Am I out of touch or is he out of his tree?

[Boerrancher]

I went into a somewhat local gun shop today to see if they had a few extra rifle flints. Yeah, I can Knapp my own but it is hard on my hands when they don't want to work, so I thought I would buy a couple extras as a back up. Any how, there on the rack was an old beat up Marlin 336. My first thought, "ah old Marlin, pre micro grove, been some farmers truck gun, probably a 30-30 or 35 Rem." Either way I was interested. I ask for the gun and it was taken off the rack and handed to me. It was real beat up. No bluing anywhere dings in the metal work, and the stock looked like it had been dragged behind the truck instead of riding in the cab.

I worked the lever and Wow it was slick and smooth, "there may be some hope yet. There was no bore light handy so I stuck a business card in the action held it up to the light and looked down the bore. It looked like a sewer pipe on the inside, and I think it was micro grooved. There was too much dirt and soot in the barrel for me to tell. I then looked at the price tag and thought I was going to start laughing.
$375

I would have considered that price if it would have been in good shape. I was expecting $150 and talk him down to $100 but there is no way I would pay more than $100, and if the bore didn't clean up, I wouldn't give that for it. Am I wrong in my valuing of this rifle, or are beat up old Marlins worth $375?

Best wishes,

Joe

[Reload3006]

I dont know I went into a pawn shop in West Plains Mo and they guy in there was asking more than I could go to Cabelas and buy an brand new gun. I think they think that as long as Obummer is in office people will pay. I have lots of guns so I will not pay. But I think you were in the right ball park. But then I am old and senile.

[wills]

What are they listed for online at places like gunsamerica, gunbroker, and can you tell what they have actually sold for?

[MtGun44]

Hilarious. He'll own it for a LONG time at that price.

Bill

[TXGunNut]

I'm right there with you, bought a very nice one for just a little more than that about 18 months ago. 95-98% 336 in 35 Rem @ Cabelas. I've found lately nice ones only cost a little more than beaters, just gotta keep your money in your pocket and wait for them to show.

[richhodg66]

There's a really nice old Marlin, probably about 1950 or so vintage around here in a shop they're asking $300 for and it is nice with the long barrel and pistol grip with the perch belly forend. About the only thing wrong was someone had drilled and tapped it for a scope. I may have to go give that one some more consideration soon. This one is a .30-30, but it is the twin of my .35 Remington one except that the finish is a lot better.

[zuke]

I picked up and old Lee Enfield about 2 year's ago.
I poped out the bolt and looked down the barrel and could only see roughness and light out the other end.
That deal went from a $150 rifle to a $25 for the clip,$50 for the whole gun kinda thing.
When I got home soaked with WD-40 then I hammered a patch down the barrel.It pushed out a "worm" of goop.
I didn't bother to look down the bore but soaked it again but this tme the patch was really easy to push thru,but still came out gungy so I pushed a second one thru.
When I held it up to look thru it I was almost blinded by the light.
The bore was mint! It had grease in it for storage and then a layer of dust from siting in the corner for so long.
I'll be selling it soon as a prime candidate for a rebuild back to original mititary spec's.
All the serial number's match!
It's a No1 Mk3

[Mk42gunner]

Am I wrong in my valuing of this rifle, or are beat up old Marlins worth $375?

I'm still having problems giving more than $125 for a good used .30-30 of either make. I certainly would not give $375 for one in the condition you describe. With a little looking around, you can buy a brand new bolt gun with scope for less than that.

Robert

[Boerrancher]

One of the best cast boolit shooting lever guns I have ever owned is my old 94 Winchester with average metal and average wood, for $75. I love that gun. It won't shoot J words very well, but it sure does love 311 dia cast.

I am glad to know that I am not out of touch with reality when it comes to gun prices. I would really be hard pressed to pay $100 for it as beat up as it was, because I am not sure I could get the bore clean. I would doubt that the bore would clean up, because surly the shop owner has at least run a patch down it.

