The real regrettable decision...

[awshoot]

Bitcoin. I had briefly considered it and thought it was scam. Yet, even $100, a frivolous amount, back in 2010, would have made me a multi-millionaire if not sold impulsively on ups. ...

Same but worse. I have an old laptop with the mining software on it from around the time it was first released. I set it up and let it run for a few hours, then never bothered again. I was this || frelling close to being a gazillionaire but at the time, you spent more in electricity than the coins were worth and it did seem sort of slimy or tulipy -- still does, but I would love to be that slimy with the hindsight I have.

 

[jbett98]

A guy I knew 40 years ago needed $200.00 and his collateral for the loan was an M2 carbine in very good condition.
He told me it was from an uncle who fought in the Korean War and the issue of a tax stamp never came up, and I wouldn't have known what that was back then and probably wouldn't have cared, as it was so cool to shoot.
I didn't have the cash on me, so he took it to a pawn shop.

 

[gmerkt]

Never go to a gun show with no money. That's bound to be the show were you find all kinds of stuff you want. One memorable time about 30 years ago, I went to a WAC show. Guy had a Mauser 98, Mauser banner on the receiver, dated 1933, stock marked DRP. Nice shape, $250. This was one of a small early batch of rifles made for the German Post Office Postschutz, their own protective force. Probably worth a lot more now.

In 1968, my dad and I drove about 75 miles out to a warehouse in the desert. It was full of cars that a guy was selling out due to ill health. Most were old Lincolns dating from 1930 to 1939. The big ones. There was one Pierce Arrow that I remember. One car we would liked to have had was a 1936 Lincoln Model K, beautiful condition, low miles, engine had been overhauled in 1944 but only driven 2,000 miles since. $2,000. We just didn't have the money in 1968.

One thing you have to remember, the value of money is changing all the time. It's becoming less valuable. And was more valuable in times gone past.

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a batch of old gun catalogs on ebay. There were seven in the lot. Things like Flayderman & Co.; Museum of Historical Arms in Florida; Martin B. Retting, stuff like that. They are a wealth of information, but it makes you cry to see the prices back in the 1950's. If ever you've gotten the feeling of being born too late, it can be confirmed by looking at one of these catalogs. I used to buy stuff from Martin Retting in the 1960's and prices were still low then.

Letting my stepdad talk me out of buying mosins when they were 80 bucks at big 5.

I don't get the prices of those now. They aren't rare. They aren't the most desireable milsurp rifle ever made. As a piece of firearm machinery, they aren't particularly impressive. Bore sizes are all over the place on the older ones. Maybe because at one time they were inexpensive, demand was high. Once the price got into the hundreds, are they still as hot selling? Maybe people like them because there is plenty of cheap Russian ammo to be had.

Bitcoin. I had briefly considered it and thought it was scam.

The story isn't over yet. The few who bought early and cashed out did well. Most of them probably regret not having held on longer. Those who have bought in the big numbers may have different feelings and may be nervous. The people who've invested massively in mining operations, they've had mixed feelings.

You could say the same thing about all fiat currencies issued by governments around the world but Bitcoin isn't real. Because it may take a lot of electricity to create new Bitcoin, that act doesn't impart value to it. You could run a lot of lumber through a saw using a lot of electricity, but the resulting sawdust doesn't become valuable. There are a bunch of digitial currencies around now, it will be interesting to see how the story ends.

 

[ferret427]

Back in 2009, I had the opportunity to buy a Mac-11 in great shape for $2,900. I passed and now the Macs going for more than twice that. In general, I wish I would have gotten into the machine-gun game earlier.

As to selling one; nothing really comes to mind. I dump a piece if they are junk or they're good, but I've lost interest. Ergo, no real regrets.

