The Most Expensive M1A1 in History

[Motorcar]

$230,000 story, $29,000 gun.

 

Oh, my family Marine Corps officer sword hangs over my desk, he did 26 months in the Pacific first wave landings on the islands. It's not a religion, it's honoring the finest man I knew and carry his blood in my veins.

[Got Uzi]

Not to go bashing new guys but Gold didnt do himself any favors by the post under someones request for information on M16 values either.....another newbie with all the answers and lots of attitude....seems to be a trend lately on all the forums....

[StrangeRanger]

$230,000 story, $29,000 gun.

 

Oh, my family Marine Corps officer sword hangs over my desk, he did 26 months in the Pacific first wave landings on the islands. It's not a religion, it's honoring the finest man I knew and carry his blood in my veins.

 

That gun, in that condition, is worth more like $24K. There are much nicer M1A1s to be had for 29

 

[SlickG]

Gunbroker is a joke, seriously. The larger sellers are crooks that open accounts with users that have NR rating (no rating) and shrill bid against other bidders to drive the price up. I think it was like last year that Colt Boa set Serial #6 was auctioned off... supposedly the earliest unfired set (hard to prove) bidding went like 4 hours over the stated ending time, sold for right under 100k... About 65k in, there were 2 bidders with good feedback bidding against each other then a NR started to bid and drove up the price to 100k. Kept bidding at the last minute to reset the clock.

 

I'm into German WW2 weapons, always looking for that diamond in the rough. k98 Mausers are a minefield, you really got to know your stuff or you'll get bamboozled. So many sellers are taking mismatched rifles, grinding the serials and restamping. To someone like me with moderate knowledge its so obvious. These inexperienced buyers buy the BS upsell talk that the sellers spew, a rifle that was worth more before it was faked goes for insane numbers... all its doing is driving up the market and pricing out young collectors like me... Like last year someone Chromed a K98, looked like Rustoleum and made up some BS claiming it was Hitler's personal SS Parade rifle. Guy listed it for 22k, 3 weeks later he dropped it to $7,500 and some sucker bought it.

 

A lot of sellers are unscrupulous and are destroying some collecting communities for personal financial gain, its almost like fraud.

 

Unfortunetly, we are kinda stuck with Gunbroker, not a lot of other options out there.

 

 

Not Gunbroker, but an Auction house that I've purchased some items from before.

 

Hitler’s watch fetches 1.1million

https://www.alexautographs.com/auction-lot/n-s-d-a-p-presentation-adolf-hitler-reversible-go_B434A5D9B8

 

Disccusion: https://www.k98kforum.com/threads/hitlers-watch-fetches-1-1million.52037/

 

Totally fake, I mean what a sucker to purchase that crap for 1.1 million? Must be nice to be so rich you just dont care, money is trivial.

Edited October 4, 2022 by SlickG

[Motorcar]

That gun, in that condition, is worth more like $24K. There are much nicer M1A1s to be had for 29

 

I agree, it was more meant as sarcasm for those who understand the foolishness of buying that story.

[komodoj]

Gunbroker is a joke, seriously. The larger sellers are crooks that open accounts with users that have NR rating (no rating) and shrill bid against other bidders to drive the price up. I think it was like last year that Colt Boa set Serial #6 was auctioned off... supposedly the earliest unfired set (hard to prove) bidding went like 4 hours over the stated ending time, sold for right under 100k... About 65k in, there were 2 bidders with good feedback bidding against each other then a NR started to bid and drove up the price to 100k. Kept bidding at the last minute to reset the clock.

 

I'm into German WW2 weapons, always looking for that diamond in the rough. k98 Mausers are a minefield, you really got to know your stuff or you'll get bamboozled. So many sellers are taking mismatched rifles, grinding the serials and restamping. To someone like me with moderate knowledge its so obvious. These inexperienced buyers buy the BS upsell talk that the sellers spew, a rifle that was worth more before it was faked goes for insane numbers... all its doing is driving up the market and pricing out young collectors like me... Like last year someone Chromed a K98, looked like Rustoleum and made up some BS claiming it was Hitler's personal SS Parade rifle. Guy listed it for 22k, 3 weeks later he dropped it to $7,500 and some sucker bought it.

 

A lot of sellers are unscrupulous and are destroying some collecting communities for personal financial gain, its almost like fraud.

 

Unfortunetly, we are kinda stuck with Gunbroker, not a lot of other options out there.

 

 

Not Gunbroker, but an Auction house that I've purchased some items from before.

 

Hitlers watch fetches 1.1million

https://www.alexautographs.com/auction-lot/n-s-d-a-p-presentation-adolf-hitler-reversible-go_B434A5D9B8

 

Disccusion: https://www.k98kforum.com/threads/hitlers-watch-fetches-1-1million.52037/

 

Totally fake, I mean what a sucker to purchase that crap for 1.1 million? Must be nice to be so rich you just dont care, money is trivial.