Best wishes,

Joe

[Bret4207]

Joe, these days prices are simply going through the roof. My wife says I'm still living in 1975, but I think things are ridiculous. A quart of decent quality oil is running $3.00, and that's at Walmart! I spotted a brick of 22lr the other day in an advertisement and it was on "special" for $27.99! Have you priced tires lately? I haven't seen a Win/Marlin 30WCF for under $250.00 in several years, no matter the condition. Heck, people are asking $300.00 for 25 year old chainsaws these days!

I'm not surprised at his price at all. OTH, our first computer, a Gateway back in '97, cost us $2800.00! It still works fine but it's too slow to even connect to the internet with DSL. I can walk into Wally World or Sams and for $300.00 buy a system thats 100X what that Gateway is, with a flat screen monitor!

Ya wins and ya loses, such is life.

[Jim]

..... these days prices are simply going through the roof.....

The current generation looks at prices and thinks 'It is what it is'. WE look at prices and think 'It ain't what it used to be!'

I haven't even turned 60 yet and I remember gas for 25 cents a gallon, smokes for 27 cents, a 25 round box of buckshot for $5 and under a dollar for a box of 22s.

[John Taylor]

The local pawn thinks all Winchester 94s are worth $1100 no matter what the condition.

[Baja_Traveler]

My guess is the current popularity in Cowboy Action shooting has caused the value of old lever guns and period shotguns to rise dramatically due to the high demand. Even at $375, that is a whole lot cheaper than a Wop-chester copy that sells for more than twice the price. Plus the added benefit of being an original....

[starmac]

At the last gun show, I passed on two marlins, a 45/70 and a444 for 450 for the pair. they were probably worth it and the 45/70 sold at the show, and a coworker picked up the 444 the next day. I was actually sort of in the market for a 45/70, but it was rough enough that it wasn't worth it to me.
Is there really any added value, for an original gun that is junk, over one that is not an original that is not junk.

[Boerrancher]

Well I will take the one that is not junk because I like for them to hit where I am aiming, and not be all rusty and beat up both inside and out. The care of a gun on the outside will many times tell you all about the care that it had on the inside. I will take a 73 winchester repo any day over an original that doesn't have anything left of the bore and is beat all to hell. I don't care who made it, as long as it is a well made gun. I can also promise you that even the worst made Spaghetti lever gun today is as good or better than the average Marlin or Winchester of the late 1800's. The metallurgy is far better now than 130 years ago, and so are the machining tolerances. Heck a 73 Winchester in 44WCF could have a .427 +- as much as 5 thousandths. They were great guns for their time, but compared to the replicas made to day they were not that great.

Best wishes,

Joe

[wills]

I haven't even turned 60 yet and I remember gas for 25 cents a gallon,



"Price war" =19.9 cents.

[6.5 mike]

17.9 (price wars), smokes 21 cents with a book of matchs in vending machines. :popcorn:

[Reload3006]

man Y'all is old glad I dont remember anything like that[smilie=1:

[TXGunNut]

Funny thing, I'd bet a box of once-fired primers that someone's going to walk in there soon, see that gun and stop in his tracks. It'll remind him of something or someone and he'll part with the long green (or whip out the plastic) and he'll go home with it, happy as a clam. Then next time the shop owner buys another beater he'll overprice it, too.
Don't bet on the shop owner running a patch thru the bore of any used gun. Almost never happens.

[runfiverun]

after looking at the new remarlins and hearing about all thier problems..
i'd just pay for the used marlins.

[EDK]

The price on used 30/30s is ridiculous, but "supply and demand is the name of the game." MARLIN has their well known situation and WINCHESTER.... It will be two years in June that I paid $300 for a clean pre-safety 30/30 TEXAN at the pawn shop in House Springs, off Highway 30 and MM, and two months later found another TEXAN...this one an LTS with the safety....at the same price in the same shop. (He moved west to Cedar Hill and it's some out of my way, but I ought to go by and see what he has in the racks...besides the usual junk and fake samurai swords.)

On the other hand, 223 ARs seem to be dropping in price...and plenty of them in the new or used racks. I've done some looking for a shortie Flat Top AR15 clone since my M1A SQUAD SCOUT seems to be gaining weight as I get older...wonder when I'll regress all the way down to a 22 Long Rifle....

