Third Party Press

More auction madness....

Crazing Pricing...

This is not a recent/ new phenomena. Anyone remember 10-11 years ago and sales? If you have been collecting for 3-5 years, then you missed earlier history of sales. If you have been collecting 1-2 years, your data sample is just too small.

For awhile, I kept GB results from what I thought were crazy prices, and placed results in a folder called "crazy prices". I saved the GB listing/description and in some cases pics too.

Here are data from 2009-2010. Information in parenthesis was written by the seller...

  • July 2010, $3.9K byf 43 (100% matched...)
  • July 2010, 7.3K Mint G.43 1944 (duv 1944 from the Harry Sanford collection... maybe the nicest)
  • July 2010, 2.9K my gun, a byf 41 (complete with sling, rod, hood)
  • July 2009 4K, 1940 Mauser... seller is Jack the dog (luft gun)
  • May 2010 3.7K, bcd 42, (original unsanded stock)
 
I recall some years ago, someone bought a k98 on gunbroker for something like $13k.icant recall the maker but it wasn’t ultra rare. I believe the seller was a member here.
 
The term or item K98k is a very wide item and can cover many things... Some very common some very rare..Even uber rare. So, we are dealing with a rifle that has many facets and price points.

I feel there are many common reasonably prices rifles out there if your willing to wait and search. Most people aren't. The buy it now mentality has increased prices for sure. But, overall for some not all the low entry long exposure 14 day at least seems to yield the best results.

For those who want to put the search work in there will always the uniformed seller who lists a deal. To the seekers comes the rewards.. Have fun searching guys !!!! :thumbsup:
 
I've made some excellent buys on Gunbonker in the last several years and recently. For example, this was $1800, shipped, no bidders, plenty of excellent pics:

http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?28416-K98k-bnz-43-h-block

I've sold some nice ones privately for decent prices as well, and bought some nice ones privately for fair prices from buddies here. There is a fair amount of private, off radar, transactions taking place as well for good/fair prices.
 
Nothing throws red flags at me faster than when you are watching and bidding on a Gun Broker item and a non rated bidder starts bidding at the end. No thanks, once we reach what I feel is the correct retail price, I let them have it.
 
Nothing throws red flags at me faster than when you are watching and bidding on a Gun Broker item and a non rated bidder starts bidding at the end. No thanks, once we reach what I feel is the correct retail price, I let them have it.

This. As soon as one of those "bidders" jumps in I'm done. I'm not going to end up a ripped off assmonkey for some scumbag engaged in price manipulation and shilling. Such criminality was rife on epay, which is why they made it difficult to impossible to track bidders and bust them shilling. On Gunbonker you still can. Watch some of these "winning bidders" with no or very little feedback and see how often the "winner" gives and receives feedback on the auction he "won". There must be some way to avoid fees that way, by reporting a non sale privately to Gunbonker.
 
This is not a recent/ new phenomena. Anyone remember 10-11 years ago and sales? If you have been collecting for 3-5 years, then you missed earlier history of sales. If you have been collecting 1-2 years, your data sample is just too small.

For awhile, I kept GB results from what I thought were crazy prices, and placed results in a folder called "crazy prices". I saved the GB listing/description and in some cases pics too.

Here are data from 2009-2010. Information in parenthesis was written by the seller...

  • July 2010, $3.9K byf 43 (100% matched...)
  • July 2010, 7.3K Mint G.43 1944 (duv 1944 from the Harry Sanford collection... maybe the nicest)
  • July 2010, 2.9K my gun, a byf 41 (complete with sling, rod, hood)
  • July 2009 4K, 1940 Mauser... seller is Jack the dog (luft gun)
  • May 2010 3.7K, bcd 42, (original unsanded stock)

Wow very interesting... makes me feel better about the people who say: yOu pAiDeD tOo MuCh!!! nO MaUsEr iS woRtH MorE tHan 2200.

Theres a difference between an inside deal and retail. 8% of my stuff is from gunbroker but I have recently paid big for a k98 from a reputable seller and was thought to be real by some of the larger forum members here so I am sastisfied
 
A question for all the collectors here, especially the younger ones posting in this thread........

What percentage of your collection was purchased on Gunbroker?

None of my rifles were. I did buy a few pistols from GunBroker, though.
 