 

I agree with this 100%!!! I will ad, There are heavy hitter dealers out that have had people bid up there auctions on Gunbroker to a point where it traps other bidders. Before they know it they just spent more than 30-40% more than the worth of the gun, if such a thing of course. The Pre May market used to be a third of transferable price but now its almost even. These dealers would suck up these premays for a decent price then off to the races on Gunbroker. This ideal has pretty much put out of the reach owning a premay for your Honest mom and pop dealers just trying to make it. Imho. Ymmv

[SlickG]

 

Gunbroker is a joke, seriously. The larger sellers are crooks that open accounts with users that have NR rating (no rating) and shrill bid against other bidders to drive the price up. I think it was like last year that Colt Boa set Serial #6 was auctioned off... supposedly the earliest unfired set (hard to prove) bidding went like 4 hours over the stated ending time, sold for right under 100k... About 65k in, there were 2 bidders with good feedback bidding against each other then a NR started to bid and drove up the price to 100k. Kept bidding at the last minute to reset the clock.

 

I'm into German WW2 weapons, always looking for that diamond in the rough. k98 Mausers are a minefield, you really got to know your stuff or you'll get bamboozled. So many sellers are taking mismatched rifles, grinding the serials and restamping. To someone like me with moderate knowledge its so obvious. These inexperienced buyers buy the BS upsell talk that the sellers spew, a rifle that was worth more before it was faked goes for insane numbers... all its doing is driving up the market and pricing out young collectors like me... Like last year someone Chromed a K98, looked like Rustoleum and made up some BS claiming it was Hitler's personal SS Parade rifle. Guy listed it for 22k, 3 weeks later he dropped it to $7,500 and some sucker bought it.

 

A lot of sellers are unscrupulous and are destroying some collecting communities for personal financial gain, its almost like fraud.

 

Unfortunetly, we are kinda stuck with Gunbroker, not a lot of other options out there.

 

 

Not Gunbroker, but an Auction house that I've purchased some items from before.

 

Hitlers watch fetches 1.1million

https://www.alexautographs.com/auction-lot/n-s-d-a-p-presentation-adolf-hitler-reversible-go_B434A5D9B8

 

Disccusion: https://www.k98kforum.com/threads/hitlers-watch-fetches-1-1million.52037/

 

Totally fake, I mean what a sucker to purchase that crap for 1.1 million? Must be nice to be so rich you just dont care, money is trivial.

 

I agree with this 100%!!! I will ad, There are heavy hitter dealers out that have had people bid up there auctions on Gunbroker to a point where it traps other bidders. Before they know it they just spent more than 30-40% more than the worth of the gun, if such a thing of course. The Pre May market used to be a third of transferable price but now its almost even. These dealers would suck up these premays for a decent price then off to the races on Gunbroker. This ideal has pretty much put out of the reach owning a premay for your Honest mom and pop dealers just trying to make it. Imho. Ymmv

 

EXACTLY! Check this out. Legacy Collectables pulling this BS. Had a fellow forum member sell a Luger to them and 2 days later he saw it up on gunbroker where they switched out parts and claimed it was a Black Widow Luger, when in fact it was not. Epic forum post and a good read... He contacted the owner and was like what the hell? Legacy then changed the Gunbroker description but it was still shady. If they did this, what else have they done?

 

LEGACY GUN BROKER BLACK WIDOW LUGER…GOOD FOR A LAUGH

https://www.k98kforum.com/threads/legacy-gun-broker-black-widow-luger-good-for-a-laugh.52558/

 

Oh, BTW Legacy just released a Luger "Reference" Book that the owner wrote... great job, faking a gun for what 1k more and when it was discovered his reputation is destroyed when your deep into a particular collecting community... your reputation is everything and this guy sold it out for about 1k.... that tells you exactly what type of ppl are on Gunbroker.

[LSU Tiger]

"OK, honey, I've listed it on Gunbroker." I think that's closer to the truth.

[imageaudio]

Like Forest Gump so aptly stated “My mama always said, stupid is as stupid does!”

[Hopalong]

When I saw the listing, I just shook my head.

[Countryboy77]

 

"OK, honey, I've listed it on Gunbroker." I think that's closer to the truth.

I think you hit the nail on the head! Seller really doesn't want to sell it so tells wife he knows what he has and Jack's up the price so it doesn't sell.Show the wife it's listed and blame bad economy for not selling

[Ryo]

If a person is willing to bid higher than the value.. Then it is their problem. They should be adult enough to know/research. Fool and their money are soon parted, or so the saying says..

 

Sellers who bid against their own stuff play a stupid game where then can get nothing. Also there are a lot of trolls on GB.

[Atllaw]

If you buy it, will he cover the shipping and transfer taxes?

[Rekraps]

Everything you guys say is true, but we want it to sell, and at a high a price as possible. 

