Poll: Is the surplus market dead?

[CountryGent]

There was an interesting question posed on the most recent Forgotten Weapons Q&A video: "Is the surplus market dead?" The segment can be seen here:

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[Andy54Hawken]

I'd say not dead....but not like it was "Back in the day"...so to speak.

We had dealer at our local shows....didn't sell firearms...but he had knives , bayonets , cleaning gear , patches and the like...all those cool items to round out your surplus rifle with.
The best things that he had were small sized jackets , caps and hats...he sold those cheap...Just so the son or daughter that went to the show with mom or dad...could afford to buy something too...
Andy

 

[CountryGent]

Yeah, I voted for the second one too. It is nothing like it was decades ago, but there are some neat-o things that turn up. As the fellow from Arizona pointed out, any select-fire foreign arm will never be sold to American collectors, except in cut-up parts kit form, so that limits what is available.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Kinda!
What's really crazy is the really OLD stuff is suddenly becoming available again! Not "Surplus" per say, but collector arms from before "Surplus" was even a thing! Even more crazy is a lot of that stuff is area or region specific, as in certain calibers and or configurations from certain areas are turning up for sale now, stuff that has up until now NEVER been available, or at reasonable prices until now!
Anything Colt is a good gauge of this trend, especially my most beloved Revolving Rifles, in the past, these were as rare as unicorns and damn near unobtanium, those who had them wouldn't part with them at any price, and you just didn't see them available, despite Colt making over 6 million of them in a 8 year stretch! All of a sudden, they are now available in increasing numbers, and some are even reasonable enough to consider adding to the collection!
Another one I see more of are the Springfield Trap Doors available again, at reasonable prices! Found a Spencer Carbine recently, and may have to bring that one home soon, another one that has been VERY hard to find and even worse, to afford!

 

[Aero Denezol]

Reportedly there are stockpiles of M1 carbines in South Korea and truckloads of Russian SKS and Chinese AKs that could be imported but for political BS.

The Enfields,the K98s and all that stuff is long gone. Never again will be affordable or readily available.

 

[Aero Denezol]

On the bright side they are going to surplus the M9 Berettas.

Or you can buy a new one for 500 bucks LOL

 

[Knobgoblin]

It's just a different world.
No more massive mobilizations of traditional, infantry heavy armies. Now it's tech heavy for the big boys, and insurgencies for the rest. Small arms are used up and discarded, or left behind with local friendlies. ComBloc surplus was the catch o the day when I was a youngster. $90 sks by the crate load, maks , toks, the fugly but beautiful cz 52 . All plentiful and reasonably priced.
And the ammo. Oh how I miss pallets of cheap import ammo.
That was really "inventory surplus to need " , which is why we probably won't see it raining rifles and ammo ever again. The cold war had both sides stackin everything deep .
Not sure about the real C&R stuff I saw mentioned above.

 

[User 1234]

Definitely not dead. Midway just posted thousands of M1 carbines and they sold out within 8 hours at over a grand each. CMP sold out of service grade Garands. There is definitely demand. SVT-40's are now over 2 grand. Enfields are $600 and up.

 

[billdeserthills]

How can it be dead, Firearms News came out with a special article on SARCO this month

 

[Mikej]

It's just a different world.
No more massive mobilizations of traditional, infantry heavy armies. Now it's tech heavy for the big boys, and insurgencies for the rest. Small arms are used up and discarded, or left behind with local friendlies. ComBloc surplus was the catch o the day when I was a youngster. $90 sks by the crate load, maks , toks, the fugly but beautiful cz 52 . All plentiful and reasonably priced.
And the ammo. Oh how I miss pallets of cheap import ammo.
That was really "inventory surplus to need " , which is why we probably won't see it raining rifles and ammo ever again. The cold war had both sides stackin everything deep .
Not sure about the real C&R stuff I saw mentioned above.

I first got into firearms around 2010. I never thought about gun shows. My boy was into guns and I never knew until I told him of the guns I got from Dad. He took me to a show at the EXPO center. Boy, that was fun!! I remember seeing one of those crates that held twenty or more rifles. Still all covered in cosmoline! I wish I knew then what I do now! At that time I saw NO reason to have anything but hand guns. I never say "Never" now.

 

[Member 34319]

Dead. The surplus days are long gone. Today's market is not the same, no real big wars, no need to off load stuff for cheap when it can be sold to someone somewhere for $$$$. I read something awhile back about how the military got wise to how they sell their extra stuff. Instead of selling it to companies here in the states for pennies on the dollar, they can sell it to nations in need of military gear for slightly reduced costs. Second hand military gear can fetch a good price for countries that are desperate enough for the gear.

The only sort of surplus we see anymore is contract stuff from companies that can't do as our military (government). IE it isn't worth the extra red tape to offload the stuff to another country that will pay top dollar for the gear since the government decided they no longer wish to fulfill the contract. Or the company had overrun the contract. So marketing takes over, now instead of it being extra, which usually meant it would be inexpensive, it is exclusive due to limited amounts. Market it right and you'll get yahoo's that will pay large percentage's over what it cost to produce, simply to own one. Think about all the pistols that were made to compete for the next military contract we saw only a few years ago. There were all sorts of "special editions" or "limited series" marketed. Which isn't exactly the truth, since they were just a military contract that failed and they needed to have X amount ready to ship if picked the winner of the trials. So for that the tan Glock 45 is $700-$1000 now since they only made so many. Certain Sig models are $$$$$ because they didn't work for the government, but citizens will pay a ton for the collector value. M1 carbines sitting in crates over seas will sell for $$$$$ because gun owners will be convinced via marketing they are rare and demand a higher price.

