I tend to look to the future. When I bought an M1, I paid an extra $100 for a Winchester. M1 Carbine, paid the extra $100 for a Rock-Ola. For a Mauser, paid the extra $100 for a Kar98k. Those small premiums paid 20 years ago have appreciated substantially more. Pay a few dollars more for the excellent condition rifle. Pay for the more rare rifle. It will pay you back 20, 30 years from now.
I was fortunate to pick up a bunch of RC's (dozen or more) back when they were selling in the two to three hundred range and just stored them away. I've been out of collecting for years, but pleasantly surprised to see what they bring now. Unfortunately it's bad for news for entry level collectors. I've sold a few over the years but plan to hold on to the ones I have, at least for now. It was fun opening the case and reaquainting myself with some of these guns I haven't looked at in almost ten years.
The History of RCs are pretty neat, I really want an all original k98 but those run about 3-5k for even a duffel cut. No big deal but it’s just insane. Wondering if I’d even be able to pick one up in the next few years
I picked up a yugo captured k98k from an auction side for 500 shipped to my c&r. There are 15 waffenampts still visible. Also I know mine was made in 41. But the yugo Crest obliterated the manufacturers code.
I guess I'm lucky I still have one I bought in 2003 for 200 bucks. I'm NOT lucky that I sold the other three I bougth back then for the same price in 2017 for about 260 a pice when I thought I "needed" the money. Kicking myself now to put it mildly. Unfortunately the fun has gone out of the whole milsurp thing as the supplies dried up and prices have gone insane.
I just picked up a 41 Oberndorf and 39 Berlin Lubecker within the last month, both Russian Captures. No ‘X’s bashed into the case hardening on these. Electropenciling is easily polished out if you opt to reblue a quality finish rather than the junk Ivan hot dip. It’s not original either way, and never will be again. But it’s a guaranteed original combat rifle, and a reblue ala your personal ‘arsenal refurb’ if done correctly just means it’s service is simply continuing, just not in a war. The best things about them (I think) from a ‘collector’ standpoint is that in a market full of Israeli, Yugo, Turk etc parts: a Russian Capture gives you a basket case of actual genuine German K98 parts. Alot of which you simply can’t find for sale in 2023, if you need or want them. Parted-out cumulative price seems on par with total rifle price, I think. With the exception of the stamped stocks, Russian shellac also protected alot of nice early stocks with perfect intact Waffenampts from the years that have gone by. Even the black paint they used has preserved genuine stock takedown discs and buttplates. The rifles seem to come with good serviceable bores too, I notice. No one cared for the Russian part of their stories before, I still don’t. I’m all for ‘Re-Germanizing’ them IF properly done. I look at them as good German rifles in need of a little arsenal refurb that have just been more or less preserved by captors who used them less than other countries, or not at all.
@@gustavohonzofo yeah! I would NEVER weld, grind, ‘sporterize’, but paying attention to online auctions of what were obviously captures which have been tastefully and QUALITY “refurbished” - I notice that sweat equity can, and while normally NOT a value increaser, has been a worthwhile thing with these in alot of cases. Metal polishing, rebluing, gauging and fitting parts (like extractors) takes years of skill and a good bit of costly equipment to do right and I think people want that. Lock Stock and Barrel just sold a once captured but completely restored with a dark glued BIRCH, not Beech, laminate stocked BYF44 (old run made by Boyd I think) for a couple grand and some change.
I see we have similar taste. lol people just gotta scour the internet and gp and find a nice one for a decent price, theyre out there. I looked for almost 2 years to buy my bnz 43 and I love it. Its in good shape and I only paid $900 shipped for it.
Wow I bought one RC 98 for 600 a few years ago and people told me I was crazy. Supply and demand drives the market. K98ks are getting harder and harder to find. They are only going up in value
@@gustavohonzofo Possibly. I think the one I have was arsenal refinished in the USSR and then put into storage. The Red Army did a lot of arsenal refinishing. My M91/38 Mosin dated 1942 was obviously arsenal refinished. So was my Russian SKS.
Bought two in 2005. With my c&r lic. Good shooters. They were 150 bucks each. Really like them. Needed a K98 for my collection. Bought a milled M48 like new condition. On sale for 69.95 wow. 1998. Surplus was affordable through the 2000,s. Lot of demand and out of control inflation today.
