Purchased my first handgun today: 1960 East German Makarov

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Armchair Bronco

Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2009
Messages
227
Location
Seattle, WA
Today, I was the last man standing in an online auction for a minty 1960 East German Makarov with no import marks. The gun is a spotless 99%-er with a nice period black leather holster.

It also includes a magazine with an electro-pencil matching serial number.

I did my part to drive up the price for collectible EG Makarovs, but this gun was "THE ONE" and I had to have it.

It will NOT be a safe queen, either! If I had a muscle car from 1969, I would drive it, not keep it in the garage 24/7. This gun is no different: it will be a regular visitor to the local outdoor shooting range.

Can't wait to get started!

Here are some photos:

gunleft.jpg


gunwithcase.jpg
 
Nice gun. If you got it from Legacy Collectibles you overpaid for it.
 
PabloJ said:
Nice gun. If you got it from Legacy Collectibles you overpaid for it.
Click to expand...
Maybe so, but it was the auction itself that dictated the price, not the seller. There were several of us battling it out online for the right to own this specimen of East German engineering.

In any event, I didn't buy it as an investment. I bought it because, for me, it's the perfect representative of the Cold War and the Iron Curtain.
 
You've got a great piece, who cares what you paid. I have a '61 EG, works flawlessly and I love the simplicity.
 
I did my part to drive up the price for collectible EG Makarovs, but this gun was "THE ONE" and I had to have it.
Click to expand...

I'm glad you are happy with your purchase. I saw the auction, and the final bid was $842(!) Did it come with Viet Nam capture papers or anything to verify that this is more than just a commercially imported surplus pistol with the import mark accidentally omitted? I just paid less than $300 for an import-marked one in the same condition a couple of months back, and at least it came with an extra magazine. Far be it for me to tell you what to do with your money, but eight and a half bills is, let's just say, a bit steep for a non-capture Makarov without a validated martial history. We are both entitled to our clearly different opinions.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=320279325
 
It is nice but not brand new XDM nice. Still though if you're happy then congratulations. That is probably the best looking Mak I've ever seen.
 
The gun I have my heart set on is a Walther PPK in .22LR (with the box, papers, extra magazine, etc.) but those sell for $1400 to $1500. So the way I see it, I just saved $600!

Hey, I'm happy with the purchase, and I wasn't the only one bidding on the gun. It was an open, public auction, and the most recent auction for an EG Makarov with no import marks and matching serial numbers back in August went for around $750. That gun didn't even have the original black EG bakelite grip.

And since August, Obama has been re-elected, so that's worth another $100 at least!

Anyway, I funded the gun w/ poker winnings, so it's all good! :p

EDIT:

Here's a link to the other auction for a '62 EG Makarov w/ no import marks. It sold for $782 early in November 2012: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=315406573

"This is a near new East German, Cold War, Makarov from 1962. Comes with 2 magazines, cleaning rod and holster. Excellent rig and best of all it is not import marked. I was told Vet "bring back" but I have no documents to go with the gun. Just a super nice collectible Makarov. 9 X 18MM. Great shooter, but also an investment. Excellent bore."
 
Last edited:
A gun is worth whatever a collector is willing to pay. That establishes the price.

So many rude comments here! ("... a cheap surplus pistol"). THR doesn't usually have such people contribute.

Nothing like purchasing a gun that makes you happy Bronco and that pistol is a beauty.
 
Yeah guys, if he likes it and had the money, how helpful is it to him he overpaid?

I have no idea what the pistol is or isn't worth, but it looks sweet from here
 
I was fully expecting to have the "Price Police" weigh in on this purchase, and I wasn't disappointed!

Look, you don't need to read a book on game theory to know that when an auction is underway, bidders are motivated by the ACTUAL value of the object as well as by its INTRINSIC or SUBJECTIVE value.

Several years ago, I "overpaid" for a used a Ampeg Gemini I amp in mint condition from 1965. Why did I "foolishly" overpay? What motivated me? Well, I'd always wanted an Ampeg Gemini I. It was the brand of amp used on my favorite album of all time: "Over the Edge" by the Wipers. It was in flawless, mint condition -- only the original leather handle had been replaced with a period-correct modern piece. It looked awesome and sounded awesome when I played it. And it had that cool mid-1960's born on date, too!

I paid $750 for it, and on the guitar forums I was scolded left and right. "Dude, you WAY overpaid for that Ampeg. It's not worth more than $400." or "I would never have paid more than $400, maybe $450, for an Ampeg. What were you thinking?"

Well, 4 years later, the amp is still running strong, it looks great, it sounds great, and in all this time I've never seen another amp for sale that can hold a candle to my '65 Ampeg Gemini I in terms of fit and finish.

Show me another East German Makarov from 1960 in 99% condition with a matching magazine and NO import marks. Sure, you can say that the lack of import marks was a mistake, that this gun "fell through the cracks". But you don't KNOW that. We'll never know, will we?

