Nothings Selling??

[james m]

Well apparently this statement isn't true in the sniper rifle arena. Anyone know the buyer or seller?
Jim

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=281583795

[phild]

Thanks,

I guess that now I will have to adjust the price/value of my turret mount sniper up to about 25K to keep things in perspective.

I hear the complaint of "nothings selling" from a lot of dealers at shows over the last few years....but it seems to me that everyday I see record sales prices met on various internet auctions and sites. These are real and not humped up for deception.

I'[m seeing in some cases un-named lower rank (non-generals) German tunics (albeit SS) being offered for the same price range as CSA officer frock coats can be had for...and some selling maybe with partial trade for those prices.

A lot of folks on the forum were saying that the price of 3rd Reich material was going to crash a few years ago...it was supposed to have already happened....including firearms.....they also told me this in 1973. I have been waiting since 2008 for the price of nice camo FJ helmets to get down to $500 each....but they seem to have gone up by 10 or 20% since 2008. (8-9K)....maybe I should have bought one then and not listened to the experts?

[hi-revr]

The stuff that doesn't sell is;

1) common items priced above market price
2) items someone screwed with
3) high end stuff priced rediculously high
4) fairly priced items from dealers with too many questionable items

[rogerbh]

I am of the belief that the sniper rifle in the OP is a pristine example of a matching factory sniper with one lug without a number.

Since I know that G/K43 factory snipers were selling for 12k a few years ago, I do not really see why there is surprise with this sale.

I am not the seller or buyer in that auction.

[Willi Z.]

Since I know that G/K43 factory snipers were selling for 12k a few years ago, I do not really see why there is surprise with this sale.

I agree. It is a rare piece. There is plenty of money out there for the rare desirable pieces.

[Willi Z.]

I have been waiting since 2008 for the price of nice camo FJ helmets to get down to $500 each....but they seem to have gone up by 10 or 20% since 2008. (8-9K)....maybe I should have bought one then and not listened to the experts?

What experts? I first saw clean FJ camos bring $3k at the 1993 Max Show in Baltimore. They have indeed fallen since 2010 or so. But, really nice ones have brought more than $8 or 9 k for years....

[phild]

What experts? I first saw clean FJ camos bring $3k at the 1993 Max Show in Baltimore. They have indeed fallen since 2010 or so. But, really nice ones have brought more than $8 or 9 k for years....

I used the term experts sarcastically. For a least a period of about a year back around 2008-2009 there were many posting on the forum insisting that prices of 3rd Reich militaria were headed for a certain and immediate crash.

My response (a joke) was to say great I'll wait for FJ helmets to fall to around $500 each (they were about $250 more of less when I really started collecting) and buy them up! Of course this did not happen yet nor do I ever expect it to happen.....well maybe if gold drops to $32 an ounce again.

My other point is everyone seems to complain that the prices (values actually) are too high or that they are (or will be) too low. A few even complain about both of these conditions at the same time...I can not quite figure them out.

[james m]

If the economy were to crash completely into a depression(Not a recession which we're now experiencing) IMO all collectibles would radically drop in price. If that was the case(perish the thought) the farthest thing in most of our minds would be militaria collecting other than those items with defensive potential.
Most of the major dealers seem to be content at present to just sit things out until the economy rebounds. I don't see any fire sales in progress.
Jim

[phild]

If the economy were to crash completely into a depression(Not a recession which we're now experiencing) IMO all collectibles would radically drop in price. If that was the case(perish the thought) the farthest thing in most of our minds would be militaria collecting other than those items with defensive potential.
Most of the major dealers seem to be content at present to just sit things out until the economy rebounds. I don't see any fire sales in progress.
Jim

Jim,

I agree, but so would the price and value of everything else except what is needed to survive (food, ammo, medicine etc...) and everything will be barter as the world currency will mean nothing.....I mean that scenario is the definition of "crash completely".

I will not argue that the rate of most price rise in this and other extra income types of collectable hobbies have been impacted since 2008, but it seems that the top items are still climbing. The more common have backed off a little and are slower moving....but as you stated no fire sales even on those.