 

For me however, I'm not bidding one penny higher than $200,000. Period. That's it. No more. 

[MRCTMG]

Gunbroker may have it's issues, but I don't agree with it being an evil website to be avoided all costs. Like many have pointed out, it's all about being an educated/informed buyer. I got my 1928 Bridgeport Thompson(an original shooter grade Thompson in very good condition) from Gunbroker 4 years ago for $19,000. I had done my due diligence by reading Frank Innamico's book American Thunder and looking through all the great information posted on this site for months beforehand. And I picked up a 1917 Colt 1911(also completely original and in very good condition)off Gunbroker for $1600 after similar research on the 1911 Forum. If not for Gunbroker, it would have been very difficult to find and purchase these firearms. If one is a dumbass and bids on something based only on the Gunbroker item description(and having NO clue to the items actual worth), well, then, one is a dumbass. It is hardly the fault of Gunbroker....

[Got Uzi]

GunBroker from 4 years ago to now isn’t the same…..it’s completely different on how it used to be. Shill bidders and scammers have ruined a once good thing. 

[komodoj]

2 hours ago, Got Uzi said:

GunBroker from 4 years ago to now isn’t the same…..it’s completely different on how it used to be. Shill bidders and scammers have ruined a once good thing. 

I agree 💯!!!! 

[Chief762]

When I mentioned, politely, that the gun was a bit overpriced, they got mad at me. Hmmm. I guess I'll pass.

[signal_4]

I wonder if GB would investigate suspected shill bidding if contacted by a person. For instance, one time I had been looking at a Thompson parts set with several extras. The entire time of the auction, like 6 days, there had been no interest at all. I had also been in contact with the seller. About 15 1/2 minutes before the auction ends I become the first bidder. At about 2 mins before the auction ends another bidder jumps in and outbids me to reset the 15 min rule. I was like, ya right, GFYM fella. I never saw any feed back from that buyer on the sellers stats either. In fact on a lot of the items that I suspect are shill bid, I never see any feedback on that item. Same thing with some PPSH41  stuff that I've been looking at. The items always gets randomly bid up to around a certain price and then sells with no feedback.  I get that sometimes  people just move on and don't leave feedback, these are just my observations.

Edited October 27, 2022 by signal_4

[Got Uzi]

GB doesn’t care about the shill bidder situation as they are getting money off them. 

[StrangeRanger]

It's not just Thompsons. This is one of the stupidest prices ever.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/953322733

$22K for an Uzi bolt gun in a crappy Chinese host?  Really?  There are registered receiver guns built on IMI hosts or Vectors available for inflated prices that are still less than this thing

[Got Uzi]

At these prices...my Fleming sear should be worth $350k....for that I'll even throw in some host guns....LOL

[Got Uzi]

Oh and FYI......Gunbroker will now be charging even higher sellers fees.  Got an email notification on that a littel bit ago.....Yep gotta love it, shit service, shill bidding, and charge more for you to deal with it.

[Doug Quaid]

On 10/3/2022 at 9:19 AM, Maxim said:

With the riveted grip mount, should it not have a reinforcing band at the front of the horizontal grip?

I put one on mine.   I found an original NOS USGI one on ebay.  

There is no reason to not put one on an M1A1, IMHO.  It improves the gun a LOT from a functional standpoint.

Edited October 30, 2022 by Doug Quaid

[Doug Quaid]

On 10/4/2022 at 9:48 AM, Motorcar said:

$230,000 story, $29,000 gun.

 

Oh, my family Marine Corps officer sword hangs over my desk, he did 26 months in the Pacific first wave landings on the islands. It's not a religion, it's honoring the finest man I knew and carry his blood in my veins.

It's not even a good story this time.

Usually, a BS gun story involves claiming that the Luger (or whatever) is a battlefield bring-back with some colorful anecdote, like it was "taken from a dead German general."    The rust freckles must have come from....  THE GENERAL'S BLOOD!   

But actually what happened in that the Luger (or whatever) was purchased by grandpa in a pawn shop in Boise, Idaho for $15 in 1955.    And then it sat in his top dresser drawer for 40 years.   

In this case, the magnificent, wonderful, amazing gun story is that it was a OWNED by a WWII vet, who amnesty registered in 1969.   They're not claiming that it was a bring-back, they leave it sort of ambiguous.   It's inferred that it was a bring-back, but they don't actually say so.

Apparently, the seller thinks that the fact that a WWII vet merely owned it makes the gun worth 10x as much as usual.

Pretty dumb stuff.

As always, buy the gun, not the story.   

The guy says that it was "refinished in the original US grade Parkerized finish"  and "a new front sight band was laser aligned, drilled and pinned in place."

Holy schnickeys!   Fancy stuff!    Imagine that!   A refinished gun with a new barrel and front sight!!   WOWSERS!