Selling C&R rifles: which DFW area show is best?

KBCraig · Post by **KBCraig** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 4:57 pm

I'm going to do the dreaded "S-word" and sss-s-ssss-ss.... sell a few rifles.

Which DFW-area show would have the right crowd for walk-in sales of milsurp rifles?

I'll entertain offers here on the forum, too. If anyone's curious or interested, I plan to sell:
- a MAS-36 (looks like it was dropped on the cobblestones of Paris and trampled under hobnailed boots, but it shoots great)
- a MAS-36 (Beautiful! @20 rounds fired since new from the arsenal)
- a MAS-36/51 (unwrapped, but unfired, with original arsenal paperwork)
- probably a M1938 Mauser (Ankara -- excellent as Turkish rifles go, "fair" by other standards)
- and possibly a Steyr M95/34 with a bunch of original Nazi-marked ammo.

SC1903A3 · Post by **SC1903A3** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 5:41 pm

I would Say Market Hall. The next show is November 24th and 25th Thanksgiving weekend. Too bad you don't have a Mas 49/56. I'm kicking myself for not getting one when they came in a couple of years ago.

KBCraig · Post by **KBCraig** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 6:54 pm

Thanks. I have never been to Market Hall. Never sold anything at a gun show, for that matter. I presume everything gets wire-tied coming in. Do they give out extras, in case someone wants to examine a bore?

I was thinking of padding a two wheel dolly and wheeling in my stuff. Would that be a problem?

SC1903A3 · Post by **SC1903A3** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 8:35 pm

I've never tried selling multiple guns. You won't know till you try. The zip ties they use usually have the zip heads painted marker orange. Also just to let you know they have a giant 30.06 sign at the entrance. IMHO Market Hall gun show is better than the State Fair. Let me know if you plan on coming, I'm taking that weekend off and we can visit over a cup of coffee.

KBCraig · Post by **KBCraig** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 10:09 pm

Just noticed that I'm working Saturday evening. I don't know yet about Sunday. The whole thing might be kiboshed.

WarHawk-AVG · Post by **WarHawk-AVG** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 12:16 am

Why not do a little work on them....clean them up and see if you can get some more money for them?

KBCraig · Post by **KBCraig** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 3:51 am

Molon_labe wrote:Why not do a little work on them....clean them up and see if you can get some more money for them?

Ummm, what?

One of the rifles I listed is unfired since leaving the arsenal, another has 20 rounds fired since leaving the arsenal; both look brand new.

Their rougher looking cousin is what it is, but it's worth far more as it is (not much), than it would be "fixed up" (absolutely nothing).

The M95/34 is what it is, and can never be anything else. Heckuva pig gun, what with being a carbine in 8x56R, but it's a bruiser to shoot. Hunters wouldn't want it no matter what you did to it, and collectors wouldn't touch it if it had "a little work" done.

The Turk Mauser is the only candidate for change. Large ring action, small ring shank, good platform for building a good strong rifle. Take a $150 rifle, do $600 worth of work to it, and wind up with a $200 rifle (but only if you include a $150 scope). We call that "bubba math", and "bubbadup" rifles are the bane of collectors.

Just so I don't sound unnecessarily combative, what do you think these rifles look like now, and what do you think "a little work" entails?

Kevin

Greybeard · Post by **Greybeard** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 7:45 am

Kevin -

http://www.dallasarms.com/exhibit_info.htm indicates dollies a no-go through glass doors. Some other rules there ya might wanna check out too, especially regarding old ammo. And it seems like they may have starting shutting down at 4:00 instead of 5:00 (as indicated on web site) on Sunday.

DCSA has an 8' table reserved at the Nov. Market Hall show. I see lots of guys walking around with one or two guns with "for sale" signs in muzzle - and even lots of vendors ask to look 'em over. We could probably make some space somewhere to at least store a couple of 'em at a time if ya wanted to wag the others around for better exposure. PM me if needed as we get closer to the date and we can probably work something out. Lonnie

WarHawk-AVG · Post by **WarHawk-AVG** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 12:40 pm

KBCraig wrote:
Molon_labe wrote:Why not do a little work on them....clean them up and see if you can get some more money for them?
Ummm, what?

One of the rifles I listed is unfired since leaving the arsenal, another has 20 rounds fired since leaving the arsenal; both look brand new.

Their rougher looking cousin is what it is, but it's worth far more as it is (not much), than it would be "fixed up" (absolutely nothing).

The M95/34 is what it is, and can never be anything else. Heckuva pig gun, what with being a carbine in 8x56R, but it's a bruiser to shoot. Hunters wouldn't want it no matter what you did to it, and collectors wouldn't touch it if it had "a little work" done.

The Turk Mauser is the only candidate for change. Large ring action, small ring shank, good platform for building a good strong rifle. Take a $150 rifle, do $600 worth of work to it, and wind up with a $200 rifle (but only if you include a $150 scope). We call that "bubba math", and "bubbadup" rifles are the bane of collectors.

Just so I don't sound unnecessarily combative, what do you think these rifles look like now, and what do you think "a little work" entails?

Kevin

I see you point

Alot of time is see these guys selling Mosin rifles that look like hell warmed over, I figure a good stock cleaning, maybe a electronic bore cleaning and such would make them sell better

I never really thought about the collector side of things...If I buy a firearm its usually shot

But I understand...why "pymp my ride" a '57 Chevy and see how it affects collectors of those old fine vehicles (I too would be tweaked off about it too)

Good call

CompVest · Post by **CompVest** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 2:08 pm

KBCraig,

If you haven't already post your offerings in the market section of the forum.

Thank you,