Frustrating turn in the Mosin collectcibles market

[hoshow]

I see that AIM is now separating out Tula and charging $20 extra like they do for hex. This sucks as it eliminates the chance of ordering a hex and getting a hex Tula. I suspect that other dealers will follow suit. I also saw a crate at Gander Mountain today and asked the guy what they did them. He said they used to throw them away, but some guy said, "I would have given you $100 for it." so now they sell them for $125. I have seen many gun shops lately selling the Mosin accessories separate and getting an extra $20 for them. Soon you will have to pay extra for the cosmoline . The crate was pretty cool, but not $125 cool

[Junk Yard Dog]

I thought they always charged extra for a Tula? I remember paying a bit more for a Tula from some dealer, I needed the date from that arsenal. In fact I remember paying more for Tula more than once for that reason.

[racerguy00]

Thanks to MarksmanTim's tip, I'm picking up a crate at my semi-local Gander for $30 tomorrow.

It must vary store to store.

[desdem12]

Classic has been doin that for as long as I can remember...which Is not as long as I would like, but still............

[bunkysdad]

On the bright side hoshow, it allows you to absolutely know you are getting a Tula hex, you'll just have to pay for the privelege. The thing that bugs me most is the accessories being sold separately.

[Dan4good]

The thing that bugs me most is the accessories being sold separately.

agree

[WeldonHunter]

When I started buying rifles again it was two years ago this Friday. I bought 6 of them, 2 M44s, 2 round M91/30s and 2 Hex M91/30s and what arsenal you got was luck of the draw. They had handpick of best of 5 rifles and that was it. I seem to remember they started the arsenal option with the PU snipers in July 2012. I just looked at my receipt. They had it as a handpick option for Tula and was $20 extra.

[Junk Yard Dog]

When I order from Classic I pay extra for hand pick for looks and extra for bore, The rifles are almost already pre-boxed and say on box Tula or other, I never paid extra for tula there. I call in order and tell them I want this or I don't want it, Lisa pretty good over there for me at least.



Classic has also changed hands with new owners, how long ago I don't remember. But praise the lord is still there AMEN

about three years ago I think. The old management managed to alienate many collectors when they started chrome plating Mosins and some pistols around five or six years ago. That lost them some customers. They are not known for smooth customer service, they once sent me two rifles in the same box, one was a "rifle of the day" the other a spare ex dragoon I bought. All the protection in that box was a bit of paper wadding stuffed in with the rifles, when they arrived there was a rifle sticking out of the box and both rifles were banging against each other. A call to Classic had them blaming a new guy in shipping, oldest cop out there is, to say I was displeased was an understatement, I was told I could return them, but I bought them because I needed the dates and arsenals for the collection. I still have them, scrapes and all, that and the chrome mosins they started making shortly after that put paid to any more business they would get from me. In the 90's and early 2000's they were sending a steady stream of ammo crates up here, I don't know how much, 10,000, maybe 20,000 rounds

[Rongo]

Trying to think here.... I have only bought a few long guns from AIM & none of them were even Mosins. Never bought from Classic, gotten some guns through SOG & J&G but out of all of them I only bought 3 Mosins total.

I would have a hard time buying Mosins from the dealers without knowing what they are before hand.

[zeebill]

Lets just put the whole subject of buying online in the crapshoot area! I hear this subject all the time and really just cause you got a nice one this AM means nothing to the next one to go out the door so all the crap about such and such having nice ones is useless because you have no idea what the next one you get or that goes out the door is from the same batch or the sender really gives a hoot. People get all excited about getting a nice one and the next guy can get a dog so the hurried post of look what I got is not going to help a soul and may even mislead someone.

[Rongo]

Lets just put the whole subject of buying online in the crapshoot area! I hear this subject all the time and really just cause you got a nice one this AM means nothing to the next one to go out the door so all the crap about such and such having nice ones is useless because you have no idea what the next one you get or that goes out the door is from the same batch or the sender really gives a hoot. People get all excited about getting a nice one and the next guy can get a dog so the hurried post of look what I got is not going to help a soul and may even mislead someone.

The reason I have always had a hard time going after a crapshoot chance at getting whatever.

[gurn]

The only thing I have bought from an online dealer in a long time is a Swiss M1889 from Simpsons just a month ago. I find enough nice interesting ones to buy at much better prices when I'm on the hunt at shows and local shops. Years ago I did help to keep AIM, SOG, CIA and a few other dealers in business. BTW, Simpsons packing was top notch.
Back to original subject, I have seen that AIM also picks out the MO marked ones and sells them as so. May be DDRs also.

[lalunette]

The old management managed to alienate many collectors when they started chrome plating Mosins (...) around five or six years ago.

That is freakin' insane.

[hoshow]

I thought they always charged extra for a Tula? I remember paying a bit more for a Tula from some dealer, I needed the date from that arsenal. In fact I remember paying more for Tula more than once for that reason.

JYD they have not been since I started collecting, but may have been a common practice before that. I ordered a $99 91/30 from SOG last November and ended up getting a TULA

[hoshow]

On the bright side hoshow, it allows you to absolutely know you are getting a Tula hex, you'll just have to pay for the privelege. The thing that bugs me most is the accessories being sold separately.

Yeah that stinks because it almost eliminates the possibility of getting a matching serial # on the bayonet

[hoshow]

Thanks to MarksmanTim's tip, I'm picking up a crate at my semi-local Gander for $30 tomorrow.

It must vary store to store.

Since they were just throwing them out I got the feeling from talking to the clerk that selling the crates is not an official policy, but that the employees/managers do it on the side. I am guessing it's a cash only transaction