OT - C96 need value advise

[Karl]

I know this is not a Luger question but many of you are also C96 collectors and I need some advise. I just received a very nice imperial contract red 9 (gun only): about 85% blue, lots of fire blue remaining, mirror bore, correct marks and serial # range, no import marks, practically no wear. However, the floor plate is misnumbered. I don't think this is a case of deception just that the seller's agent didn't disassemble the gun. I paid $975. for the gun. I have e-mailed the agent about the misnumbered floor plate and suggested that rather than returning the gun, the seller might adjust the price to account for the mis-match. What would be a reasonable price range for such a gun? KFS

[Kyrie]

Hi Karl!

A mismatched C96 is a mismatched C96 - it doesnâ??t matter whether only one part isnâ??t original or there are not two parts that match. Shooter C96â??s originally chambered for the 9 mm Parabellum arenâ??t easy to find, so Iâ??d guesstimate value at $600 - $700 for this one as described.

Hope this helps some.

Warm regards,

Kyrie

[Stu]

Is that a common view; that the quantity of non matching parts is immaterial value wise ?

So a gun with, say, a mismatched safety lever but otherwise matching is worth the same as a complete mongrel made up of goodness knows what, provided the condition is the same ?

[Edward Tinker]

I think that in the Luger / and I presume Broomhandle field, that a single part drops the price dramatically. I don't really agree with this stance, but that is how collectors in the USA look at it. I do believe that the more parts frankenberry it is, the lower the "shooting" price, as partsssss guns I would think have much more possibility of feeding problems and other mechanical problems.

[wterrell]

Stu, it does not matter what the 'common' view is. What matters is what the view of the collectors who pay high prices for their pistols. They pay for the 'best'. It is not difficult to decide which pistol will fetch more whenever the bidding starts.

[Roadkill]

You have a point. It gets complicated. To a collector anything less than a collection piece is not a collection piece. Period. And that makes sense. They pay big bucks for them and lots of effort to insure what they have is as stated and valued accordingly. Where lots of well intentioned folks mess up and lose money is buying and paying more for a not collection gun but one well above a mongrel shooter which is mismatched, reblued, customized, pesonalized, nickel plated, cromed ect., thinking that since its way way above the mongrel level and almost (that's the killer- almost) perfect its value should approximate the value of a collector gun. They don't. Its still a great good looking historical firearm, but not a collection piece. Folks need to make up their mind before they start looking. Do you want a collector or a shooter? A collector gun can go down in value by shooting it, but shooter will never go up in value except by overall supply and demand.

rk

[Imperial Arms]

Karl,

A mismatched floorplate of your 'Red 9', which is in is good condition (without a stock), will decrease the value by about 30%-35%. With expensive collecting based on condition and rarity (let us say $10,000 and over), a mismatched stock is not as important as a mismatched part on the pistol as long as the stock is correct to the gun.

Above certain prices, 'condition' becomes more important than a mismatched part and it depends on the part in question. For example, I know of a near mint Flatside 20-Shot with a matching stock which has a mismatched magazine follower, but because of it rarity and condition, the decrease in value would be very minimal.

In the case of your 'Red 9', you have to ask yourself if you can 'live' with a mismatched floorplate or would accept a reduction in price to make you satisfied? If you want an all matching pistol, then return it for a full refund.

Albert

[Navy]

In agreement with that sage of weaponery, Kyrie, I would posit the appropriate analogy for a mismatched part on most collector pieces is the wine/sewage analogy:

If you put a spoon of wine in a barrel of sewage, you have a barrel of sewage.

If you put a spoon of sewage in a barrel of wine, you have a barrel of sewage.

In short, value sinks to the lowest common denominator. I must say that I likewise concur with my esteeemed colleague Albert on rarity of the individual piece playing a large part in negating this effect. The example that comes to mind immediately is Lugers which are all matching except the magazine. Most Lugers do not have matching magazines. Market prices reflect this. When one comes along that does match, add about 25-30% premium. If it should have two matching magazines, add 50-75%. As an example, I recall a 1917 Navy Luger rig some years ago that had 3 matching magazines. It sold for nearly $8,000 when other rigs with mismatching or a single matching magazine were selling for $4500.

Collectors are finicky people; we like what we like and the market will reflect it.
Tom A.

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

[Karl]

Thank you to all who have submitted their opinions. I directed the seller's agent to this thread and as a result of your input we arrived at a mutually acceptable price for the gun. I am especially happy with this purchase because I bought the gun as a shooter (I didn't mention this because I know it would have fomented the ire of the purist collectors in the forum). The mismatched floorplate was a windfall; now I have a "legitimate" mismatched shooter AND a cherry imperial contract red 9 for significantly less than I was prepared to spend. Thanks, KFS

[ichabod]

Karl, sounds like you got a bargain but this beauty has had it's price cut in 1/2 www.boutiquejewels.com/100yearoldma.html [img]wink.gif[/img] .