Matching is good, not matching is good too
I’m relatively new to “collecting,” but I think that my attitude towards German rifles probably reflects the history of collecting these rifles.
Before the war, few people ever heard of a Mauser, let alone collected them. When soldiers came home with their trophies, most of them probably ended up on the closet. When surplus riflles began being sold over here for twenty bucks, people began buying them, some to collect, many to be “sporterized.” Few people lnew anything about them.
As the collecting hobby grew people took the time to study the weapons and do research. They found out the history of Mauser, all the factories, the record-keeping, the stamps, the numbers. Over time matching numbers became important because few rifles probably had them. When capture weapons and other-country surplus guns hit the market they drove prices down and the number of mixmasters up, so matching guns got more and more valuable because they were rare.
With the internet, collecting, buying and selling increased dramatically, driving prices up and attracting crooks. That’s where we are now. Also, people want instant gratification now so they don't have time to do the homework. They have extra money which they throw at the elusive “all matching” gun. Sellers push this craze for the money they can make.
What began as a fun hobby has become an obsession to some, a source of income for many, and a source of grief and disappointment to others.
I didn’t even know my first “sporter” had serial numbers until I took it apart. I didn’t really care. When I bought my first 98k fifty years later, appearance and condition became import. I have six rifles now, none are all matching. I don’t care. It is a hobby to me, if even that, not an obsession. Obsession and fun do not go together.
