Need help with pricing!

[Doug]

I have a friend who is selling two P.08's the first is a DWM 1900 dish toggle. Condition is 90% on the top and browning on the grip straps. Grips are very good. The second is a Mauser E/L banner all matching including the mag. Barrel is not numbered. Condition is a solid 98%. What is a fair price for them?? Any comments welcome.

Thanks!!

See the Forum classified for similar pistols being offered.

[Big Norm]

Doug,

I ususally tell people tolook at www.simpsonltd.com to get an idea about the pricing of a Luger. But I have found him to be a bit high on the pricing of this particular year and condition. He has them in the $4300 area. But I think that about the $2200 area might be about right. Thats not a fixed price, just something to put you within a range. I think that right now, the internet has put prices all over the place. The selling of anything used now depends on how badly the seller wants to sell, how much the buyer wants to spend and the situation in which you are buying or selling.


A fine example of this is when I was at an auction last year. The auctioneer did not know what he had and advertised a "dung" Luger for auction. I bought a mint 1900 AE with an Ideal Stock for $1600. I talked to the auctioneer later and asked him why he called it a "dung" Luger and he said that he had looked at the DWM on the toggle and it looked like dung to him. He then went on to say that I got a real bargain because the only guy I was bidding against was a gun dealer who owned a local gun shop and he had thought that the gun was worth $2200. I then told the auctioneer about the gun and told him that I was willing to go up to $3500 for it and I thought that I might be able to get $4500 for the package. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the auctioneers knees go a little weak. I laughed all the way home. That gun will be the last one that I will ever sell because it reminds me of a great memory.

Big Norm

[BILL]

One thing you might want to mention if you are looking for a price on the second pistol is that the barrel is not matched to the pistol. All Luger barrels that I know of had the serial number on them. I know you stated that it is 100% matching but an unnumbered barrel does mean that at least one part is not matched. The marked right now is kind of strange. Gun shops are doing a hand over fist business and are actually selling out of ammo (big cities, anyway). Don't know how it really is for collections.

[bill m]

Hello Bill,

Numerous Banner Police Lugers do not have a serial number on the barrel. They are witness marked and usually guage marked, and will have a proof mark on the barrel band. The barrel not being serial numbered is not unusual on the later Banners.

[Johnny Peppers]

Dok,

You might want to consider using Big Norm's mint 1900 AE with Ideal rig for the Luger of the Month. This would make a good addition.

[BILL]

Good to know! For some reason I was under the impression that all factory Lugers had barrel serials. What is the thinking on the police guns not having the same barrels they left the factory with? I have to say, later model Lugers and their variations are often strange to me since there was not much attention paid to standards after WWI. Certainly not my area of expertise. I would think that if there are major parts that aren't marked it would be tough to identify as all original.

[bill m]

Hi Bill,

These ARE the original barrels, but are just not serial numbered. They are proofed on the front of the barrel sight block. That is how you tell if they are original to the gun. Some also have an S/42 and E/63 on the barrel. Also, they will all have a witness mark that is lined up with the frame and usually a guage number.

[BILL]

I wonder what the story is behind the factory not putting a serial number on the barrel? Must be a good reason for that..?

[Thor]

It is to drive you crazy Bill

[BILL]

Well, it is a short trip so it won't take much