Best Three Dealers in P-08's?

[Joseph D]

I'm new to collecting and I'd like the Board's opinion regarding the most honest and knowledgeable Luger dealers. Thank you.

[Roadkill]

You are presenting a very valid question with opportunities to both laud and crucify those relatively few who have reached the status in the Luger collecting community to warrant an opinion.
For every seven or so positives there will be at least one negative. This then requires a defensive rebuttal, ect. Those who have an opinion will be just as passionate in the positive as the negative.
I don't have any interest in this since I do not collect however in order to maintain the Forum Pax Romana I respectfully request you ask all replies to this relevant question be sent to you at a private email address. You can then receive the info and make your own decision. Then if others are interested they can request the opinions from you to be sent person to person.

rk

[Ron Wood]

Sage advice Roadkill. Thanks for stating the case so well. A new collector should seek the counsel of the more experienced, but this is not the venue for such a discussion. A private email is the way to go.

[Edward Tinker]

RK is right, but here is some free advice:

1. Buy a shooter first, that way you can shoot it, learn from it and get really excited about them.

2. Decide which era you like, Imperial (WW1), Weimar or Nazi (WW2) or even the newer ones.

3. Buy every book you can afford on Lugers, read them and decide; and then go and buy from a dealer.

[Navy]

Hi Joseph D.

Since you will no doubt get lots of private e-mail, let me publish my reply in the open.

There are many honest and reputable dealers; honest guys/gals who do this for a living. There in lies the rub. There is a certain profit margin that dealers must make to remain profitable. They don't make the margins, well, its cheap wine and day old bread.

Collectors, OTOH, don't have the pressure of the market. We buy, sell and trade based on only one concept, and that is to upgrade our collection incrementally.

So, in a round about way, I am suggesting that if you wish to purchase a particular Luger, you would probably do yourself a favor by advertising in the Lugers wanted part of the forum vice dealing with a dealer. Collectors simply do not have the payroll pressures that dealers face and their prices generally reflect that fact. Additionally, I think any collector who advertises a gun FS on the forum is so conscious of the instant negative feed back potential that there is far less opportunity for less than honest dealings.

My zwei pfennigs,
Tom A.

Hope this helps,
Tom A.

[John Sabato]

I want to personally thank each and every one of you for this excellent and informative discussion...absolutely outstanding advice from all...but I especially want to thank Roadkill for stepping forward to preserve the forum decorum. This is the type of discussion that has caused a flap in the past and this time it was prevented by a watchful member rather than terminated for cause by a moderator or administrator... RK, I hope you can hear my applause <img border="0" alt="[thumbsup]" title="" src="graemlins/bigok.gif" />

Joseph D, welcome to the Lugerforum. I heartily concur with Roadkill's suggestion and if you are not comfortable releasing your private email to the entire internet, may I suggest that you create one of the free email accounts at Yahoo.com just for this purpose. Another alternative would be to visit your profile and turn on the optional private messaging feature along with email notification when you get a private messaage...your choice.

[John D.]

Great thread.....! RK - BTW - if you keep on making posts/replies like that, I'll have no choice but to make you a Moderator or Administrator..

I want to follow-up on something Tom mentioned - dealer vs. collector. My suggestion is that if you can find a collector in your area, spend some time with them and ask to see some of their pieces. There is no substitute to "hands-on knowledge". Sure, pictures are a terrific learning tool, as well as forums such as these - but to actually see, in person - some of the nuances of each variation, will assist in knowing what is "proper" for each variation itself...

As well - your local collector(s) often trade-up and/or sell pieces off. In developing a working association with a local collector, you may find that you have the opportunity to acquire a Luger that you are familiar with the background. Dealers, because they buy/sell in quantity, usually don't have the time/resources to track the background of each piece in their inventory...

Finally - have a plan or a blueprint for your collection. Seeing, firsthand - each variation, period piece and various Luger models - will help to develop that plan. For example - are WW2 pieces more interesting, or Imperial pieces, or early squeeze gripped models? Seeing these variations - and knowing the unique characteristics of each - will lessen the potential for your acquiring something that isn't "quite right"....

Anyway - great questions, replies and comments....!

