Thompsonlover Posted April 16, 2015 Report Share Posted April 16, 2015 Found this ad in a July 88 Firepower magazine!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrylta Posted April 16, 2015 Report Share Posted April 16, 2015 From what I've seen, the prices of Thompsons = New car pricing. Both items vary dependingon model & condition.Darryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim c 351 Posted April 16, 2015 Report Share Posted April 16, 2015 TL,You'll see those prices again when you go back to making $5.00 an hour.Jim C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz Posted April 16, 2015 Report Share Posted April 16, 2015 (edited) That ad shows M16s at $1995 $1995 in 1988 would be the same as $3,958 in 2015 So MGs went up in price way faster than inflation, somewhere around 10% a year on average Edited April 16, 2015 by buzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmagee1917 Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Yes , but you have to remember that pre-86 prices were 1/2 of these '88 prices . What would $900 in '86 be worth today ?I remember buying my WH M1 for $650 in '85 because the minty '28 was an outrageous almost $1,000 .Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 (edited) $1000 in 1985 would be worth $2,181 today. You could sell a NIB WH 28 for around $20,000 today That works out to an average rate of return of 8% per year on the investment It's pretty nice to be in a hobby where you get to enjoy owning something and it makes a nice profit also. I only bought my Thompsons last year so I missed out on the glory days Edited April 17, 2015 by buzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 (edited) Sometimes people say that Thompson prices will fall because the old guys will die off and the new "tacticool" generation will not want them. I think that's faulty logic. First of all, the supply of transferrable Thompsons is microscopic compared to the population the USA. That makes it a specialized market already. It doesn't have to find a niche because it already is a niche due to the tiny, fixed supply. Second, Thompsons are associated with two very colorful periods of history, the 30s gangster era and WWII. Collector interest in those two periods will never die out. Third, the Thompson is one of the most iconic firearms in history. Try to think of a better-known gun. Edited April 17, 2015 by buzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland the Thompsongunner Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 I dont think its so much that the prices will fall. Its more that the modern stuff will pass it out. Just look at prices of factory m16's . They are hitting 30k now and drop in sears are selling for 33k. Thats more than all the military and wh guns are selling for now. The same trend holds true for many of the wwi era guns. They are not climbing in price as fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunhistorian Posted April 18, 2015 Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 Maybe it depends on "taste" -- I remember when you couldn't give away (almost) Japanese WWII stuff. And I believe the Luger market already is somewhat in decline. As to "cool" firearms with history associated with them, the Luger and the Thompson have nearly the same mystique. I suppose a lot will depend on future legislation (SURE WISH THERE WAS ANOTHER AMNESTY!) as well as what collectors (or investors) jump on. Wonder how many DEWAT TSMGs were sold back in the day. . .how many got Amnesty registered. . .how many got REWATTED? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithwr3 Posted April 18, 2015 Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 I've added a rewatted AOC M-1 to the pool last month. Can't wait until I get back to the states to try it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz Posted April 18, 2015 Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 (edited) The imagination of collectors is what makes things collectable. If I show you a 1962 zippo lighter, it might be worth $20 to some zippo collector If I can prove it was in JFK's pocket when he was killed, then it suddenly becomes worth $100,000 It's all about imagination. US and German guns have always excited the imagination of collectors more than British, Italian and Jap guns. I read a really interesting essay by S. P. Fjestad about what attributes make guns collectable, and the Thompson rings every bell. It has literally everything a gun collector would find appealing in a gun. That's not going to change as the years go by. It's true that M16s are gaining value faster than Thompsons, but AR15 / M16 rifles are so popular in the USA that I would expect that. The M16 is it's own gun dynasty, it's been the US service weapon for 52 years. Edited April 18, 2015 by buzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphinvet Posted April 18, 2015 Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 Maybe it depends on "taste" -- I remember when you couldn't give away (almost) Japanese WWII stuff. And I believe the Luger market already is somewhat in decline. As to "cool" firearms with history associated with them, the Luger and the Thompson have nearly the same mystique. I suppose a lot will depend on future legislation (SURE WISH THERE WAS ANOTHER AMNESTY!) as well as what collectors (or investors) jump