Marketing…

 

[Mikej]

Dead. The surplus days are long gone. Today's market is not the same, no real big wars, no need to off load stuff for cheap when it can be sold to someone somewhere for $$$$. I read something awhile back about how the military got wise to how they sell their extra stuff. Instead of selling it to companies here in the states for pennies on the dollar, they can sell it to nations in need of military gear for slightly reduced costs. Second hand military gear can fetch a good price for countries that are desperate enough for the gear.

The only sort of surplus we see anymore is contract stuff from companies that can't do as our military (government). IE it isn't worth the extra red tape to offload the stuff to another country that will pay top dollar for the gear since the government decided they no longer wish to fulfill the contract. Or the company had overrun the contract. So marketing takes over, now instead of it being extra, which usually meant it would be inexpensive, it is exclusive due to limited amounts. Market it right and you'll get yahoo's that will pay large percentage's over what it cost to produce, simply to own one. Think about all the pistols that were made to compete for the next military contract we saw only a few years ago. There were all sorts of "special editions" or "limited series" marketed. Which isn't exactly the truth, since they were just a military contract that failed and they needed to have X amount ready to ship if picked the winner of the trials. So for that the tan Glock 45 is $700-$1000 now since they only made so many. Certain Sig models are $$$$$ because they didn't work for the government, but citizens will pay a ton for the collector value. M1 carbines sitting in crates over seas will sell for $$$$$ because gun owners will be convinced via marketing they are rare and demand a higher price.

Marketing…

This ^^ is why they'll have to pry the 1902 Swedish Mauser, 1918 Lee Enfield and 1943 M1 Garand from my cold dead hands!

 

[Hueco]

Definitely not dead. Midway just posted thousands of M1 carbines and they sold out within 8 hours at over a grand each. CMP sold out of service grade Garands. There is definitely demand. SVT-40's are now over 2 grand. Enfields are $600 and up.

At those prices, I'm going to say you and I have very different definitions of the word "surplus".

 

[nwslopoke]

The main point of the surplus market is dead. Cheaper than the commercial market. Once Mosins' cost more than a new Savage or Ruger, what's the point? Unless you are a collector. Even old cop guns. I like the S&W 5900 series, but only for collecting. So many better guns made in last 30 years for same price.

 

[Nick78]

On the bright side they are going to surplus the M9 Berettas.

Or you can buy a new one for 500 bucks LOL

Couldn't pay me enough to buy an M-9!

 

[GOG]

Yup, when Salem decreed whatever that bill number was "LAW", my C&R was rendered invalid. Because those bastiges can get away with it.

The end of most of the decent milsurp was ushered in by the Kenyan Usurper.

Anybody remember Radway Green?

 

[308]

Yup, when Salem decreed whatever that bill number was "LAW", my C&R was rendered invalid. Because those bastiges can get away with it.

The end of most of the decent milsurp was ushered in by the Kenyan Usurper.

Anybody remember Radway Green?

Exactly. I used to have a blast with my 03FFL ordering several of a type, keeping the best example and sending the rest down the road in a completely legal fashion according to the rules and guidelines of 03FFL holders

 

[Hal OPeridol]

I'd say not dead....but not like it was "Back in the day"...so to speak.

We had dealer at our local shows....didn't sell firearms...but he had knives , bayonets , cleaning gear , patches and the like...all those cool items to round out your surplus rifle with.
The best things that he had were small sized jackets , caps and hats...he sold those cheap...Just so the son or daughter that went to the show with mom or dad...could afford to buy something too...
Andy

Andy, he's still around and has stuff, but does not do shows since Vicky died. Doesn't like the new guy.

 

[Stomper]

Dead. The surplus days are long gone. Today's market is not the same, no real big wars, no need to off load stuff for cheap when it can be sold to someone somewhere for $$$$. I read something awhile back about how the military got wise to how they sell their extra stuff. Instead of selling it to companies here in the states for pennies on the dollar, they can sell it to nations in need of military gear for slightly reduced costs. Second hand military gear can fetch a good price for countries that are desperate enough for the gear.

The only sort of surplus we see anymore is contract stuff from companies that can't do as our military (government). IE it isn't worth the extra red tape to offload the stuff to another country that will pay top dollar for the gear since the government decided they no longer wish to fulfill the contract. Or the company had overrun the contract. So marketing takes over, now instead of it being extra, which usually meant it would be inexpensive, it is exclusive due to limited amounts. Market it right and you'll get yahoo's that will pay large percentage's over what it cost to produce, simply to own one. Think about all the pistols that were made to compete for the next military contract we saw only a few years ago. There were all sorts of "special editions" or "limited series" marketed. Which isn't exactly the truth, since they were just a military contract that failed and they needed to have X amount ready to ship if picked the winner of the trials. So for that the tan Glock 45 is $700-$1000 now since they only made so many. Certain Sig models are $$$$$ because they didn't work for the government, but citizens will pay a ton for the collector value. M1 carbines sitting in crates over seas will sell for $$$$$ because gun owners will be convinced via marketing they are rare and demand a higher price.

Marketing…

The "worth" of ANYTHING (from from coffee to a Lamborghini) is only what someone is willing to pay…. Marketing is the artistic application of PSYOPS.

 

[DirectDrive]

Not dead, it's cyclic and it's changed.
We are not coming out of a giant World War anymore.
Instead of a boxcar full of goods, it's now a crate or two.
Mega quantities of anything are long gone.

Mausers are gone.
Springfields are gone.
M1 are gone.

Mosins are around but over-valued.
SKS are around.
Some Euro pistol trade-ins are around.

AK collector's market is hot.
Try buying a NOS Bakelite mag or a NOS Waffle mag.
Or a pre-ban AK 47 rifle.

The old school, cheap surplus comes in smaller lots and sells out fast.