If you got the time, start running through the listings on gunbroker for what you are interested in. They are about the most realistic on prices....and even on that site, there are some optimistic and un-motivated sellers with unrealistic prices. Auction arms is pretty good too, but gunsamerica is usually good for a laugh.

:redneck::cbpour::2gunsfiring_v1:

[Boerrancher]

I know all about that Pawn Shop on 30 and MM, been there several times. Never could work a deal with them. I am glad to know they moved a bit closer to me though. Where about in Cedar Hill are they now? Yesterday in Sullivan at Rubies Guns I found a NIB Rossi 92 in 44 mag with a 24 inch octagon barrel for $490. I don't know if that is a good price or not. I have been looking for a 44 mag in a lever gun for awhile now, but I have another project that I need to work past SWMBO before I can think about another Lever gun. I am wanting to buy a Crockett 32 cal Muzzle Loader, and just cut a deal with her that should let me pick it up next month. The gun, RB mold, bullet puller and patch puller are going to run me about the price of the Rossi, and I would rather have the Muzzle Loader right now. I just wish I could find one used but in good shape.

Best wishes,

Joe

[Yance]

Funny thing, I'd bet a box of once-fired primers that someone's going to walk in there soon, see that gun and stop in his tracks. It'll remind him of something or someone and he'll part with the long green (or whip out the plastic) and he'll go home with it, happy as a clam. Then next time the shop owner buys another beater he'll overprice it, too.
Don't bet on the shop owner running a patch thru the bore of any used gun. Almost never happens.

Too many shop owners, especially pawn shops, ain't "gun guys". Few times have I seen an owner check out the bore or bolt face of a prospective trade in. They just make sure of the model and chambering and offer maybe 2/3 of what it's really worth. With the short markup on new guns the $$$ is in used that you can "steal". Usually when a customer walks in with a gun to trade the dealer knows he's already decided what he wants and usually he's going to trade for it no matter what.

A few dealers know "You can shear a sheep over and over, but you can only skin him once".

[saz]

The local pawn thinks all Winchester 94s are worth $1100 no matter what the condition.

WOW! I think I know that guy too!

[northmn]

I just saw a classic Marlin 336 in 30-30 go for $275. It was one with Ballard rifling and in very good shape. Most lever guns around my area are going for between $250-400 depending on the seller motivation. A lot of pricing is based on the issue of sales plus commission in my favorite store where the seller wants to get so much for the gun and we are expected to pay 15% extra.

DP

[Dirty30]

I appraise, buy, sell old Winchesters and have found that since the end of the 1894 line, a lot of people have become confused about what a "collectable Winchester" is. I have seen 94's with the crossbolt or tang safety priced over $500. Old Winchester's are now more expensive than ever. Some guy will have a fair model 92 that barely functions and will be convinced that it's worth $1000. You tell them it's a $400 rifle and they say "but they ain't making them anymore man!" "THEY" have not made them since 1941! Pre 64 Winchesters are just that...pre 64. Everything manufactured after that by Olin Corp. is different. So the fact that Olin Corp is no longer building 1894's or licensing Japs to do so does not make your 1950 30 WCF worth an extra $500.

[Boerrancher]

I am not sure if my Mod 94 is an Olin or not. I don't really care. It shoots where I aim it to with in less than 3/4 inch at 75 yards with cast boolits, and will bust a deer or 'yote out to 150+ yards, would do farther but as I get older I have noticed the shooting distances get closer and closer. I don't know what that old gun is worth. I paid $75 for it over 15 years ago, and wouldn't take a thousand for it. I know it is not worth that, but it is worth more than that to me, because I like and don't want to get rid of it.

Best wishes,

Joe

[wills]

A discussion of fair market value, as applied to land valuation in litigation.
http://www.bbrec.com/attachments/articles/22/articleWhoNeeds.pdf

[MtGun44]

Bret,

Things are not going up, the money is going down.

