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02-01-2002, 06:34 PM

Jim--I have to agree with you. The responses on the forum sometimes seem to come from "tire kickers" who judge but don't buy. There is always the guy who got one cheaper than you no matter what you paid. Kind of tough on new guys to get straight info. I recommend that you subscribe to all the Luger lists---Shattuck,Simpson,Seebach and others who advertise in the Gun List. At least you have solid info on what is available and what it would cost you. Watch Auction Arms--look at Bob Adams list and others in the classifieds here. In 40+years of buying Lugers--most of the best buys I ever got were not from a guy who specializes in Lugers but from an individual or a dealer who specializes in other guns and happens to have one Luger. The cheapest Lugers are bought before they get in the hands of the Luger Dealer--but one has to happen to be in the right place at the right time. Look at what is going on at a gun show. If you see a guy trying to sell a Luger to dealers at tables----talk to him--dealers are offering him 20-30% less than they think they could sell. Buy from the individual. Sometimes a guy who has been offered only $350 for his $500 Luger will be pleased to sell to you for $400 for example. There are guys who will advise you not to pay 25cents to watch an ant eat a bale of hay. Study the market and make your decision based on that not what you hear. Then there is the guy who has one Luger to sell which is common and a $500 value--but he saw a rare Luger advertised which looks like his[minus the rare markings] and he is convinced it is worth $1000. I am sure that there are exceptions--but I have never got a good deal in a pawn shop. I recently observed here on the forum that advice was a diminished interest in Mauser Banner Lugers and they are cheap---I am still looking for the cheap source. Study the advertisements and do not be afraid to trust your judgement. My first Luger was a G date in 1959 for $30--- I'll bet someone here will tell me that they got one for $25 the same year. Hope this might be of help to new guys.

02-01-2002, 06:34 PM	#2
art buchanan Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Request to the Value Experts Jim--I have to agree with you. The responses on the forum sometimes seem to come from "tire kickers" who judge but don't buy. There is always the guy who got one cheaper than you no matter what you paid. Kind of tough on new guys to get straight info. I recommend that you subscribe to all the Luger lists---Shattuck,Simpson,Seebach and others who advertise in the Gun List. At least you have solid info on what is available and what it would cost you. Watch Auction Arms--look at Bob Adams list and others in the classifieds here. In 40+years of buying Lugers--most of the best buys I ever got were not from a guy who specializes in Lugers but from an individual or a dealer who specializes in other guns and happens to have one Luger. The cheapest Lugers are bought before they get in the hands of the Luger Dealer--but one has to happen to be in the right place at the right time. Look at what is going on at a gun show. If you see a guy trying to sell a Luger to dealers at tables----talk to him--dealers are offering him 20-30% less than they think they could sell. Buy from the individual. Sometimes a guy who has been offered only $350 for his $500 Luger will be pleased to sell to you for $400 for example. There are guys who will advise you not to pay 25cents to watch an ant eat a bale of hay. Study the market and make your decision based on that not what you hear. Then there is the guy who has one Luger to sell which is common and a $500 value--but he saw a rare Luger advertised which looks like his[minus the rare markings] and he is convinced it is worth $1000. I am sure that there are exceptions--but I have never got a good deal in a pawn shop. I recently observed here on the forum that advice was a diminished interest in Mauser Banner Lugers and they are cheap---I am still looking for the cheap source. Study the advertisements and do not be afraid to trust your judgement. My first Luger was a G date in 1959 for $30--- I'll bet someone here will tell me that they got one for $25 the same year. Hope this might be of help to new guys.