Milsurp After Hours

Went to one today. Very few C&R guns. Mostly pistols and black rifles and sporting arms. Some surprises. Rack of C&R's, as will add photo, all had bigger prices than I was expecting. Top rifle in the photo is a Nagant with a $750 price tag, then a Nagant carbine for $549 and under it one the dealer prized more for $599. Under that an Arisaka, without dust cover, $500. Then a DP only Enfield with a welded closed barrel $349. Under it a Carcano but didn't note the price but no doubt well above one I paid $65 for.

There were surprises in the pistol world as well. In one case, a CZ and a German Makarov. The Mak, like a German made one I bought years ago for $160 which this dealer thought it would bring $700. In the same case, the CZ model I paid $155 with a holster now going for $525 if there is anyone wants it for the asking price.

One thing there were actually some selection of were M1 carbines. They were all over the place in price but the lowest was twice what I paid for my best one.

Another shocker was the price of a bandoleer of surplus 8mm ammo I saw on one table. I'd bet the amo was some of the same Turk surplus offered long ago that I paid $4 a bando shipped to my door 25 years ago. $129.99 is his price for one cloth bandoleer. I still have a few belts of that ammo.. much of which is dated more than a hundred years ago.

There haven't been any type of gun shows around here for years. Those prices are pretty amazing to me, guess it just makes
my limited inventory a little more valuable, maybe. Although the big question is, was anything going out the door at those prices?
My gun buying days are over, haven't shot anything I have for years. Now they just wait for my son to deal with them. ..
At least you got out to check thing over, that's a good sign. And it's more than I have done lately.
Greatly enjoyed the photos, brought back some memories of bygone days. ..

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I don't know what was actually selling. I saw a number of people filling out paper at the apparently professional dealer tables. Someone that's an individual selling their collection wouldn't have to fill out the gun check papers if selling to state residents above certain age classifications based on if hand gun or rifle. It's pretty obvious that most of the regular gun show sellers were hooked up to a way to sell by credit card. Doubt if many would take a check for hundreds of dollars from a stranger at a gun show. I doubt many people at the show as buyers had large rolls of cash in their pockets either.

Years back when I sold off some of my excess I only took cash. A few buyers didn't have enough in their pockets but there was an ATM in the lobby. They just went out and got the cash with their credit card.

I talked to the guy behind the counter with the pictured rack of C&R guns. A Pleasant young fellow that was easily identifiable as a fellow gun nut. We talked about the prices and he felt confident of his pricing. I talked a little about my collection and he was encouraging saying if I carried a Mosin in the door with a price much under what he was asking I could sell it pretty fast to someone seeing me with it.

Prices mirror what I've seen up here(South Dakpta). Way more than just inflation at work.