I see this directly illustrated in the G43 that is the subject of this thread and I can find it most everyday on GB and some other sites.....in every category from k98ks to knights crosses to Confederate Leech and Rigdon revolvers...I have no data on recent sales of 200AD Roman short swords.....but I bet that they are holding their own as well.

[Willi Z.]

Dealers and collectors have been speculating in many areas of the hobby. Prices have been coming down amoung the areas which are not really rare but the demand has been high in the past. FJ smocks is one area.

That being said, many of us have been waiting for the really rare stuff to hit the market as people worried about the economy. It hasn't happened. In FJ collecting some of the "flash in the pan" collectors have dropped out, but this was no surprise to the dedicated ones.

[helmutderpa]

I agree with you, the price of rare and highly sought stuff is still rising and I do not see a reason why it would drop.

Regarding common items, I have seen the prices dropping a bit on WAF and things are moving slowly.

I can predict that there will be a decrease of things bought by french collectors to US sellers.
2 reasons for that.
The french customs have opened new offices in order to check ALL the packets coming from non EEC lands. They are asking a minimum fee of 68 euros (89$) to all packet with declared value of over 100 euros I think, but the amount will go up as the packet content value increases. The custom office are keeping the packet and ask the french buyers to supply a bill showing the value of the bought item.
The exchange rate euro / dollars is worse for european now and does not seem to get back to where it was.

With the need of cash of all european lands, I fear that this might be the same for other european lands sooner or later...

So I guess that the global overseas market between US and Europe will fall very fast and US sellers will have less buyers.

I am now personnaly reluctant to buy in the US whereas that was almost all my internet buyings in the last 7 years.

[james m]

Quote:
"The french customs have opened new offices in order to check ALL the packets coming from non EEC lands. They are asking a minimum fee of 68 euros (89$) to all packet with declared value of over 100 euros I think, but the amount will go up as the packet content value increases. The custom office are keeping the packet and ask the french buyers to supply a bill showing the value of the bought item"

Apparently Germany now has the same policy. I shipped a good quality reproduction dagger to a collector in Germany a couple of weeks ago. I filled out the customs declaration with the description "obsolete cutlery" which in fact is what it is. Customs gave the buyer fits because I hadn't included a bill of sale. I had never ever heard of this being a requirement before now. I suspect that due to the shipping costs ($47 USPS priority mail) plus having to fill out a customs form and now contending with these new requirements the international trade in daggers will be curtailed.
Jim

[julio65]

Quote:
"The french customs have opened new offices in order to check ALL the packets coming from non EEC lands. They are asking a minimum fee of 68 euros (89$) to all packet with declared value of over 100 euros I think, but the amount will go up as the packet content value increases. The custom office are keeping the packet and ask the french buyers to supply a bill showing the value of the bought item"

Apparently Germany now has the same policy. I shipped a good quality reproduction dagger to a collector in Germany a couple of weeks ago. I filled out the customs declaration with the description "obsolete cutlery" which in fact is what it is. Customs gave the buyer fits because I hadn't included a bill of sale. I had never ever heard of this being a requirement before now. I suspect that due to the shipping costs ($47 USPS priority mail) plus having to fill out a customs form and now contending with these new requirements the international trade in daggers will be curtailed.
Jim

The spanish government started with this same policy some months ago, mainly with the packets mailed from USA.
The european governments need a lot of money now, and they look for it under the stones!!

[james m]

For those of you who follow firearms collecting the Rock island Auction that just wrapped up a couple of days ago set some "nosebleed" prices for militaria collectibles. This included approximately $190,000 for a "Flashlight Luger" with a very questionable background. Other offerings such as party leader PPK's and a Borschardt (cased with accessories) brought near record prices.
From what I see the market for scarce and desirable items appears to be as strong as ever.
If anyone on the forum either attended this auction or participated in the bidding your observations would be welcome.
Jim

[History]

If the economy crashes as some think it will, you won't be able to eat any of t his stuff. A rifle or pistol will be just that. Helmets might have a renewed use. This absolutely cannot continue forever. Interest will drop when all but a few can buy because of price. History buffs will always be interested and desire to own but need to eat. It might be twenty fifty years from now but prices will come down for one reason or another. It's amazing that people forget history or don't realize that hard times can and IMHO will happen again. For what's it worth I'm still buying .