Thoughts on current G/K 43 market
- Thread starter ls6man
- Start date
Maybe, but in 1989 when I picked up a matching byf44 for $250, gas was $1.10. Now gas is $3.35 and that rifle is $2500. An SKS was $75 back then too.Sadly, with inflation and the ever declining dollar this isn't much if any gain in value.
The G43 market hasn't kept pace with K98's, but it's definitely a wise investment. Prices may soften or plateau, but they aren't going to go back down again. People are willing to pay.
I’m not sure if assuming the prices won’t come down regardless of condition is a safe assumption.. all collectibles fluctuate.. I can share many examples both gun and collectible cars
Also with the auctions there will be outliers on both sides.. and “audience “ and other factors affect hammered price.
I do feel the “top tier” (completely matching, un-sanded wood, nothing added to the wood or metal) G/K 43’s will fair better overall.
I would guess less than 15% of the G/K rifles fall into that category though. So they will always bring the most money and interest. I do feel the “average,” rifles will start to come down as I don’t think the market is sustainable otherwise.
Also with the auctions there will be outliers on both sides.. and “audience “ and other factors affect hammered price.
I do feel the “top tier” (completely matching, un-sanded wood, nothing added to the wood or metal) G/K 43’s will fair better overall.
I would guess less than 15% of the G/K rifles fall into that category though. So they will always bring the most money and interest. I do feel the “average,” rifles will start to come down as I don’t think the market is sustainable otherwise.
Hueydriver
Well-known member
I went to SOS/NGD specifically to buy an G43 or K43. Didn’t like any I saw. A little something didn’t add up on the ones I looked at. One had neatly filed bolt carrier & numbered to match……so I came home empty handed.
Checked out Gunbroker, pretty much bare shelves there.
So following the rules of supply and demand the prices will only increase.
Good thing I can live without them
.
Checked out Gunbroker, pretty much bare shelves there.
So following the rules of supply and demand the prices will only increase.
Good thing I can live without them
.
Joseph Burke
Senior Member
Same. I saw a couple interesting 43s at the SOS but nothing I was inclined to buy. Every example I saw had a little something I didn't like. I think I've become quite picky and I'm primarily looking for early production examples as opposed to mid to late. I noted that nice ac44 no letter block in the first isle or so with nice crisp stock and original non-matching serialized mount was both grossly overpriced at a firm $9k and had a few details I found questionable for such an early rifle. The other ac44 no-letter block, a panel cut, in the same isle would have been quite desirable but that hacked up butt end diagonal duffel-cut stock just killed it for me. I came home empty handed too and not a tear shed over it.I went to SOS/NGD specifically to buy an G43 or K43. Didn’t like any I saw. A little something didn’t add up on the ones I looked at. One had neatly filed bolt carrier & numbered to match……so I came home empty handed.
Checked out Gunbroker, pretty much bare shelves there.
So following the rules of supply and demand the prices will only increase.
Good thing I can live without them
mauser99
Senior Member
its an interesting discussion.. I think prices are up slightly I can only base it off what I have sold in the past and what i see selling now. Ive sold mint k43's ac45's for 4k or just over and now the same rifles are selling for 5 roughly .. Not a huge increase thinking that it was like 6-7 years ago.. There will always be "oh shite" moments on GB and else where cause auctions are soooooo unpredictable but, private sales stay more consistent .
I think they are near back to post Hitlers Garands release prices where they shot up and doubled overnight.. Nice Bcd's were 6k and sold for that.. There are always ups and downs in every market..
The SOS tends to be overpriced and there are NO guarantees of Originality even though there is supposed to be some written rule there about fakes.. There are more snake oil salesmen there than in an old western movie !! Be careful ,never travel alone and have a great group around you or a smart phone to send pics.. It takes a village to be successful in this hobby..
I think they are near back to post Hitlers Garands release prices where they shot up and doubled overnight.. Nice Bcd's were 6k and sold for that.. There are always ups and downs in every market..
The SOS tends to be overpriced and there are NO guarantees of Originality even though there is supposed to be some written rule there about fakes.. There are more snake oil salesmen there than in an old western movie !! Be careful ,never travel alone and have a great group around you or a smart phone to send pics.. It takes a village to be successful in this hobby..
AN-94
Well-known member
Well, I hope that I can at least sneak out a nice, original qve45 K43 even with these elevated prices for less than $5k (should be less expensive than an ac45, right?). I can't stress enough how helpful this forum has been in identifying all of the rather questionable examples out there. I think the sad thing is that so many were sanded or messed with that the truly untouched rifles are far outnumbered by the less desirable rifles which degrades into a big money swinging contest when the top notch pieces come up for sale. It also doesn't help that people with more money than brains overpay for messed with rifles, driving up prices across the board. Also, our money isn't quite worth the same as it was 4 years ago, leading people who think it will continue to grow more worthless to dump it now and buy what they can.
luftpirate
Well-known member
People may think Im crazy but I thought K43s were under valued selling at 2500-3k just a few short years ago, because at the time matching K98s had climbed up to 1800-2k and the price differential was very little. Now it seems things are balancing out.
RampantLion
Well-known member
Inflation has gone down from 7.5% last year to 6.4% this year. K43 prices are going up and inflation is going down. That has nothing to do with this.