What I do know is that I have the gun I want in the condition I want with the date and the mojo that I want. And best of all, it doesn't have "Bubba's Gun Shop, Reno, NV" stamped on the side of it! :)
 
North Bender said:
A gun is worth whatever a collector is willing to pay. That establishes the price.

So many rude comments here! ("... a cheap surplus pistol").
Click to expand...

++1

That old world Mak has more style and spirit than any XDM will ever have, period!

It appears that cold, hard steel has more value to this buyer than a few devalued paper bills and certainly more than some modern plastic that can purchased at any gun shop from coast to coast....For some no explanation is necessary and for others no explanation is possible.
 
Someone did say it.
Click to expand...

Okay, I didn't see that. Thought the quote was referring to me. Gonna delete my response.

To the OP. I disagree with your concept of value, but I can't disagree with your choice of gun. East German Maks are very nice.
 
Last edited:
Fastcast said:
++1

That old world Mak has more style and spirit than any XDM will ever have, period!

It appears that cold, hard steel has more value to this buyer than a few devalued paper bills and certainly more than some modern plastic that can purchased at any gun shop from coast to coast....For some no explanation is necessary and for others no explanation is possible.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your feedback! :D

I have a Bachelor's degree in "Central and Eastern European Studies" from the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1986, so I've always been drawn to objects from behind the Iron Curtain: books, pins, radios, and guns among other things. In 1983, I traveled independently through the Eastern Block, from East Germany to Czechoslovakia to Hungary to Romania and finishing up in Yugoslavia. 3 of those 5 countries no longer exist. All of them went through massive social upheavals in the 1980's and 1990's. Some of them even descended into civil war.

The Makarov was everywhere in this part of the world. It was ubiquitous, as was the AK-74. Folks forget that the Eastern Bloc was one HUGE police state, and nothing represents that more than my piece of "cold, hard steel" from East Germany.

After the wall came down in 1989, I moved to East Germany from Seattle and lived in East Berlin and Budapest for 3 years from 1990 to 1993. And the Makarov was still ubiquitous. Cops everywhere wore them as sidearms.

In my opinion, nothing represents "Winning the Cold War" more than owning this piece of hardware from East Germany and excercising my 2nd Amendment rights to go shoot it at my local range!
 
It's called intrinsic value....something beyond material or practical...Some will never understand it. :confused:
 
stanmo said:
I thought over paying was like $400-500, but $842! :confused: :eek: :what:
Click to expand...
From that source I thought the price would be well over $1000 (he has surplus Bulgarian for only $750) That price isn't really that unreasonable. This not being import-marked must have made trip in luggage compartment. Not sure if they sold these in West Germany like they sold CZ75s but Erich Honecker was charming in at least one way. He gave visiting dignitaries and diplomats practical gifts such as: sewing machines, knives, tools, guns...... Please note I'm introducing new term here 'luggage compartment gun'.
 
PabloJ said:
From that source I thought the price would be well over $1000 (he has surplus Bulgarian for only $750) That price isn't really that unreasonable. This not being import-marked must have made trip in luggage compartment. Not sure if they sold these in West Germany like they sold CZ75s but Erich Honecker was charming in at least one way. He gave visiting dignitaries and diplomats practical gifts such as: sewing machines, knives, tools, guns...... Please note I'm introducing new term here 'luggage compartment gun'.
Click to expand...

LOL. Good one. I'll do my part to promote this new term of endearment.

And speaking of Erich Honecker, I worked with an East German kid in his early 20's for a small management consulting company in East Berlin back in 1990-1991. Yep, the owners were both former Stasi guys...that's just the way things worked. Anyway, after Honecker was tossed out on his ass, the East German government opened up all of Honecker's numerous villas and estates to the general public and for 1 mark you could sit in Honecker's chair in his study. The kid said he and his friends had a great time sitting in the great leader's chair barking out orders to have their enemies arrested on trumped up charges. :)
 
Last edited:
Fastcast said:
++1

That old world Mak has more style and spirit than any XDM will ever have, period!
Click to expand...
But much less respect when you tell them what you paid for it.

The Makarov is a great gun but definately not worth even $500. They were made cheap to supply to lots of people and were never, and will never be, a $800 pistol.
 
Just putting the value added feature of "mojo" in a list is awesome.

Screw the haters. Outing what a guy paid for a gun is classless.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

G
  • Locked
price check: EG Makarov, 95-98%
Replies
6
Views
544
SouthpawShootr
S
L
  • Locked
I love my Makarov!
2
Replies
25
Views
2K
logjam
L
S
  • Locked
Purchased my first handgun today!
2
Replies
30
Views
2K
ShadyScott999
S
Riomouse911
  • Locked
Picked up my first 9mm 1911 yesterday, shot it today
2
Replies
39
Views
2K
UncleEd
U
C
  • Locked
I reloaded ammo for my first time today! (pics of old handguns too)
Replies
8
Views
431
The Bushmaster
The Bushmaster
Back
Top