H&R sold for $900

[vanagon40]

Wow,

I realize it has a 12 inch barrel, convertible cylinder, and original box, but $900?

GunBroker Auction H&R 686

 

[dampoo]

There were 72 bids mostly by two bidders. One of them thinks he got a bargain.
Some people think $900 is pocket change.

 

[Onward Allusion]

Yeah, I was watching that auction, too. When bidding got into the $500's, I was a little surprised. When it sold for $907, I was shocked. It's definitely a collector's piece, but $907 for a H&R from 1980???! Hell, it isn't even the 10" model!!!

 

[bannockburn]

Wow, that must have been quite some bidding war as Blue Book value on a Model 686 with a 12" barrel is much closer to being less than half of what the winning bid was.

 

[CajunBass]

That's what it was worth to the person who won the auction. Simple as that.

 

[PabloJ]

Many people with lots of money are surprisingly ignorant (having plenty of everything w/o having to earn it breeds stupidity). I had one H&R revolver and would NEVER buy another. I would gladly buy another S&W, Ruger, or Colt.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Those guns have a following. Niche followings are not to be underestimated.

 

[PabloJ]

Those guns have a following. Niche followings are not to be underestimated.

I can see paying something over $250 top-break centerfire H&R but not the .22lr. Cognac is good people are nuts.

 

[Kiln]

For uncommon guns some collectors are willing to pay a premium. It doesn't hurt that the gun is in the box in like new condition either.

 

[gp911]

Bidding wars make the gotta-have-it feeling increase greatly. I try to have a top number in mind, let it stretch a leeeeetle bit if I really want the item badly, then I gotta walk away or I know I'll regret the short term thrill of winning the auction. For $900 I I can think of a lot more desirable firearms, but I hope the buyer loves it, hugs it, & calls it George. Good for them if they wanted it that badly.

 

[Cosmoline]

Some H&R fiend no doubt had that spot on his wall to fill. It's a lot but not insane.

 

[dagger dog]

If you want to play you gotta pay!

Buyer must have watched a lot of "Life and Times of Wyatt Earp" episodes and believed the BS about Ned Buntline and his special.

But if I had the bucks I'd probably buy something someone else would think was not worth the price.

 

[Pointshoot]

Seems outrageous to me, but I don't know a gnats worth about H&Rs, so couldnt say either way.

There are likely many thousands of special collector niches for guns (and other collectibles). The opportunities are in knowing something the other guy doesn't, and picking up a bargain that way.
I recently bought a rifle. I won't go into the particulars because this is the revolver forum, afterall. I found it in a gunshop and was able to buy it for about $50 more than what the commonly found version goes for. Some would say I 'paid too much', but the rifle is a version which collectors very typically pay twice as much as I did. I'm really much more of a shooter than a collector, but I sure don't mind picking up something that I can later sell for a lot more than what I paid.
Maybe the guy who paid $900 for the H&R got carried away, or is a fool, or has money to burn and doesnt care . . but then again, maybe he's a very saavy collector that jumped on an opportunity. I, personally, don't know enough to say and aren't interested enough in H&R revolvers to find out. (Theyre not my particular niche.)

 

[bobinoregon]

When I was a kid you could buy a real shooting cowboy pistol from ads in the back of comic books. The Western Haig sold for the princely sum of $3, which I never seemed to have. Forty years later I bought that plastic pistol that shoots a number 6 shotgun pellet powered by capgun caps. Seems like I paid around $65 for that gun I couldnt afford back then. Point being, somebody is most likely filling in a blank from their past.

 

[buck460XVR]

Many of the prices being paid right now on Gunbroker seem unreal to me, but they must be acceptable to somebody. Sure wish I had that money burnin' a hole in my pocket.......

 

[MedWheeler]

I saw one at a gun show yesterday marked at like $400, and it wasn't a foot-longer. Also didn't have any other cylinders.

Can't remember if it was at the same table that had a Hi-Point 45 "new in box with two magazines" for $595.

 

[Jaymo]

Somebody must have REALLY wanted that one.
Have you seen what the Ruger 10/22 Magnum sells for? $800.00 for good condition used isn't uncommon.
I bought mine, new, in 2001(I think.) It's the early single extractor version. My wife just had to have it. We got it home and she decided she didn't want it anymore. She handed it to me and said, "It's yours, now".
It's still new in the box with 2 or 3 spare Ruger OEM mags and 2 or 3 25 round aftermarket mags.
I've thought about selling it, because people are paying idiotic prices for them.
I could drastically undercut any other sellers of NIB versions, and still triple my money.
People will pay stupid prices on auction sites.

For that much money, I'd have to get something that rhymes with Colt or smith & Wesson.
A really nice 38-44 Outdoorsman or maybe Official Police. Officer's Match, maybe.
Early M29?

 

[WCraven]

That ain't notting,, a Smith & Wesson model 547 3" RB with non-matching box sold for $35XX.xx