It is supply and demand, pure and simple.
It is supply and demand, pure and simple.
I actually feel QVE (or the DUV rifles for that matter) are harder to find here in the US. I see way more AC rifles regardless of year.
AN-94
Well-known member
Really? I've only ever seen 8 G/K43s in person with an even split between AC and DUV/QVE though I have a smaller sample size compared to you all here. Sadly, the vast majority were sanded and refinished quite poorly, I have yet to see a 100% original matching example in person.
Tiger 2 Tank
Senior Member
Original rifles that haven’t been molested are at such a high price now, they are pricing many collectors out of the game. It’s incredible how much I’ve seen these go for now from auctions. More power to the seller as it’s a seller’s market on these now. Capitalism in action. I The mismatched and sanded ones are not going for much more that I’ve seen. Just my observations while scouring for serial numbers in my serial number data base.
Cyrano4747
Well-known member
Gun ownership and collecting is also expanding pretty significantly. Anecdotally I see a LOT more people my age (30s/40s) in the game today than I did 15 years ago, and a bigger share of 20 something’s asking for advice. I got my first G43 about fifteen years ago from the only other guy into them I knew who was under 40, and we both had some wild stories about getting shite on by old guys at shows etc who assumed we were idiots who didn’t know what we were looking at.
At my range I’m seeing a LOT of pretty interesting, collectible guns in the hands of high income professionals in their 30s. The WW2 semi autos are popular for obvious reasons but there’s one guy who brings around a lot of really neat, high condition, oddball USGI stuff -m41 Johnston and a transferable Reising the last time I saw him. Software engineer in his early 30s with a nice wife and kid.
Of course you see the other fun stuff too. Same guy has a SCAR and an HK416.
Basically I think it’s just the new version of the old guys comparing about lawyers and doctors driving up the price in the early 00s.
And to be clear this isn’t a bad thing. God knows I wish I could still buy an SVT for $700, but higher interest in them means the hobby is growing, not dying. I’d rather have fewer guns in my safe and a community full of people who are interested in them than be the only weirdo into the cheap old guns everyone else considers fodder for trading into the police for Walmart gift cards.
Frankly I think a lot of it comes down to YouTube. For all the problems I have with Forgotten Weapons and, on occasion, C&Rsenal they do a lot to make people under 50 go “cool gun I wonder if I could afford one.” I’ve helped a lot of friends find and buy oddball stuff that they’ve got an interest in for other reasons, like a cheap Enfield or Type 99 or a decent-not-collectible M1 Carbine. Most of those people just keep the one neat antique to hang out with their AR and Glock, but a few got the bug and started collecting.
At my range I’m seeing a LOT of pretty interesting, collectible guns in the hands of high income professionals in their 30s. The WW2 semi autos are popular for obvious reasons but there’s one guy who brings around a lot of really neat, high condition, oddball USGI stuff -m41 Johnston and a transferable Reising the last time I saw him. Software engineer in his early 30s with a nice wife and kid.
Of course you see the other fun stuff too. Same guy has a SCAR and an HK416.
Basically I think it’s just the new version of the old guys comparing about lawyers and doctors driving up the price in the early 00s.
And to be clear this isn’t a bad thing. God knows I wish I could still buy an SVT for $700, but higher interest in them means the hobby is growing, not dying. I’d rather have fewer guns in my safe and a community full of people who are interested in them than be the only weirdo into the cheap old guns everyone else considers fodder for trading into the police for Walmart gift cards.
Frankly I think a lot of it comes down to YouTube. For all the problems I have with Forgotten Weapons and, on occasion, C&Rsenal they do a lot to make people under 50 go “cool gun I wonder if I could afford one.” I’ve helped a lot of friends find and buy oddball stuff that they’ve got an interest in for other reasons, like a cheap Enfield or Type 99 or a decent-not-collectible M1 Carbine. Most of those people just keep the one neat antique to hang out with their AR and Glock, but a few got the bug and started collecting.
I noticed the same, and was wondering when/how that would play out. For years a G24(t), 98/40, 29o, 33/40, etc. were always more expensive than any K98 outside of something rare (K date, sniper, BSW) and then poof, they started lagging behind and STILL are. I bought a m/m bolt 29o just last year for under 800.
Curious when the market will wake up to this or if it ever will.
I personally feel I see more AC rifles largely because the Walther plant was liberated by us. BLM was outside of Berlin and I believe was liberated by the British. Also I believe due to geography a lot of AC production most likely went west, while BLM went east. Thoughts?
Tiger 2 Tank
Senior Member
I can definitely go with that. You would think you would see more BLM rifles as BLM actually made more than Walther, and the factory lasted longer as BLM was the last of the G/K.43 plants to fall.
I'm not a very good judge on the current G/K43 market. I see very few of them for sale in my area. One popped up at a local show a few months ago and I decided to jump on it based on gut feeling. It's a matching duv44 with nice metal condition but the stock has been messed with. Lightly sanded, some cracks and repairs and a coat of varnish. Still, I felt for what I paid ($3200) it was worth having a bird in hand and I should at least be able to get my money back out of it if I find an upgrade.