on. Wonder how many DEWAT TSMGs were sold back in the day. . .how many got Amnesty registered. . .how many got REWATTED? I expect there to be slight fluctuation in prices of machine guns as long as there are no "executive orders" that make ownership more difficult or illegal. Thompson's are always going to be cool machine guns to own. With regards to another amnesty, given the current political climate, it ain't gonna happen. Even if it does sometime in the future, what will that do? Possibly bring out a scattered number of hidden unregistered machine guns that people have squirreled away in a wall, buried in a closet or hidden in an attic. Granted there are probably thousands of old unregistered machine guns out there but the number of them when you consider the population of the US is very small so I doubt it would have an effect on pricing. In fact those guns might go for even more money if they are in good shape. It's truly a sad situation in the overall market but unless the '86 machine gun ban is overturned, you won't see prices falling on automatic weapons, ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Iannamico Posted April 19, 2015 Report Share Posted April 19, 2015 Even at those prices they didn't move that fast back then.There seems to be more of a demand today. A big stumbling block was the $200.00 tax,the registration procedures, and a lack of C3 dealers. Things were different in the pre-internet days.Shot Gun News was where most C3 items were bought and sold. I was buying parts in an auto parts storeand there was an issue of SGN on the counter. That is how I discovered C3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBill Posted April 20, 2015 Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 More nostalogic prices. roger Cox 2.pdfRoger Cox 3.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpw43 Posted April 20, 2015 Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 (edited) When I bought my first Thompson in 1980 it was a $600 WH.J. Curtis Earl was selling 1921s for around $1000.Too much for me back then making little money.I need a time machine!!! Edited April 20, 2015 by jpw43 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz Posted April 20, 2015 Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 When I bought my first MG, for $2900, I felt like it was incredibly expensive and exotic. Seems funny now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paladin601 Posted April 20, 2015 Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 My how time has changed, back then minimum wage was between $1 and $2 an hour, gas was .30 a gallon and a home could be bought for $30 grand. It is all relative I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland the Thompsongunner Posted April 20, 2015 Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 Right you are. I bought my bridgeport 28a1 for $3495 in the early 90's. It seemed like a ton of money when i was only making about 8 bucks an hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21 smoker Posted April 20, 2015 Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 I remember open bolt MAC10 semis going for $1000.00 and F/A MAC 10s selling for $500.00 at the same time... ...first UZI $2600.00....M16 $2900.00...BAR $8000.00...REISING $1600.00...my first STen took 21 days to transfer...oh the humanity!!... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thompsonlover Posted April 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 Thanks for the interesting responses guys!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 I'm very glad I bought most of my MG's in 1988-89... Couldn't afford them today... David Albertdalbert@sturmgewehr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmagee1917 Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 Ditto . I only found out you could own them in '84 / '85 . Sold most of my other types of guns to get MGs . Only sold a few MGs over the years in order to buy more USGI WW2 types.Could not buy them today at current prices .Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUNGUY45 Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 I bought my first MG (M50 Reising) in 1993, for the princely sum of $745.00.I was looking for a Thompson, but no dealers at any of the shows had one on their tables, so I bought the Reising.I should have waited for one of them to get one for me but the money was burning a hole in my pocket.The decisions we make when we are young... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 I started buying NFA in 2010 and didn't get my Thompsons until 2014 Sure is nice to know I paid the most of anybody on the site. (Cue sad music) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandman1957 Posted April 23, 2015 Report Share Posted April 23, 2015 Doubt that, my first was in 1986 and at the time I paid too much at 1200 dollars. Bought three Colts since 2011, and paid fair market value for each. when I no kidding retire in the next several years, this is part of my reitirement plan. As long as I hold onto them until 2021 and 2022 when they are 100 years old and all the "new" Roaring 20's movies are being produced, it doesn't matter what we paid today, it matters what someone else pays then... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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