Telescopes M73B1 on ebay

[gioca]

After the object n. 221694701695 sold for $ 1,025.00 the object n. 111628640353 was sold for $ 1,577.00.
What do you think about these prices?

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[JGaynor]

After the object n. 221694701695 sold for $ 1,025.00 the object n. 111628640353 was sold for $ 1,577.00.
What do you think about these prices?

Both appear to be righteous but i would have expected the price on a bare scope to be about $1200. They that have nicely bracketed the range. The first scope is a late model and probably did not see wartime service. The second one is right in the middle of production and probably was mounted on an M1903A4 at the factory.

[gioca]

Thank you for your answer Jim.
Looking at the bidders for these scopes there is one that offered $ 1,000 for the scope #33,xxx and $ 1,501 for the scope #15,xxx so I'd like to understand if the scopes with a serial number below 26,xxx worth more than those with numbers above 30,xxx!

[Promo]

It will soon make sense to buy complete 03A4 rifles and seperate the scope and sell it on eBay. I for my side currently see this positive, as I have five spare M73B1 scopes around with four of them still having the original rings and bases with them

[JGaynor]

Gloca, virtually all M73B1's can be considered correct for the M1903A4. I say virtually all because we know some of them saw military service in other applications such as optical collimators for 20MM Naval machine guns. The other qualification is that in recent years a handful of M73B1's have been sold still in their original Weaver factory packaging. The outer wraps had the names of the quality control inspectors and manufacturing dates in 1945. This was probably six months after the last A4 was shipped from Remington and nearly a year after the last rifles were assembled. I suspect these lat M73B1's entered the spare parts stream. Many were undoubtedly installed on rifles in later years. The few still in factory packaging are the real rare birds.

[gioca]

Jim, what about the bidder that on ebay offered $501 more for the scope with the serial # in the range of 15,xxx rather than that with the serial# 33,xxx?
Maybe that bidder wanted to match a rifle M1903A4 in original conditions with a scope with a "believable" serial number. Once that the rifles are no more original their matching with the scopes is a lot easier!

@Promo
Probably already now you can make more money selling separately the parts rather than as a whole assembly. IMO it is easier to sell the scope without the rifle rather than the rifle without the scope!

[JGaynor]

Gloca all we can do here is render judgment and educated guesses on values based on the latest auction, gunshow or dealer sale. In my first post i suggested that i would have expect a price of around $1200.~ In the final analysis one guy paid a little less and one guy paid a bit more.
The M73B1's are scare items, the total quantity out there is finite and none have been made in nearly 70 years.
So it's a sellers market. The guy with the later scope probably let it go too low. For some reason lt of people in these gun auctions seem to have some sort of allergy to using a reserve price. non compose mantis.

Regards,
Jim

[gioca]

Jim again thank you very much.
If i have correctly understood you opinion, the market price of the M73B1 scopes is not affected by their serial number (or by the type) but mainly by the skills of the sellers.
Regards,
gioca

[Neal Myers]

My thought is, collectors are primarily looking for a scope that hasn't been messed with, & a scope that is in reasonably good condition. The skill of the seller in taking photos can make a big difference in the sale of any scope.

Plus, someone who has an A4 & has been looking for a correct scope for a year or 2, but has constantly been outbid, eventually may decide, "I just HAVE to get this one, & I don't care if I overpay a few hundred dollars."

Neal