So my brother who knows almost nothing about guns calls me up. They have friend, female friend of his wife, who is moving back to China. She has a gun that she wants to sell. Her brother gave it to her when she moved over in 1994 to keep her safe.
So my brother brings it over to the house.
First thing I see it is a older Colt cardboard box. On the end of the box I can read Python.
Then I see the 6" marked on the box and the N for Nickel.
I was just handed a 1979 Colt Python 6" Nickel,
unfired in the box.

So would you buy it and how much would you offer.
I need to find a book value, no a Gunbroker
price.

My first pistol I ever purchased was a Colt Trooper MrkIII in Nickel

The bottom is going to fall out on the Python market with the release of the new one. I saw it happen to the Delta Elites a few years ago.

I would suggest using the retail price of the new one as a guide and offering accordingly. If a grand is agreeable to both parties, go for it.

quote:

Would you spend over a $1000 for pistol you might never shoot?

No.

Yes, I have spent that more than once, and probably will again. Given the opportunity to by another Python, I'd probably jump.

Oh, and just for reference, about 2 years ago I had a prewar S&W M1926 target handed to me. Not perfect, but much better than I deserved. He wanted me to sell him some grips. Then he balked at the $200 price tag. So I asked him if he'd sell it. I started at $2000 but quit at $3500, telling him (lying) that was all I had with me. He only hesitated for a few seconds and took it. We both went away happy. Well, me very happy. It doesn't meet the critera because I still plan on shooting it.

I handed it to David Carroll. I thought incorrectly that they'd made 80 some odd of them. He corrected me by saying no, only about 46. Condition was still great enough. Then the issue of it not having the right grips. I'm what you call decisive when I see a gun I just have to have. This was one. I found my grips from another vendor at the next gun show. Nearly perfect prewar magna's. Those cost me about $600 more. So that makes it $4100 for a gun I haven't shot.

I look at it differently than the OP here. I'd pay more for a gun I don't plan on shooting.

Hmmmm... If it was me, I would offer $750. They pocket the cash and you get the snake.
And then I would shoot it.

If the Python is your second best option for self defense and you are poor, no. If you already have good self defense guns and can afford to enjoy buying a representation of a time and place of american excellence, yes. Yes. And pay $1,000.00. Art is art.

quote:

Would you spend over a $1000 for pistol you might never shoot?  Login/Join  
bearstarr
Member
posted January 21, 2020 09:40 PM

In a heartbeat.

Yes I have and yes I would again for a mint Python.

Yes I have , and I would take that Colt in a heat beat .

Yes, I just bought one recently and will do so again.

Two of my grail guns are a King Cobra and an older Python. I got the King Cobra a few months ago and it's a 1993 bright stainless NIB. I can't bring myself to shoot it and paid over $1,000 for it and will do the same when I finally get the Python as well.

That would easily sell for 3500 around here.

Bob

It’s easily a $2500 gun from what I’ve seen. I wouldn’t buy one for that much (I’ve never been able to fall in love with the Pythons I’ve owned), but there are plenty of people who do.

If she is aware of the value of the gun and offers to sell it for a discounted price I think that’s nice of her. I would hope that my sister had enough sense to investigate values before getting taken advantage of.

Yes I have/would.

I'd make a realistic offer if I was interested. I'm not in the mindset of trying to rip someone off with a stupid low offer.

Obviously, they don't know much about guns and came to you for your knowledge/expertise. Dropping a stupid low offer in an attempt to rip them off just wouldn't sit well with me.

Tell them what your research shows it is worth, tell them new Pythons are on the market (thus having the possibility of reducing the future value), make them a real offer if you are interested.

It is a $3000+ gun.

If she is moving back to China, I doubt she would want to deal with trying to sell it outright, and would just sell it for a good offer.

Yes I have.

Multiple times.

Recently.

Yes sir.

Do it.

I'd sure as hell buy it for $1000.

Not me. Though I certainly can and do appreciate the art within such a mechanical device, that appreciation is not satisfying to me without use.

The same holds for cars, bikes, etc.

I wouldn't, even if it was a steal, unless I intended to flip it.

Then again: I probably wouldn't get that gun for $1,000 if it was worth $2,500 to $3,500, as some here are suggesting, being as I'd feel obligated to inform the owner of its true value.

If the owner stood on the $1,000, I'd buy it and flip it for its true value.

I would but it would have to be some historical piece like a WW1 1911 or something like that.

But more than likely I’d shoot it.