I Feel Like I'm Going Through Some Sort of Withdrawel

[Aragorn243]

Gun show after gun show, shop after shop and nothing on my list ever making an appearance. I'm going stir crazy. Not that I haven't picked up the occasional non-list item here or there but where are the GEW 98's and P-14's and TS Carcano's?

It's like milsurps are drying up.

Went to the gun auction from hell this morning and nothing but worn out Mexican Mausers, sporterized Arisakas, and various other abused worn out sad looking items even I'm not willing to take on, especially for the prices the idiots were willing to pay. Went to the gun shop afterwards and for the 20th straight week, not one milsurp on the rack. Even Cabelas has run out of Mosin Nagants to look at.

Starting to be very glad I began my search when I did. If I had to get where I am now starting now, I could just forget it.

[browningautorifle]

Seems like they run in waves, noting for a bit and then they appear. I guess they sit in collections and then they get released for whatever reason. Be patient. They'll appear.

[WarPig1976]

Yeah, thinking of going to Oaks tomorrow. Looking for a nice K31 or a Makarov but I NEED bayonets.

[mr.e moose]

Know where you are coming from. Months go by and there seems to be nothing special.Then a collection goes on sale at the LGS or at a auction and you try to find the little gems.Auction prices lately seem to be trending towards the stupid side.

[Sarge]

Auction prices are, and have been for a long time, normally on the "Stupid" side! I very rarely go unless there is an item I'm willing to pay extra for.
I haven't bought much for a long time, but occasionally I trip over something I can't live w/o - Like the German mortar at SOS 2 yrs ago. This year was sure a dud, not even many knick-nak items. I don't think I spent $50.
Sarge

[Aragorn243]

My auction from Hell has been on the insanely stupid side for about four years now. I always go, every month, pick out the one or two I want, set my price based on Peterson's and the condition and then watch as they pay another 40% over what I figure it's worth. Watched a guy buy a Dutch carbine from under me for $200 more than it was worth, put it on Gunbroker two days later and it's still there, a year and a half later. The price he is trying to get now is less than what he paid and still no takers. Three weeks after that auction I found a much better all matching one from a guy nearby on Gunbroker and got it for less than I was willing to pay for the one at the auction. Now another auction I went to last year was just the opposite. No one seemed interested in the milsurps and I picked up a Lebel carbine for $150.

I doubt I'll go to Oaks this time around. There should be a guy selling K31's there but they are over $400 and have the nasty receiver billboard import mark. He's been at the last three shows I attended, York, Bloomsburg and Harrisburg. There are a few cheap bayonets to be had but most guys don't seem to want to sell theirs. Today's bargain seems to be WWII Garand bayonets. Lots of guys have them and are selling cheap. You could check with SARCO, they had quite a few K31's when I was up a couple months ago.

[WarPig1976]

Funny you mention SARCO I'm running a route in Easton Monday and planned on dropping by. That's why I'm debating Oaks, but the older boys like going with pop to the show so looks like both for me. Are/where the 31's at SARCO decent? The only drawback buying on the clock is smuggling whatever back past any run ins with D.O.T or State Police and then to my truck at the depot. Done before, will do it again...

[Aragorn243]

I didn't exactly want to look at the K31's when was up but the salesman was talkative and opened the case up so I picked one up to be polite. It looked decent and I don't remember the huge import mark on them. Make sure you look at all the rifles because you never know what you might find. They had a GEW 98 a Dutch Beaumont and a Swiss Vetterli up there that day but all three were in pretty rough shape and missing parts. They had a lot of Mausers of various types all mixed together so you have to look at the tags or the crests.

[Aragorn243]

Looks like I might be going to Oaks today after all. Will be getting there after lunch sometime. I'll be wearing a Desert Storm night camo parka and a black shirt if you run into me there. Probably leave directly from church this morning.

[WarPig1976]

I read this too late, we left about lunch. Maybe next time.

Was a big show!! The mini military vehicle show was neat and getting to sit on this AA gun was awesome. I'm in the middle, flanked by my two eldest. These guns are live too.
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Didn't buy anything but a shirt and some emergency parachute flares. No deals to be had. All in all a good day with the lads.