internet. The advent of web based gun sale sites has increased the range of the audience probably 1000 fold (if not more). Couple this with the "more money than brains" factor and you have added a nice inflationary angle which, in all probability is not going to burst any time soon.:rolleyes:
 
Seriously? In the 70's I was buying German Mausers out of a 55 gallon drum at Gibson's dept. stores for 15.00, 03 Springfields weren't much more.
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Hawg, are you sure you aren't thinking of the 50s??? I can remember seeing prices like that in the 50s (in Florida), but by the 70s, things were creeping up a bit.:eek::D
 
^^^ They crept up a whole $4. ;) In 1971 my Mauser K98 cost $19.00 at Edelman's Sporting Goods. My dad bought 2. All had matching serial numbers. He also bought 2 Mauser barreled actions for $9.99 each. Can't beat that with a stick.
 
As some other people have already mentioned, timing is everything. You all have heard the old saying "What goes around, comes around". People lose interest, a new magazine article comes out, a movie is made, and suddenly something else is collected. The high prices drive people away from collecting certain models and they move on to other things. If you collect for a hobby, have fun. If you collect just for an investment, you are rolling the dice.
 
People that shoot a lot of ammo off don't need a rifle with matching numbers, but you are right, they need the ammo. You want to see a price drop on a gun, advertise it as a "Wildcat" or a handload only gun. Right now you can get ammo or brass for almost anything. It was not always that way.
 
Yeah, I wasn't born til Dec 56. I was 15 when I bought my first Mauser so that would have been 72.
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Geeeeeeeez. A Mauser for $15.00 in '72? That's just after I got discharged from the Air Force and a had a few extra bucks, but I never saw anything that cheap in Florida since the 50s and early 60s. Drat! Just my luck.:mad:
 
Looking over the 475 page auction list for Samco's bankruptcy gives me hope that there will soon be many new surplus rifles on the market.
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How does a person go about purchasing things from them? Their website is down.

Just wait until CMP starts selling off all the surplus (100,000 or so ) M1911 and 1911A1's. It's going to be a freaking nightmare!
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When will this happen? Anyone have an idea how much they will go for?
 
You can't purchase items from the auction. The listing doesn't show when it will be, but my guess is soon. One or two of the big distributors will purchase most if not all of it.

At that point we should see some new milsurps on the market.

TK
 
The listing doesn't show when it will be, but my guess is soon. One or two of the big distributors will purchase most if not all of it.
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I've been to the Samco's site a couple of times or so but don't remember all those rifles, unless I didn't look in the right place.
 
I didn't see them either, but they show on the inventory sheet. I have no idea what's there but some of the items look interesting and I hope they come to market. Over 6000 Spanish Mausers would be nice.

TK
 
Over 6000 Spanish Mausers would be nice
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Yes, it would be.

I noticed a bunch of Yugo SKSs. And a good sized batch of M1 Carbines. Anyone want to guesstimate how much we would be paying for this stuff?
 
Over 6000 Spanish Mausers would be nice.
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I just thought of something. They may not handle commercial .308 loads. I think they were made when the 7.62X51 was loaded lighter. I don't know.


Thanks for the pics, TK.
 
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