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Shady "Expert Opinions" offered on Value of Highly Collectible Items

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D

dpauld

Member
Jan 16, 2021
57
43
Oregon, United States
Just a little advice on some of the "Expert" opinions on the value of ultra rare vintage items of high demand...
Price/ Value quotes I got from some people (some of whom really are experts).
The difference in price quoted was huge depending on whether the person wanted to buy it or was just giving me an honest answer.
The "Experts" wanting to buy the item $500-700. The experts that were not wanting to buy gave value at $1200-1500.
The Khamsin sold for $2200 total price paid w/ shipping, taxes, etc..
The Camargue AL sold for $2500 total buyer paid (auction ended early, top buy price met in two days)
And quit slamming Ebay, it is the only place to sell the top end vintage stuff if you want to avoid the shuck and jive hussle from the "experts".
The guy that wants a super rare item real bad but will not pay it's true value on the open market.
Some of that is very understandable and all part of the negotiation process but offering an expert opinion that is that far off is very noticeable
to even a novice like myself.

IMO this rant only applies to the "Holy Grail" ultra rare pieces everyone is looking to find,
That is where the "Experts" lose their minds and integrity...

Disclaimer: Gentlemen on this forum were not as bad as elsewhere.

just think about it... before you get mad and offer more ill advised expert opinion.
it just ruins the ability to sell the nicer vintage items on ANY air gun forum classified page.
That is why it is all newer items being sold most of which are loosing their value very quickly (some of that is Shady too)

A persons one expert opinion cannot control this market, it is too big, no matter how many Bluebooks on Airguns get written and/or how influential a person is in this genre of collectibles. I have seen this for years in other things I collect (Classic Cars, car parts, vintage fishing/hunting gear, etc.) and never have bothered to chime in with my opinion but this niche of air gun enthusiasts is a pretty decent bunch of guys... and gals, Lol
The Best of the Lot !

Cheers, David
 
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Backstory:
Had some really sweet vintage springers that I had asked about maintenance on since they were kept as safe queens in a "collection" for 40-ish years.
In asking I got many interested parties trying to buy them off me.
There were several rifles that are highly sought after in that bunch I asked about.
Namely: two mint british rifles Air Arms Khamsin and Camargue AL, and two mint germans HW55M and HW77T.
Every time I asked anything about them on several air gun sites including this one, the replies, PM Messages, etc. quickly turned into offers to buy
with many fellows offering their expert opinions on the value of said item.
There was a vast dif between the value estimates given (which I never asked anyone for) depending on if the "Expert" was wanting to buy said item or just giving me an honest expert opinion. Too vast of a gap...
D
 
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baranjhn said:
A rant without a backstory leaves people confused.
Click to expand...
Backstory:
Had some really sweet vintage springers that I had asked about maintenance on since they were kept as safe queens in a "collection" for 40-ish years.
In asking I got many interested parties trying to buy them off me.
There were several rifles that are highly sought after in that bunch I asked about.
Namely: two mint british rifles Air Arms Khamsin and Camargue AL, and two mint germans HW55M and HW77T.
Every time I asked anything about them on several air gun sites including this one, the replies, PM Messages, etc. quickly turned into offers to buy
with many fellows offering their expert opinions on the value of said item.
There was a vast dif between the value estimates given (which I never asked anyone for) depending on if the "Expert" was wanting to buy said item or just giving me an honest expert opinion. Too vast of a gap...
D
 
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Well I can not say about the value. But if the intention is to sell something, just use internett, and deside the price for yourself. If noone is willing to buy for the given price within 2-3 weeks, the item is probably to expensive. Then lower the price, and wait another week or two, if unsold, lower price agian, and repeat:)
 
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Welcome to dealing with collectible anything.
I have dealt with collectible PB’s for years now and this is what I have found.
In every pond there are guppies and sharks then all the fishes in between. I was a guppie when I started and I refuse to be a shark.
If you are going to play in any collectible arena, you had better know the value of what you own, especially if you intend to sell it. I would never, ever trust another collector‘s advice on values of my possessions unless I had a long history of honest interaction with them.
 
