Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors 1st time buyers

savage 308 wood and metal rough, recoil pad, 4 1st buyers sold for $1000.00

Sometimes it costs a lot more to educate your self !

Oof... I overpaid greatly for my first 99, but not by that much. 😬

A right of passage or, if you would, "paying your dues." We all have been there.

Worked really good for the seller, sometimes ignorance is pure bliss LOL

Yep, me too! But in the end, I learned and made up for the difference... I think!

Same... I offset overpaying for my first 300 EG by practically stealing the second one 😄

If you really want something you will pay the price or NOT. "NEED" is not in the equation.

There were some guys on FB complaining about all the collectors hoarding all the 99's so the average hunter couldn't find or afford one. I disagree. The collectors go for condition and usually pay for it. There are plenty hunter grade guns that the collectors wouldn't give a nickel for. It's not uncommon for a guy to post pics of the 99 he just bought and it has the wrong wood, notches cut, drilled, white diamonds inlaid, etc. Then ask if he got a deal. One old fart like me will say, "You got a great hunter, but all that stuff devalued it greatly". Then the next 5 responses will be, "Don't listen to that old fart, he's a collector. You were going to drill it anyway. Look at the history, listen to the tales it tells." They act like they are more afraid of hurting someone's feelings than telling them the truth, you got took. I remember in the 60's-70's every rifle had to have a recoil pad, some kind of inlay, shiny plastic looking finish, and shoot through mounts. Some guys back then put some serious coin into modifying those guns, and some of them are still Beautifully done. I said Beautifully done, not beautiful. I like few of those guns. When I was 12, I probably loved them. It's very common for a guy to post pics of good, bubba, work and ask if it's a rare factory option? When there are so few out there that know 99's, it's hard to get factual advice ahead of time. So, they just pay up and ask later. And, I may be one of those grumpy old guys, I paid $2300 for a refinished 1912 SRC in 30-30, because it was beautiful in a dimly lit auction hall. I think if I dollar cost average it, I'm probably about even with a lesson learned. I still like that rifle!

That pretty well sums it up, Joe. That would be a good one to post on FB.

Then they would want to send me to the time out room for a month, for being mean spirited.

Well that, and find another old lever gun in usable condition that is cheaper. I don't like the prices either but since I've started collecting 99s, recently relative to like 95% of you guys, the prices have about doubled. But they're still cheaper than vintage Winchesters or Marlins.

All though I never got screwed like this. My first 99s where a first year 250-300 all original but it came with a 1919 250-3000 with a cut stock with a pad for a total of 600$.

I've always figured if I averaged it out, I was about even in what I paid vs market value which is fine by me. I've had the opportunity to own and play with a lot of guns and it really didn't "cost" me anything.

But the last batch I sold not to long ago during the Covid panic, I definitely made money on.