rising cost...

is it just me or is the price of having a hobby going up? seems to me that over the last few weeks luger prices have been creeping upwards of $1000 to $1500 for matching shooters basically.

[Thor]

I agree they are rising!

But only if you can get a buyer to pay the price.

[tom]

Gents,


Its the classic economic paradigm: more money chasing fewer Lugers. Maybe I need to re-look the prices I have on my list of FS pieces


Tom

The prices in this area jumped about 1-2 years ago but have been stable since then. Prior to that, the prices elsewhere jumped about 4-5 years ago. I have not yet seen any "shooter" quality orig lugers sell for $1K-1.5K. They are still around $550 to $650 at most. A mismatch or well worn orig luger still sells for $400-600.

where do you live? just look at the auction prices or ask ralph.

I follow several auctions and the prices are about same as they were two years ago except for Rock Island Auctions. RIA is an aggressive advertiser and accomplishes their prices in part from that. They have had higher sales prices than other houses for several years--especially last year.


I spoke with Ralph in 1995 about luger values--he described a price growth model based on steady increases. It might work for him but it is not an accurate description of prices on collectibles in general. Prices take occasional "jumps" then lay stable for long periods of time. That is actually a normal price pattern for most collectibles except for occasional bubbles such as in coins (80s), cars (80s), comic books (90s) that burst now and then. Guns have not jumped and burst with rare exception.


Luger prices stabilized sometime before 1994 when I started collecting them then bumped up a bit at the low end when large numbers of imports appeared around 1995. The higher quality lugers did not increase in price through the 90s.

[Dan44]

Simple inflation, there are more buyers out there to chase these and other firearms. Just look a the number of C&R holders now, makes it easier for people to collect old guns.

[Big Norm]

There also seems to be a certain degree of regionality associated to the prices of Lugers. I always thought that prices of Lugers in Southern Florida and California where high. The internet has also altered the prices of accessories. Original artillery stocks used to be expensive at $450. Now, on the internet, they are going for $600 plus. Cripe, even the repros are getting pricy. Look at the price of navy magazines. They are going for $300 plus on the internet without serial numbers.

Big Norm

[lugerholsterrepair]

I have had good luck looking in alternative places. Posting adds in the newspaper for vets that have bring back weapons. When the price rises , look elsewhere. Heck, half the fun is in the hunt itself and the longer you can draw that out the better. Especially if your bucks are in limeted supply. I think those that can go to one of the few dealers in this country and buy a Luger are missing out on one brand of fun. Of course they get another!!!!Jerry Burney