I am another new guy to this scene. I am 30 so I think on the younger side of the k98 collecting world. I only have one all matching rifle, a mostly matching rifle, and from what I have learned on here a depot build/repair. The matching and mostly matching I bought off of members through this forum. I am not very willing to buy something off of gunbrokers because there just seems to be way too much fraud and fakery on there. I feel this forum is a much safer way to find a desirable rifle that someone is willing to part with. I have bought, and read, volume one and two of the books. Have not been able to read the kriegsmodell book. I am in no way anything close to an expert and will never claim to be. I just try to learn what I can when I can. Not sure where I am going with this lol. I guess all I can say is it really seems daunting when you hear so many people with dozens and dozens of k98’s in their collection. Or maybe it just seems that way. Between the prices and availability it can be frustrating.
All that being said, when I have finally saved enough pennies to try to buy my next one I will definitely be making a wanted post in the trader ;)
 
I'm pretty much the same, i just really started only 3 years ago. I'm 37. Literally in those 3 years, I've seen prices of these rifles rise substantially.

I started collecting surplus rifles back around 2012/2013 and stopped around 2017. Since then the only rifle I've purchased was a RC. Being a college student I could not afford the rising cost of K98s and my focus shifted towards K98 bayonets. Over time I've been seeing K98 bayonets go for some pretty crazy prices for examples that are just decent and mismatched.
 
I learned long ago to not bother with the big name sellers. They always get big name prices for their stuff.. Always.
The collecting community is an iceberg, and those of us on forums like this are the 10% you see above the water. The vast majority do not do research and simply buy on a whim as they find things they need to fill their collections with. Ignorance is bliss.
 
Is there a good way to avoid getting ripped off? I just joined the forum to learn more about K98ks because I want one but there's so much sketchiness around the K98k market on the big websites.
 
The best place to get honest guns at good prices is right here on the trader section of the forum.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Is there a good way to avoid getting ripped off? I just joined the forum to learn more about K98ks because I want one but there's so much sketchiness around the K98k market on the big websites.


See that big banner on the top of the page karabiner 98k Book available now, buy the set. Especially since they are no longer being printed and almost sold out.

The knowledge in those books is priceless and will pay for themselves many times over once you start going over rifles you want to buy and can verify and check with information in the books.

Those books are the best investment you can make if you are seriously interested in k98ks
 
I'm going to be drooling over those pictures...

I looked through the table of contents. Information overload! But I love books in general, especially history and firearms development, so this is very tempting despite the price tag.
 
I'm going to be drooling over those pictures...

I looked through the table of contents. Information overload! But I love books in general, especially history and firearms development, so this is very tempting despite the price tag.

They really are amazing books. Even if you weren't interested in k98ks, you would appreciate the history thats presented in the books if that tells you anything.:thumbsup:
 
See that big banner on the top of the page karabiner 98k Book available now, buy the set. Especially since they are no longer being printed and almost sold out.

The knowledge in those books is priceless and will pay for themselves many times over once you start going over rifles you want to buy and can verify and check with information in the books.

Those books are the best investment you can make if you are seriously interested in k98ks

I'll second that! Being fairly new to the scene myself, they really helped me out on my last local purchase.
 
To tell you the truth the rarest k98k rifles in my collection have been closet finds or at gun shows. I have actually only bought a small handful on GunBroker one was the AX41 luftwaffe contract back in 2014 for like a $1000 and my matching 337 1940 back in 2017 for $900. I have bought a fair amount of Imperial era rifles on GunBroker these past few years. Some I did pay more just because I really wanted it and others I paid far less than what they were actually worth.

The best auctions I have scored on is due to very poor pictures and poor descriptions. The consequences of a lazy seller for me in the end I was a very happy buyer.

Most of the time on GunBroker anymore I search for parts or hopefully that buy now listing for a fair cost on something interesting. But I'm not going to get into a bidding war with a shill or a stupid bidder. When I start seeing crazy prices or double what something is worth I don't even bother anymore not worth my time.
 
I am always looking at the picture index on this forum and in the books. When others post pictures and have questions on authenticity or even just to show a faked one, I try not to read any comments and just look at the pictures to see what I can find that doesn’t look right. Kind of like a little quiz for me in a way. Always nice to have a group where I can ask questions and get some feedback from a very knowledgeable group.
 

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