Did the craze affect SKS's?

[YoungGunLover]

So I was driving through a couple towns today and stopped at the LGS's. both had a an sks for sale. Don't know brand ect of either but the first one had aftermarket furniture on it and the stock had a thumb hole grip. Guy said he would take 500 no tax for it. Also had a scope and detachable 30 round mag. The second store in a different store had one with wood furniture. Wanted 599 with 100 rounds of ammo. I'm thinking these guys are just gouging but just wanted opinions. I didn't think SKS's really got hit in this craze but maybe I'm wrong.

 

[MML]

In NWI GM and Cabelas both have at least 10 AK's and SKS's ea along with a dozen or more AR's. LGS's also have a good selection of both not sure of the pricing though.

 

[mrjarrell]

There's no such thing as "price gouging". They are charging what they want for it in a sellers market. Do I think the price is high? Yep. That's why I won't buy one at that price point. I'll wait till prices come down or do without. I don't need an SKS right now. Kicking myself for not buying one when they were going for around $100.

 

[Trigger Time]

Yep WAY to high. $300 is the max I'd pay for a regular sks and it would have to be all original in great shape with matching numbers.
I'd pay more for a paratrooper but it has to be the same as above condition.

Screw all the aftermarket stock crap. That lowers the price for me

 

[BogWalker]

Yeah prices jumped up considerably. Just wait a bit they'll go back down. Aftermarket stocks do lower the value for most people.

 

[remauto1187]

No more SKS's are coming into the U.S. The prices started going up on the SKS around 2007/8. Good luck finding an unissued one without shelling out 4 4 or 5 hundred dollar bills...easily. All those you see around sporterized were most likely ones that came into country with busted stocks. They were cheap in 2006/7. Could get one for $80 like that all dat long then. Whats left out there that has never been sold to an individual are drying up fairly fast. I picked up my Yugo Unissued SKS in a Oklahoma City gun show for $130 in 2006. A used SKS will get $200-300 all day long(depending on country of manufacture)...check what they are going for on gunbroker! The Norinco Chinese ones use to be real cheap...not even those are under $200 from what i have been seeing on completed sales.(in halfway decent condition).

 

[LD36]

Yep WAY to high. $300 is the max I'd pay for a regular sks and it would have to be all original in great shape with matching numbers.
I'd pay more for a paratrooper but it has to be the same as above condition.

Screw all the aftermarket stock crap. That lowers the price for me

Couldn't agree with you more! Nothing better than a traditional SKS... my only exception is the Timbersmith Stocks. Those are NICE!

 

[gunman41mag]

I won't pay more than $225

 

[pudly]

Pre-Newtown, $300 was a good price for a quality SKS with up to $400 for rarer models. You could find them everywhere for $225-250 for rougher, but very usable models.

I'm not sure we'll ever get back to those levels.

 

[BogWalker]

Pre-Newtown, $300 was a good price for a quality SKS with up to $400 for rarer models. You could find them everywhere for $225-250 for rougher, but very usable models.

I'm not sure we'll ever get back to those levels.

I could see them dropping down to the $300-$350 range again with $500 for the upper end. Right now people want $400-$500 for anything!

 

[modeltman1]

No more SKS's are coming into the U.S. The prices started going up on the SKS around 2007/8. Good luck finding an unissued one without shelling out 4 4 or 5 hundred dollar bills...easily. All those you see around sporterized were most likely ones that came into country with busted stocks. They were cheap in 2006/7. Could get one for $80 like that all dat long then. Whats left out there that has never been sold to an individual are drying up fairly fast. I picked up my Yugo Unissued SKS in a Oklahoma City gun show for $130 in 2006. A used SKS will get $200-300 all day long(depending on country of manufacture)...check what they are going for on gunbroker! The Norinco Chinese ones use to be real cheap...not even those are under $200 from what i have been seeing on completed sales.(in halfway decent condition).

This is pretty much true,although there was some crates of chi-coms that was imported in and people were buying them 5-10 at a time for 350 to $400 and they looked like they were drugged behind a pickup with cracked stocks and no blueing. Alot of them were sent back.
Seen one in a LGS not to long ago in rough condition-$500,told the counter guy I can buy a russian for that price-He said "Oh I will sell it,it might sit for a little bit but it will sell". Not too long ago mosins were selling for $70 to $90 around here,now $125 to $150

 

[Jerchap2]

Yep WAY to high. $300 is the max I'd pay for a regular sks and it would have to be all original in great shape with matching numbers.
I'd pay more for a paratrooper but it has to be the same as above condition.

Screw all the aftermarket stock crap. That lowers the price for me

Agreed. Makes sense.

 

[GarandTeed]

I was at one of the Elkhart gun shows this year looking at a Yugoslav SKS with a poly stock set listed for $925. I picked it up just to feel what it was like to hold a $900 SKS.

Just as I started to put it down while chuckling, a guy walked up next to me and asked if I was gonna buy that? I said nope, have at it. Much to my amazement, he bought it without the slightest attempt of negotiation! Awesome!

 

[ultrabob]

I have one i bought way back $119 i did trick it out but nothing i cant put back to original no cutting as for price i am seeing some for around 350 but most are higher hope they will come down would like to have another but not at these prices

 

[Shoots4Fun]

Yeah prices jumped up considerably.

They were definitely also affected...I also agree that they're going back down now or soon...

 

[MordecuS]

They are fantastic guns but not worth $500. Here's hoping things calm down a bit and the pricing comes back down to Earth. The LGS I frequent gets them in on occasion and they are usually priced between $400 and $450. They never last long. The people willing to pay that much are out there, hence the pricing, but I hope (I think we all do) that prices return to as close to "normal" as possible.

 

[brownhornet]

They had a couple of Yugo's at Midwest the other week and they wanted $600 a piece for them. They looked pretty banged up to me, I wouldn't pay that price for them.

 

[Sniper 79]

I recently flipped a Yugo still wrapped in the cosmoline. I picked it up for two hundred, unwrapped it, cleaned it, fired the living crap out of it, sold it for three. I saw the guy at the gun show with it for five! I wouldnt pay over three for one and it would have to be cherry with all the stuff to go with it including matching numbers.

 

[88E30M50]

Where are you guys finding sub $300 SKSs? Even back before the craze, you would be lucky to find one under $300. Our favorite gun shop, Bradis, charges more than that when they can get one. From what I've seen, it looks like a decent SKS is going for $350 to $450 now days. They seem to be selling at those prices too, not just sitting on a shelf with a dusty high price tag.

The last SKS I bought for less than $300 (got it for $289) was several years ago. That one was a paratrooper that looked like it was drug to the gun shop behind the seller's truck. The days of $225 SKSs are behind us I think.

 

[Bluedragon]

Based on prices for SKS around where I live they have seem to be selling for about the same before the panic buying..however I did notice like everything else on armslist they went up for a time. One seller actually tried to pass his SKS off as an AK because it had a detachable 30 round magazine with a ATI folding stock.