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"The guy that wants a super rare item real bad but will not pay it's true value on the open market."

So the guy that paid $2200 for the Khamsin on the open market and the guy that paid $2500 for the Camarque on the open market didn't want them real bad? WOW!😲 Think I'll put my super rare pet rock on Ebay!

"no matter how many Bluebooks on Airguns get written and/or how influential a person is in this genre of collectibles".

I contributed heavily to the last Blue Book Of Airguns; including photos, specifications, dating information, a chapter, and appraised values. In assigning values we did not take into account what billionaire impulse-buyers might pay two years in the future. Rather, realistic values based on decades of first-hand experience. We were not heavily influenced by the adage, "There's a fool born every minute".

RR card copy.jpg
 
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AirNGasman said:
"The guy that wants a super rare item real bad but will not pay it's true value on the open market."

So the guy that paid $2200 for the Khamsin on the open market and the guy that paid $2500 for the Camarque on the open market didn't want them real bad? WOW!😲 Think I'll put my super rare pet rock on Ebay!

"no matter how many Bluebooks on Airguns get written and/or how influential a person is in this genre of collectibles".

I contributed heavily to the last Blue Book Of Airguns; including photos, specifications, dating information, a chapter, and appraised values. In assigning values we did not take into account what billionaire impulse-buyers might pay two years in the future. Rather, realistic values based on decades of first-hand experience. We were not heavily influenced by the adage, "There's a fool born every minute".

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How often does the Blue Book come out? My experience with firearms blue books is they are woefully behind the curve a year or after distribution, but firearm prices have been volatile for many years now.
If you go visit the largest auction site on the net for PB’s and watch you will see folks with deep pockets pay 1/3 to 2X the value of something when they get locked into a bidding war with another big money bidder.
Very hard to make sense of the numbers that get tossed around there and I am convinced there is no sense to some of the more outrageous ones. Egos, alcohol and deep pockets are an explosive combination.
 
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"How often does the Blue Book come out?"

It used to come out with some regularity before Blue Book founder/editor Steven Fjestad passed away in July of 2019. The latest edition (Thirteen) was copyright 2020. No telling when the next Blue Book of Airguns will happen, but probably not before some semblance of stability returns to the American economy, inflation, and political landscape.
 
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ChuckHunter said:
Value is what ever some nut job will pay for said items! In my opinion those guns were not worth anything near those insane collector prices they went for! So expert or not no one can guess what someone will pay to beef up there collection!
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but that is the value, your rant makes no sense at all. So goes the stock market, but today, that is the going price.
You don't like it but it is what it is and you have no control over it.
Your comment is exactly what I am talking about.
Supply and Demand in a free market economy sets it's own price.
Your theory only works in Russia comrade.
You can't manipulate and control prices with your slandering someone and calling them a nut job.
There are a few vintage corvettes I wish I owned that I probably won't ever because they are selling for big money.
I don't sit here and badmouth the gentlemen who can afford them...
Wow
 
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Chukar60 said:
How often does the Blue Book come out? My experience with firearms blue books is they are woefully behind the curve a year or after distribution, but firearm prices have been volatile for many years now.
If you go visit the largest auction site on the net for PB’s and watch you will see folks with deep pockets pay 1/3 to 2X the value of something when they get locked into a bidding war with another big money bidder.
Very hard to make sense of the numbers that get tossed around there and I am convinced there is no sense to some of the more outrageous ones. Egos, alcohol and deep pockets are an explosive combination.
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and an extremely rare and highly sought after item fuels that frensy. When there is only a couple rare items available that are on EVERYONES bucket list.
I was only talking about the stuff we all know is super rare, just not around, never comes up for sale...
and I know that scenario well, remember the Beanie Baby, can't even give them away now... LoL
 
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Smitty911 said:
It's only worth what someone else is willing to spend on it, at the time you want to sell it. Real Estate in Cali, we just sold our home, the agent wanted to list it a x which was about 20k less than other for a quick sale, it went for 20k less than that. But I'm out of California so it was worth it.

Smitty
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You are EXACTLY right, a free market economy, and for that month/year, that is the true value. Then things change...
 
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