Vet's Social on Gun?

my66coupe · 07-17-2013, 03:21 AM

So in my quest to find a nice collector Luger, I came across a documented 1941/42 bring back. The capture papers match up to the vet through the AAD archives. The odd part is that the vet has electro-penciled his social security # onto the left side of the gun. Not his Army Serial # but his SSN. Cheesy? Effect value? Asking 1700 for this one. The #s match, and the blueing appears original. What do you guys think?

Thanks,

Mike

alanint · 07-17-2013, 06:14 AM

Any defacing of this kind will surely affect collector value. Collectors want their guns as close to factory as possible.
That being said the practice of placing your SSN on things was common before thugs learned they could steal from you by having it. It made the item "yours" to the exclusion of all others.

I would knock a couple of hundred off because of the SSN.

Edward Tinker · 07-17-2013, 10:20 AM

I had a 1911A1 Remington with a Texas drivers license number on it. It affected the value greatly, much more than a couple of hundred...

As Alan said above, this was common in the 70's and earlier where I saw ads from police, from insurance, etc, specifcally suggesting putting your name, social or address on valuables, they named, electronics, vehicles, guns, bikes, almost anything and they would loan you the electropencils.

alanint · 07-17-2013, 11:01 AM

I certainly did this in the 70s-80s, except I was leery of the SSN route and engraved my telephone number, including area code on all my household property, in case it was ever recovered after theft.

Ron Smith · 07-17-2013, 11:43 AM

Our Police Dept. and County Sheriff's Office encouraged this practice in the 70's to the point that they would loan you an Electro-Pencil.

my66coupe · 07-17-2013, 06:11 PM

Thanks for the replies. Very interesting. I would have thought it would have added to the story, tying the vet to the gun. Hmm.. do you think the price is high at 1750? I feel that I'm going to have a lot of appraisal/opinion posts before I pull the trigger

alanint · 07-17-2013, 06:50 PM

Yes. In fact, I revise my estimate of what I would pay to no more than $1,200.

Unless you plan to pass this on to an heir, think of how difficult this piece is going to be to resell at the asking price.

sheepherder · 07-17-2013, 09:29 PM

This exact defacing of a Luger side panel by a SSN has come up before; IIRC, it was corrected by 'scrubbing' the panel and re-bluing by a well known Luger restoration expert who shall remain nameless...I think pictures were even posted...

...But I'm way too hot to Search for the thread...

minigun · 07-17-2013, 10:51 PM

Yeah, that's too bad on the gun. Definitely will affect value. It just really killed the collector value, to me anyway it would.

my66coupe · 07-17-2013, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by postino

This exact defacing of a Luger side panel by a SSN has come up before; IIRC, it was corrected by 'scrubbing' the panel and re-bluing by a well known Luger restoration expert who shall remain nameless...I think pictures were even posted...

...But I'm way too hot to Search for the thread...

Too hot? I'm in Az...100+ and were in our monsoon season...We have humidity too!

Anywho, I'm over this one. I'm slowly figuring out what I want. Thinking 1940+ byf. Just love me a nice crisp waffenamt. Ideally I want a complete rig, but I'm ok with piecing it together over time.

Mike

lugerholsterrepair · 07-17-2013, 11:53 PM

It's now a shooter IMO. Not knowing all the details I wouldn't pay more than a shooter price for it. It's possible the SS# could be erased but you would have several hundred in doing it I would guess..with shipping to a reputable bluer. Certainly $1700 is WAY out of range. I have a beauty here I would be happy to get $1700 for and it's right as rain..no molestation. Save your money for one without the SS# is my advice. Or buy this one for $800 tops.

sheepherder · 07-18-2013, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by my66coupe

Too hot? I'm in Az...100+ and were in our monsoon season...We have humidity too!

You probably have central air; we don't. We only get two weeks of Summer, and nine months of Winter. Not worth it to get a/c.

I bet you siesta from 10 to 2, like I did today (90º+/ 90% today). I was talkin' to a dude down in El Paso about an old Remington revolver and he couldn't look it up in Google because everything shut down from 10 to 2...

my66coupe · 07-19-2013, 05:50 PM

Yep A/C is a must in Arizona. Unfortunately I work outside and a Siesta option doesn't exist!

alvin · 07-20-2013, 09:36 AM

In NYC's museum, I saw many temple stones coming from Egypt had English engraving on them. For example, "John Engraver visited here in 1814". Probably because Mr. Engraver put the year there, it looks less annoying than many other old scribbles on the stones.