Zero's "quantitative easing" is just printing BILLIONS and BILLIONS of totally BS dollars, and
guess what - it is causing inflation. What a surprise. NOT!

Bill

[Dave Bulla]

Things are not going up, the money is going down.

Now THAT'S the truth!

Been watching the debates and I'm all ready for Newt to step in and fix things. Oh, I hope, I hope, I hope...

[Boerrancher]

Bill, I think you may be on to something. I still can only spend x amount of dollars each month for groceries, but when the wife goes to do her monthly shopping I notice the amount of food I bring from the car to the house is becoming less and less. I about flipped out last night. She had to stop by the store to pick up a couple extras and I went with her. The sale price on a 36 pk of Ramen noodles not the fancy ones, but the cheapest ones were nearly $7, ***???

Best wishes,

Joe

[Bret4207]

Bret,

Things are not going up, the money is going down.

Zero's "quantitative easing" is just printing BILLIONS and BILLIONS of totally BS dollars, and
guess what - it is causing inflation. What a surprise. NOT!

Bill

Don't I know it Bill! Only it's not inflation, it's devaluation of the currency.

[Ed in North Texas]

snip
Don't bet on the shop owner running a patch thru the bore of any used gun. Almost never happens.

I picked up a 700 in .243 from Gunbroker for one of the Grandsons. Almost couldn't get a brush, or patch, down that barrel. Layers of copper, black gunk and who knows what all. I did finally finish cleaning it, and the bore was just fine. The seller was a regular dealer. I was surprised, because the exterior was well cared for and might have passed for a safe queen.

I don't usually buy from pawnbrokers. I looked at a .308 Savage 99 about 8 years ago. Beat all to heck and he wanted $695.00. OTOH, I did a BIN on GunBroker for a Martini-Henry. It was a .577-450 Cavalry Carbine. The maker was wrong according to the books (BSA&M), but the other markings looked good, and the price was very good, even for just a good "copy". Turned out to be a commercial purchase, really built by the Brits. And that was a pawn shop seller.

[snglstack]

I remember when my weekly allowance was $0.83. That was the price of a box of Remington .22 LR HP's with tax at Long's Drug Store. Ground squirrel tails, however, were worth a buck, a magpie a dime and a crow fifteen cents. Hehehehe, got through high school as a professional hunter!!!

[curator]

Brand new, off the shelf at the local WalMart: Marlin 336 in .30-30 Win. $349.00 plus tax and a $5 background check fee. Bought one for my daughter for her birthday.

[Boerrancher]

Brand new, off the shelf at the local WalMart: Marlin 336 in .30-30 Win. $349.00 plus tax and a $5 background check fee. Bought one for my daughter for her birthday.

Exactly. I could have bought a new one for less than what he wanted for the beater, and the microgroove barrel does not make it one of the older ones worth a bit more money.

Best wishes,

Joe

[MakeMineA10mm]

My LGS has a Marlin 1897 that's broken, for sale "as is", and he wants $300+ for it, just because it's old. He also casually mentioned the bore was gone and needed to be re-lined as part of the restoration project... $300+.........

[Boerrancher]

One of these days I am going to go in with a $100 and a $50 dollar bill. I will chase the $100 by him first and go up to the $150. There is no way I will go over a penny more. I will pay tax on the $100 but not on the $150, it is taxes and all.

Best wishes,

Joe

[kliff]

The current generation looks at prices and thinks 'It is what it is'. WE look at prices and think 'It ain't what it used to be!'

I haven't even turned 60 yet and I remember gas for 25 cents a gallon, smokes for 27 cents, a 25 round box of buckshot for $5 and under a dollar for a box of 22s.

You may not be 60 yet...but you're knocking on the door.....LOL.....cause I remember all the same things, and I'll soon turn 59....

Seriously though, to Joe, I was right with you on pricing after your description....the guy was nutz!:veryconfu

[atr]

I too think todays prices are out of touch with reality. Certaintly they won't start going down if buyers continue to buy over-priced items. I have limited my purchases to out-of-the-way gun and pawn shops where sometimes I can find a good buy.