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Value impact of...

flynaked

Repo Field Gear Collector
Had an all matching G98 just come in, and the stock is cracked pretty good at the wrist! Knowing the stock is a significant value driver I am now concerned because I’m in this one pretty deep. It’s clearly an old crack and not a shipping issue so the seller definitely brushed over mentioning that. I am trying to decide if I should return this or simply settle for X% back. What are your thoughts on an approximate devaluation based on this crack, the whole rest of the rifle being really nice.
 

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Damn I know what rifle that is. Clay if it were me I would return it becasue you will never be happy with it. Its something that will always bother you. But being this is a rare rifle and how good you are with your wood making skills on some of your stocks. Maybe it can be fixed. But I would ask for a decent refund from this seller though.

The biggest issue with a crack like this is shooting ability. It will get worse over time. Even though its a collectable rifle that we would never shoot. Why do folks devalue a rifle when the bore is very poor even though their not going too shoot it!

Have too say this is the most common crack or break I have seen on Gew98 and K98k stocks.
 
If that is the one I think it is too...I would try to get some $$ back...but I wouldn't let that leave my premises. Period....

Rarity trumps that crack by far IMHO....and knowing your skill at repair, that could be a brass screw, cut off the head repair, and it would be stable. Shooting it? Really? Why? Is it going to shoot any different than any other Gew?

You know me, I don't even look at bores. I don't care. I never understood anyone who turns their back on a rare or scarce rifle because the bore isn't bright and shiny...makes no sense to me, although to each their own.

You'd be crazy to send it back....but asking for some money to be returned is reasonable...

ETA IMHO value impact on that particular rifle to a real collector....little to nil....
 
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Yep, Clay I'll join the chorus to keep it but get a partial refund. It's otherwise a rare rifle and gorgeous too, crack notwithstanding. With your skill, you could always repair the crack if you've a mind to but I'm not sure I'd bother if I'm not gonna shoot it anyways.
 
If it were me I keep it because it's just so damn scarce. I just hate they let that slip out without saying anything about that crack. Clay paid a decent amount of money for this rifle and he deserved a good rifle in the end without problems.

And yes pzjgr I understand about the Shooting Complex with collectible rifles but it's just how the market works sometimes. A few weeks ago I saw a pre-World War 1 Springfield 03 that was in beautiful shape. Extremely hard to find in that condition but the barrel was a sewer pipe. Apparently who owned the rifle they were shooting World War 1 dated ammunition through it! Oh and they didn't clean it either. The gentleman that was trying to sell it wanted $3,000 for it, he barely got over a thousand for it in the end.
 
Exactly, that’s all I’m worried about. Honestly the crack doesn’t even bother me all that much, just the fact that I PAID for a rifle without issues and the possible value impact is troublesome. If the seller can meet me at a decent return I will keep it, in the meantime I think I’ll do a full post on it to make sure there are no other issues I’m overlooking. They said, “every little serial number matches on the whole rifle” yet when I mention the big a$$ crack, “Oh it’s cracked? Does the box look okay from shipping? I didn’t see a crack on it when I was looking it over.” :laugh:
 

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