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Every single thread on SKS's mentions the $50 Chinese guns from the late 80's.
Dear Boomer: That was 40 years ago, at least.
Even accepting the government's numbers, that SKS should be $150 today.
But it isn't.
China can't export them to the US any more. Thanks Slick Willy!
That means the supply is fixed.
Demand is not declining, so the price must go up.
That price is $500-$800 now. Depends on completeness, condition and provenance.
You're not impressing anyone with your, "back in my day!" objections.
A movie ticket isn't 5¢ anymore either.
Denying that prices have climbed over the years means you're not getting an SKS unless you find a chump.
I'm a little raw about this because I've been dealing with it with car people for decades.
Yes, that Chevelle is worth $50,000. No, they're not letting it go for $2,500. It doesn't matter if you sold one just like it for $2,000 thirty years ago.
Absolutely true.
ReplyDeleteBut also true is that to some people, wanting a Chevelle, or an SKS, is its own punishment. (Or reward.)
M1 Carbines are cute too, but I didn't want one at $400, and I don't want one for $1400 either.
Different strokes, and all. Some people use price to excuse why they don't want something they never did.
In the early 1990s prior to Slick Willy's and Bush Sr.'s executive order bans, the Chinese SKSs were around $80 each at retail. After the bans they came from Yugoslavia and went to about $150-$200. Once that supply dried up due partially to the wars between the former Yugo states (Serbia, etc) prices started to climb a little. Prices increased a little more quickly recently because inflation has driven everything up. In 2001-2004 you could buy 20 round boxed of Winchester White Box (USA) or Federal American Eagle 55gr FMJ .223 ammo for $4 all day. Now price what that stuff sells for.
ReplyDeleteTimes change, prices are affected by a lot of things but ultimately mostly supply and demand. There is a finite supply of SKSs and nobody is making more. And the demand sets the price where they are. Barring a hot tub time machine, there isn't much going to change that. Even if someone started making them, the current embargo of Russian and Chinese military products would prevent import from there, and most other places setup and manufacturing cost would most likely set retail prices at or above used prices. SKS would not be cheap to produce in today's world because it has a lot of fairly complicated machined steel parts and a wood stock. Comparing to something like an AR with a lot of alloy parts and plastic furniture, it's just not the same. The Chinese and Russians back in the day paid essentially slave wages even to trained machinists. That doesn't happen in non-compelled labor economies.
-swj