ncreptile
Senior Member
What were the No4 Ts selling for?
Awaiting GB listings from Poulin auction
- Thread starter bruce98k
- Start date
Herk1994
Senior Member
Did anyone there look at the Enfields? I'm priced out of the K98k market so I collect Enfields and Carcanos now
I tried saying that myself weeks ago. This hobby is dead for new guys like me. Way too expensive for my blood. And, when the hobby is completely dead and not a single newcomer is to be found, only the elite will own and tender these rifles. All because of (I have a small penis) heads doing what these guys are doing.
Arisaka collecting is ten times the fun anyways.... and cheaper, for now
It's always, ALWAYS about supply and demand. Been that way since the dawn of time.
When I got serious about collecting instead of being just a gatherer, in the late 1970s I started collecting Trapdoor Springfields and Krags, because you could buy pristine examples for short money. I couldn't afford to butt heads with the heavy hitters of the time collecting Winchesters, Colts, Lugers, and Civil War stuff. So I looked between the cracks and settled on Winchester Lee straight pull rifles. No one else wanted them, there was very little published information about them. I bought really rare guns for short money, just using the Shotgun News, Gunlist, and dealer networking. After 10 or 12 years I got bored with them and moved on, but it was the most fun I've had in my collecting career. Made a few bucks to boot.
The point is there is always something interesting to collect that may not be the trendy gun of the moment, but can still be rewarding.
When I got serious about collecting instead of being just a gatherer, in the late 1970s I started collecting Trapdoor Springfields and Krags, because you could buy pristine examples for short money. I couldn't afford to butt heads with the heavy hitters of the time collecting Winchesters, Colts, Lugers, and Civil War stuff. So I looked between the cracks and settled on Winchester Lee straight pull rifles. No one else wanted them, there was very little published information about them. I bought really rare guns for short money, just using the Shotgun News, Gunlist, and dealer networking. After 10 or 12 years I got bored with them and moved on, but it was the most fun I've had in my collecting career. Made a few bucks to boot.
The point is there is always something interesting to collect that may not be the trendy gun of the moment, but can still be rewarding.
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cj556
Senior Member
Mostly the 3-4K range and one in the 5k range. This is before the buyers premium of course.
Congrats, I was bidding on that one as well, DOT 43 in walnut has been on my short list for some time and that one seemed like a good example. I got the BNZ 45 q block for a fair price I think, their pictures leave a lot to be desired. I casually watched the uniforms\visors\cloth gear at the end yesterday and was pretty surprised where it was hammering, internet bidding on SS visors or uniforms without in hand inspection for thousands seems... risky, but maybe they were comfortable with the listings 2 pictures.
nick
Warrior1354
ax - hole
I wouldn't say the hobby is dead Herk I came home with something last weekend priced quite reasonable too. There are still deals out there.
Tks. Did you look at the South African SMLE? Looked like a U broad arrow SA army property marked decent rebuild of a 1916 Brit. SMLE. That's what the South Africans went to WW2 with. There was also a post WW1 BSA contract for SMLEs for them. This one:
Hibid
poulinantiques.hibid.com
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waffenmeister
Senior Member
Very nice looking rifle and not easy to find.
cj556
Senior Member
I did. It looked nice from what I recall, obviously had some Arsenal work done in SA but I didn’t disassemble. The stock was replaced but matching. (Correct me if I’m wrong here but don’t MK3 star models as originally made have a pot belly where the volley sight would be?).
cj556
Senior Member
This. I’m not very old but I feel like a lot of younger collectors want that instant gratification and sometimes pay stupid money or don’t do their research. This hobby is all about networking and making relationships with fellow collectors. A lot of people think there should be an Amazon for a matching 98k or Gew 98 and pay stupid money on GB. Bottom line is patience and persistence get you a lot more in this hobby than money alone. I also wouldn’t say this hobby is dead spend any amount of time on Facebook or Reddit milsurp groups (I know the horror the horror) and you’ll see plenty of younger collectors.
hale1940
Canadian Fabio
I really don’t think the hobby is dead…even for new people. Sure things have gotten expensive. But decent finds can still be had. I’ve actually found some good ones of Gunbroker recently, of all places. Plus, lets be honest, original K98k’s haven’t been cheap for a looong time. They have always been sought after and considered one of the more studied and expensive of milsurps. Its interesting to look at some of the really old threads on this site and see guys chatting about prices. It seems ten years ago the average starter price for a basic original gun was around $1500. Which isn’t really that far off from today, especially when you consider how other milsurps have appreciated.
Thank you! And congrats on your purchase! That one is a nice rifle! I agree their pictures are pretty bad, but the condition of that BNZ 45 is really nice! I'm looking forward to your posting this rifle up. I sure think it was a fair price! And yea I was just commenting to my wife this morning about the SS uniform that went for over 10k..in a area that is known for fakery I was surprised that a online bidder would go that high!
Rick
Dealer M...9 bought a total of 18 lots, all German or German used long guns.
I had a tie bid on one item that Proxibid said I won and I got a notice today saying that M..9 won.
I was also incorrect in that M..9 did not buy the bad S/42G but whoever did is inheriting a really bad rifle.
I had a tie bid on one item that Proxibid said I won and I got a notice today saying that M..9 won.
I was also incorrect in that M..9 did not buy the bad S/42G but whoever did is inheriting a really bad rifle.
Thanks for the info Cj. Some do, late ones perhaps not. The stock was very likely replaced in the rebuild, and it was turned back into Mk.III (no star) with the reinstallation of a mag cutoff, and the star struck in the interwar years. The nosecap, rear sight leaf, bolt, barrel, receiver, and fore end match, and the receiver and buttstock are U broad arrow property marked. Most of these early SMLEs sold to SA before WW2 are BSA commercials. Post WW2 many were reworked yet again for the SA Police who used them and are so marked (SAP) and are usually completely mismatched. I'm hopeful this one is an interwar rework. The fellow at Poulin knew his Enfields, so.......
If it’s nice hold it for me until I find some trade bait.
Absolut
Senior Member
Since we anyway expect him to try and resell for profit, probably trying to make some "better" .. why don't you list all 18 items he bought in here, with serial numbers and their original inscription. Once they pop up again then we can compare them to the original listing description and point out what he did.
heavy_mech
RKI- Reasonably Knowledgable Individual
Well I don't think there's any TRY here and I suspect we'll see them very soon. As far as making them 'better' he certainly has a technique. While I don't know exactly what, he seems to wipe them down (especially the metal) with something and combined with his photography setup makes them look really good. So 250-300 pictures and a buzzword laden, hyperbole infused 400 word description and the recipe is complete. I only wonder at this point how much he'll try and tack on for 'his trouble'.
