A Really Odd Mosin M91/38/44

[lee2]

we used to walk to school in 4 foot of snow, uphill, both ways, with no shoes!

 

[yellowsled]

Sigh-I remember paying between $275-$325 for all of my 91/38's...only about five years ago. If made from a less common M91 (Chatellerault or Sestroryetsk) they have always gone for pretty big bucks- $1000 range.

Normally I'd say this would go $600-$750. On the gray blanket, I wouldn't be surprised if it approaches $1000.

And there you go guys.....

 

[Sirex]

Man, the guy with that magic blanket has great stuff. Anyone know who is is from any forums? Or is he JUST a seller? I have bid on many an item from him, only to lose. The agony of defeat.

 

[Dave91]

Man, the guy with that magic blanket has great stuff. Anyone know who is is from any forums? Or is he JUST a seller? I have bid on many an item from him, only to lose. The agony of defeat.

Google "sreisel gray blanket" and you'll see a lot of discussions about him. He's based in NY and I've heard he travels all over raiding gun shows and auctions. There are a lot accusations of shill bidding and blatantly lying about what he's selling, especially Arisaka's. I would assume he's been chased off of any forums he was a part of, if he was a member at all. My transaction with him went smoothly and he seemed like a nice guy through email. Here's a recent thread. http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/vi...sid=4dc2e1865417d7efa41cbfc05ebcd2dc&start=15

 

[yellowsled]

I don't bid on his stuff, not because I don't like it, but because I wont win. I wont pay that much of a premium on his firearms.

 

[dancnr]

I think his descriptions go a bit too far sometimes, making out a piece to be more than it really is, especially in regards to originality. But he does take pictures and he isnt the worst offender on gunbroker. Like anything you have to evaluate it for what you can see in the piece, not what someone who wants your money wants you to believe about it. Like Yellowsled I have never bid because his stuff just goes too high too quick.

 

[Alphabrew]

For posterity:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=413150146

 

[Alphabrew]

All I know is "beware the gray blanket". I'd never bid on anything of his. YMMV.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

$685.00

Shill Bids?

 

[MilsurpDan]

13 minutes left and just shy of $900

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=413150146

 

[yellowsled]

I said between 800-900 bucks, didn't i? lol

 

[mawkie]

If you actively haunt MD and PA auctions you're bound to run into him. I routinely bid against him and he's a pain in my side. Usually I don't have a problem bidding against most dealers as they can't pay anywhere near market value and still make a profit. But he routinely gets ABOVE market for his items so he can afford to pay more and does. A very aggressive bidder when he really wants something. Because we both go after the same C&R stuff we make life difficult for each other. If he retired tomorrow I'd say "Enjoy your retirement because I know I will!". One of the down-sides to using auctions to build your collection.

 

[Sirex]

Man, I can't believe that thing went for almost $900!!! I was going to bid on it since it's an antique to duracoat and drop into a Archangel stock. Outbid again!

I have bid on a few of that sellers guns, a couple of old 7mm Mausers, an 1891 Arg Mauser, couple Mosins, and an Enfield once. Shill bids or not, I couldn't go that high, nor did I get bidders fever, and lost every single auction. Now I just watch with envy.

 

[Hi-Torque]

Man, I can't believe that thing went for almost $900!!! I was going to bid on it since it's an antique to duracoat and drop into a Archangel stock. Outbid again!

Yeah for $900 you'd expect it to be hydro-dipped already. I won't pay the gray blanket premium either.

 

[embermage]

If you actively haunt MD and PA auctions you're bound to run into him. I routinely bid against him and he's a pain in my side. Usually I don't have a problem bidding against most dealers as they can't pay anywhere near market value and still make a profit. But he routinely gets ABOVE market for his items so he can afford to pay more and does. A very aggressive bidder when he really wants something. Because we both go after the same C&R stuff we make life difficult for each other. If he retired tomorrow I'd say "Enjoy your retirement because I know I will!". One of the down-sides to using auctions to build your collection.

lol care to teach someone how to build their collection via auctions? I would love to know!

 

[h2u]

lol care to teach someone how to build their collection via auctions? I would love to know!

Um.... Be the highest bidder at the hammer?

Seriously-I would say well over 95% of my C&R firearms have been acquired through auction. You just have to wade in and start battling with the rest of us

 

[somd_mustangs]

lol care to teach someone how to build their collection via auctions? I would love to know!

Mawkie is one of the true Jedi Zen Masters of the Auction but here's some suggestions:

o know what you want - set the tone of your collection e.g. what do you want to focus on (WWII, rifles, pistols, themes, etc), and is it a shooting collection, purely investment, both, all that stuff. Realize you'll need a good safe or two, or three, and a place to put them.

o Do your research, get books, lurk on MDS, find a friend etc BEFORE stepping into the ring. This is a big part of the fun! Make sure you understand enough about the guns you're interested in so you don't get screwed (proper finish, production details, markings, what the market is doing etc). A little detail like a missing (or fake) marking can be the difference between a big score and tragedy. See if there is a forum devoted to what you're looking for (like 1911, Luger gunboards, etc) and jump on board. Wealth of info out there, mostly correct.

o Start the hunt. I can't help you there, you need to figure it out for yourself. Word-of-mouth, ads, internet, etc - it's a big world and everybody has their own way of doing things, favorite search engines, secret techniques, etc.

o Do your due diligence on the item (examine in person or get good photos, talk to seller, etc). Use the knowledge acquired (possibly over the years) in Step 1. Is it real? is it all-original? functional? defects? blah blah. Determine a range of current market value (more research).

o set a hard limit on your bidding. make sure you take into account any buyer premiums which can be killer, as well as transfer fees, shipping, etc.

Beyond that there are multiple bidding strategies. Online sites like GunBroker and Auction Arms may require a different approach than in-person at live auction, or phone bid, internet proxy, etc. You have to experiment to see what works best for you. Biggest thing is don't get sucked into a bidding war for pride's sake. You learn more sometimes by NOT winning.

Granted you can skip all this and just toss bids out on something purty & shiny until you emerge victorious, using the "even a blind squirrel finds a nut" theory, but that rarely turns out well. There is no substitute for knowledge & experience - not even luck as that will eventually run out and leave you wringing your hands and wailing in despair. You'll get hosed at least once, but it's all part of the learning experience.

Another option is gun shows, especially specialty shows that may feature what you want. Or hook up with dealer(s) you trust who can guide you to the good stuff. It may sometimes be more expensive up front but will save big-time in the long run while you are developing your own chops.

 

[Machodoc]

Like others here, I enjoy seeing what The Gray Blanket has to list, but never bother bidding on any of it. He seems to have a cult following who accept that whatever he posts is worth whatever they can afford to pay. Most of his stuff appears to be really nice, but he also tends to "puff" it to the max.