In the early 90s, in Los Angeles gun store they were going for under $800. I bought a Mak90 for $160 NIB

 

[CountryGent]

In the early 90s, in Los Angeles gun store they were going for under $800. I bought a Mak90 for $160 NIB

I believe it. The 1996 book Machine Gun: Buyers Guide and Owners Manual by the NFA expert Frank Iannamico listed them under a grand, though I don't have the exact figure in front of me at the present. (I just dropped seven Gs on a LNIB Mac-10. Damn you Hughes Amendment. Oh well, "Bidibodi Bidibu" teehee.)

 

[Kruel J]

A case of 10 SKS's for $500.

 

[jbett98]

Registered S.W.D., Inc. Auto Connector Lightning Links were priced little more then a tax stamp back in the early 80's and now they're selling for more then $15,000.
Less the 900 made.

 

[Member 34319]

A case of 10 SKS's for $500.

Damn that's a deal. Now that's what just one sells for.

 

[Kruel J]

Damn that's a deal. Now that's what just one sells for.

Yeah. Tell me about it.

 

[Member 5605]

That time when I was going to buy two crates of Mosins at less than $100 each.

 

[CountryGent]

A case of 10 SKS's for $500.

Holy crap. I remember the era of $80-ish SKSs. That was a steal. (Not that I'm into them that much, but I did have one back in the 90s, and it was fun, but, wow, on that deal. )

That time when I was going to buy two crates of Mosins at less than $100 each.

I remember buying a M44, Hungarian built, Mosin for about $75 in around 1998. Couldn't pull off minute of broadside of barn with that thing accuracy wise, but it did double as a flare-gun. Dumped it, along with several other guns, after a bad breakup with the woman I was with at that time. But, I digress.

 

[Kruel J]

Shoot, I'd still be cleaning off cosmoline if I'd done it.

 

[ferret427]

I believe it. The 1996 book Machine Gun: Buyers Guide and Owners Manual by the NFA expert Frank Iannamico listed them under a grand, though I don't have the exact figure in front of me at the present. (I just dropped seven Gs on a LNIB Mac-10. Damn you Hughes Amendment. Oh well, "Bidibodi Bidibu" teehee.)

At the same time you could get a Mac in Cali for $800, I heard that in certain places in South America and Africa they were about $7, and an AR was $15.

No idea if true, but the I have been told that the Ingram/Cobrays we're designed with being able to sell to underfunded revolutionary groups who could absorb the cost of an open bolt, rubber bumper recoil SMG made on the cheap when they had to be able to equip groups and could be ditched/left behind if needed and were easy to service in primitive conditions.

I have shot a full auto Cobray 11 with supressor that was typically supplied, and it was fine at close distance. The trigger was not great, but you could control from 2-4 shots a pull, and the recoil on a mag dump was not hard to keep 28 rounds center of mass at 7 yards.

 

[clearconscience]

Not buying a Beretta Billenium when I saw one in a shop about 20 years ago for $1000

And of course AKs back when they were $350 all day long and ammo was dirt cheap.

 

[Member 34319]

I remember buying 7.62x39 for my SKS back in the day for $2 a box of 20 rounds. Used to get 40-50 dollars worth at a time.

Should of bought cases of that stuff then.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I was at a black powder gun show a few years back and spotted a for real not replica or reproduction Colt 1861 Special Rifled Musket for $300....Looked to be good sound shape for shooting or collecting.
I had the money...but for some reason I did not buy it...Not one of my smartest decisions....
Andy

 

[PrDubi]

I got one of those Chinese SKS-D models that I had to give up in California.

Got it for 49.95 plus taxes and Cali DOJ gave me 225 for it.

 

[Knebel]

I got one of those Chinese SKS-D models that I had to give up in California.

Got it for 49.95 plus taxes and Cali DOJ gave me 225 for it.

Thats a good deal... except now a warloard on the ivory coast is shooting children with it

...those guns get "destroyed" the same way all the AKs after the fall if the soviet union and the DDR. My dad told me recently "oh back in the day all their weapons got destroyed". Yep (showed him my hungarian AK).

 

[PrDubi]

Guns in California were just cut up.
I've encountered many cut up AKs being sold in Nevada and Arizona that came from California.