[Roadkill]

Shucks, ya'll, back off a little. Starting to make me uncomfortable. Gotta remember who you're dealing with here. I don't think the idea of me being a "regulator" would be helpful for membership. Anyway, out of six hundred plus posts something has got to come out right sooner or later. "Enough (monkeys? monkies? monkees?) apes, enough keyboards, enough time........ Joseph D. didn't mean no harm anyway.

rk

[Dwight Gruber]

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by John D.:
<strong>Finally - have a plan or a blueprint for your collection. Seeing, firsthand - each variation, period piece and various Luger models - will help to develop that plan. For example - are WW2 pieces more interesting, or Imperial pieces, or early squeeze gripped models? Seeing these variations - and knowing the unique characteristics of each - will lessen the potential for your acquiring something that isn't "quite right"....</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">I'd like to suggest an alternative method. There are a lot of Luger varieties out there, and it is an unreasonable expectation that a brand-new collector be able to figure out exactly what "turns them on" right away (although it can happen!).

Rather, begin to note what -doesn't- interest you--it will narrow the field and begin to focus your interests, which will be refined over time and hands-on experience.

As an example, it became clear to me fairly early on that I have little interest in run-of-the-mill Third Reich Lugers, and none whatever in Swiss. I'm still open to what may be my Luger Grail, but this lets me spend my time more fully exploring others.

--Dwight

[Pete Ebbink]

Hello Joseph D,.

A belated welcome to the LF, as well...

I thought I would offer one opinion and one suggestion :

Opinion : No matter what folks might say "negatively" about dealers, the fact that some of them have extensive networks of "luger gathering" and hundreds of guns must pass through their hands each year increases one's chance of having a dealer find the "right" luger you might be seeking. When seeking a pistol from other collectors, pawn shops, gun shops, want ads, etc., does not uncover what you seek, the "marked-up" price that dealers ask may be worth it. Do not rule out dealers, entirely...

Suggestion : As a relative luger newcomer, I decided to build a "Whitman's Sampler" of lugers; that is, 2-3 representative guns from each Luger era (Imperial, Weimar, 3rd. Reich, and post WWII). Then within that general collecting structure, I decided to have a shooter from each era as well. I am now building a Swiss luger collection and some of the guns previous in my Whitman's Sampler are Swiss, so I had a head start to my Swiss collection...

Regards,

Pete... <img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" />

[Navy]

Re: theme.
With over 300 recognized variations, I would think that it is absolutely imperative that one have a theme (or win the lottery.

Of course, your choice of themes is only limited by your imagination and bank account. I have chosen Navy lugers and provenanced guns to notable individuals. Both areas are highly specialized and require a lot of digging to get the good ones. But, after all, isn't the hunt what this is really all about?

My zwei pfennigs,
Tom A.

[kidvett]

Hello Joseph,

Many good advices from Forum users....Let me tell you my little experience, quite similar to Pete Whitman's Collection.

I started collecting III Reich Lugers because of personnal interest in that period. Today it is my most extensive Luger category...Along the way I grabbed a few P-38's ( follow up to the Luger as German sidearm in WWII )...today my P-38 collection is Mauser's exclusively( sold all the AC's, HP's & CYQ ) But back to Lugers...I then came across a nice Pre-War ERFURT....so here am I collecting ERFURTS ( my 2nd category today...) A guy called me one day about a 1900AE...my birthday gift last year....and I stumbled across a SIMSON along the way....and so many more to come by...Today, I try to be more selective as I have opportunities almost every week...

So today I really mixed up because I like them all...and the Luger Collection, growing every month or so, is composed of the following categories:

1- III Reich
2- ERFURTS
3- Weimar era
4- Early Contracts
5- Navy

Start slowly, get good information & select a period you want to concentrate on...

kidvett <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

[Jerry.B]

So how many Lugers can a guy get?? :-)

[Edward Tinker]

Jerry, as much as he has money?



<img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" />

Ed

[Frank]

Eduard, there is much truth and wisdom in that statement. My only addition is buy as many as you can afford!!!!!! and "afford" is the operable word!!!

[Navy]

Believe me, it is much, much easier to get money than it is to get a righteous collector grade luger. Thats why I seldom haggle on the price of a gun I need. He who hesitates usually winds up empty handed. This is especially true in the big dollar collector guns (&gt;$5000). If it shows up and is honest, grab it because it won't be there tomorrow. Have had some real honeys bought out from under me because I was 10 minutes too late.

Tom A.

[Pete Ebbink]

In regards to RK becoming a Moderator :

On another gun discussion board, those folks have a section called "Hunting with C&R pistols".

As much hunting RK does, I think it perfect John D. start a new LF section titled "Hunting with Lugers"...

I suspect RK spends more time in the woods than we all do going to gun shows and gun shops...

Regards,

Pete... <img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" />

[Jimbo]

Welcome Joseph D.

If you would like my opinion, please send me your e-mail address and I will respond.

Thank you,

Jim Ferreira