07-17-2013, 03:21 AM	#1
my66coupe User Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Arizona Posts: 10 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Vet's Social on Gun? So in my quest to find a nice collector Luger, I came across a documented 1941/42 bring back. The capture papers match up to the vet through the AAD archives. The odd part is that the vet has electro-penciled his social security # onto the left side of the gun. Not his Army Serial # but his SSN. Cheesy? Effect value? Asking 1700 for this one. The #s match, and the blueing appears original. What do you guys think? Thanks, Mike

07-17-2013, 10:20 AM	#3
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,935 Thanks: 2,034 Thanked 4,533 Times in 2,093 Posts	I had a 1911A1 Remington with a Texas drivers license number on it. It affected the value greatly, much more than a couple of hundred... As Alan said above, this was common in the 70's and earlier where I saw ads from police, from insurance, etc, specifcally suggesting putting your name, social or address on valuables, they named, electronics, vehicles, guns, bikes, almost anything and they would loan you the electropencils. __________________ Edward Tinker ************ Co-Author of Police Lugers - Co-Author of Simson Lugers Author of Veteran Bring Backs Vol I, Vol II, Vol III and Vol IV

07-17-2013, 11:43 AM	#5
Ron Smith User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 4,243 Thanks: 118 Thanked 245 Times in 150 Posts	Our Police Dept. and County Sheriff's Office encouraged this practice in the 70's to the point that they would loan you an Electro-Pencil. __________________ I Still Need DWM side plate #49... if anyone runs across a nice one. What ~Rudyard Kipling~ said...

07-17-2013, 09:29 PM	#8
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,183 Thanks: 1,400 Thanked 4,442 Times in 2,330 Posts	This exact defacing of a Luger side panel by a SSN has come up before; IIRC, it was corrected by 'scrubbing' the panel and re-bluing by a well known Luger restoration expert who shall remain nameless...I think pictures were even posted... ...But I'm way too hot to Search for the thread... __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter...

07-17-2013, 11:53 PM	#11
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,772 Thanks: 4,940 Thanked 3,124 Times in 1,434 Posts	It's now a shooter IMO. Not knowing all the details I wouldn't pay more than a shooter price for it. It's possible the SS# could be erased but you would have several hundred in doing it I would guess..with shipping to a reputable bluer. Certainly $1700 is WAY out of range. I have a beauty here I would be happy to get $1700 for and it's right as rain..no molestation. Save your money for one without the SS# is my advice. Or buy this one for $800 tops. __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 l[email protected] 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

07-17-2013, 06:14 AM	#2
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	Any defacing of this kind will surely affect collector value. Collectors want their guns as close to factory as possible. That being said the practice of placing your SSN on things was common before thugs learned they could steal from you by having it. It made the item "yours" to the exclusion of all others. I would knock a couple of hundred off because of the SSN.

07-17-2013, 11:01 AM	#4
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	I certainly did this in the 70s-80s, except I was leery of the SSN route and engraved my telephone number, including area code on all my household property, in case it was ever recovered after theft.

07-17-2013, 06:11 PM	#6
my66coupe User Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Arizona Posts: 10 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks for the replies. Very interesting. I would have thought it would have added to the story, tying the vet to the gun. Hmm.. do you think the price is high at 1750? I feel that I'm going to have a lot of appraisal/opinion posts before I pull the trigger

07-17-2013, 06:50 PM	#7
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	Yes. In fact, I revise my estimate of what I would pay to no more than $1,200. Unless you plan to pass this on to an heir, think of how difficult this piece is going to be to resell at the asking price.

07-17-2013, 10:51 PM	#9
minigun User Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 424 Thanks: 15 Thanked 19 Times in 14 Posts	Yeah, that's too bad on the gun. Definitely will affect value. It just really killed the collector value, to me anyway it would.

07-19-2013, 05:50 PM	#13
my66coupe User Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Arizona Posts: 10 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Yep A/C is a must in Arizona. Unfortunately I work outside and a Siesta option doesn't exist!

07-20-2013, 09:36 AM	#14
alvin User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: US Posts: 3,843 Thanks: 132 Thanked 729 Times in 438 Posts	In NYC's museum, I saw many temple stones coming from Egypt had English engraving on them. For example, "John Engraver visited here in 1814". Probably because Mr. Engraver put the year there, it looks less annoying than many other old scribbles on the stones.