Values of old cartridges
Are there any books or sources for pricing singles and/or boxes of old cartridges? The time has come to start cleaning out the cupboards. And I know I can always list them on the auction side and "let the market determine the value" as is often stated, but I'd like to know ahead of time approximately what I've got.
Thanks
yooper
Thanks
yooper
0
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There are lists of cartridge prices that can give you a general idea, but most of them are out of date, especially in today,s frenzy of ammo buying. The International Ammunition Association (IAA) Journal publishes the lists, but you'd have to buy several back issues to get them all.
In the end, your best bet is to watch the various auction sites. The price that a cartridge actually sells for is the best indication of value.
Just keep in mind that not all cartridges are collectable. Even some that are very old will be worth very little.
Good Luck.0 -
Ray Giles & Dan Shuey's book "One Hundred Years of Winchester Cartridge Boxes 1856 -1956" is a great reference. 0 -
Hi,
There is no "Blue Book" for cartridge prices or values.
The International Ammunition Association posts a price list based on the most recent prices paid at auction for a variety of cartridges. The list is compiled and printed in the Journal of the IAA with the permission of the World Wide Gun Report. The World Wide Gun Report, Aledo, IL is the organization who assembles and prepares the list. One of the problems of the list is that if a truly very rare or scarce item hasn't sold at auction recently there is no basis for a price recommendation and the item isn't listed. This holds true for most scarce and rare specimens.
This price list is a shock to many of the people who believe they have valuable, rare, or scarce cartridges for sale (which are really neither valuable, rare, or scarce) because the recommended prices are lower than perceived by the seller. Many members of the IAA will not purchase cartridges unless they are close to pricing of the list published by the IAA.
Candidly, there is a lot of ignorance about cartridge values and most of the prices are inflated if not outright fraud. Not saying most sellers do this or accusing anyone of any wrong-doing, but it pays when pricing a cartridge to have knowledge about it other than it is 100 years old or obsolete.
There was guy on this website who was actually selling common military headstamped 45 ACP ammo as rare Nazi paratrooper ammunition. He knew it wasn't Nazi ammunition but he was determined to represent it as such (fraud). I also remember finding an auction on this website for a rare FA 1911 45 ACP cartridge which is neither rare, scarce, nor valuable. Because a cartridge is old and has a date which coincides with the Government Model 1911 pistol does not necessarily mean it is valuable (not knowledgeable).
The message here is caveat emptor - "let the buyer be aware" and also let the seller be aware. A seller needs to use some common sense if pricing items for auction based on known values as well as history and production history. A price is not justified based on the seller's perception of the specimen's value. Consult some of the closed cartridge auctions posted on other websites like auction results from St Louis International Cartridge Show (SLICS), Ward's Auctions,PDBullets.com or at the www.colcartridge.com for assistance.
Good luck selling your cartridges,
Heavyiron0 -
another thing to consider is shipping cost........say you have one .45/70 shot cartridge worth $5, how are you going to sell it when shipping will run almost $10. 0 -
John, just send me all the O'Conner and 275 H&H stuff. [:D][:D] 0 -
Done Doug.[:)] And thanks to all the responders for the helpful suggestions.
the yooper0
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