Kar98a with Wiemar 1920 fair price?

[ditch68]

I have a line on a Kar98a, from a family member, and I want to see if I can come up with a fair price to offer him for it.

It is an Erfurt 1917. The bolt matches, but the TG and floorplate do not. Stock is nice and unsanded, with very nice clear markings.

It will be in my collection either way, but I want him to get what it's worth. Neither of us seem to have any idea what to price it at.

He also has a matching 1909 Spandau, but I can't seem to pry that from him...yet. It is unit marked to Hasso Von Manteuffel's WWI Hussar regiment. Pretty damn cool.

Jeff

[Loewe]

Unfortunately these aren't too valuable, unless they are police marked or are really in exceptional condition. Many are dogged out.. many were in training units, and some are marked (look at the takedown etc..), it if has a nice unit mark it might be worth more, but any mismatched parts really hurt the rifle.

The truth of the matter is it is worth more in parts than together, and I have paid less for one than I could buy a loose stock for. Check the bore and muzzle out, as that matters with these, as many were heavily used-abused, might check the barrel markings, as sometimes they were re-barreled and have neat markings, which is probably not a big price mover for most but might make it slightly more appealing to some.

If the stock is really nice, the barrel good, I would say $500-600 tops, if it has a police marking, PwB, it is worth more, but generally speaking I would try to keep it on the lower side of that range unless it has something special going for it as these are not rifles with a lot of demand. (Imperial 98a are much scarcer but they too take a proportionally larger hit on mismatched parts than say a Gew.98 or 98k imo... I really do not like mismatched 98a too much- m/m stocks and I wouldn't even want it, as they have serious interchangeable-fit issues usually)


I have a line on a Kar98a, from a family member, and I want to see if I can come up with a fair price to offer him for it.

It is an Erfurt 1917. The bolt matches, but the TG and floorplate do not. Stock is nice and unsanded, with very nice clear markings.

It will be in my collection either way, but I want him to get what it's worth. Neither of us seem to have any idea what to price it at.

He also has a matching 1909 Spandau, but I can't seem to pry that from him...yet. It is unit marked to Hasso Von Manteuffel's WWI Hussar regiment. Pretty damn cool.

Jeff

[ditch68]

Thanks, Paul.

Like I said, I am getting it, just wanted to find some kind of valuation. I want one just as a representative piece.

But then, that's how it all begins, isn't it?

Jeff

[Loewe]

True, that is how it starts!

My comments are generic to this type rifle, many variables are possible, and demand can change value quickly on these. Unlike the Kar98k, matching, or mostly matching Imperial-Weimar era rifles are not common enough to sustain much demand. If they ever received the interest they deserve, they would quickly escalate in value as even a modest increase of interest would strip any supply that might exist.

Although collectors speak of rarity or scarcity of Kar98k rifles, the reality is even a rather difficult manufacturer-date to find is many times more common than most Imperial-Weimar rifles in the same condition. There are really few manufacturer-date combinations in the Kar98k that are rare, and most that exist are condition rarities.

Weimar era rifles are one of the last real "bargains" out there in German rifle collecting. (of course that has been the case for many years... they might remain cheap forever!)



Thanks, Paul.

Like I said, I am getting it, just wanted to find some kind of valuation. I want one just as a representative piece.

But then, that's how it all begins, isn't it?

Jeff