GB listings for August, 2017 - Albanian

[running-man]

Here are the Albanian SKS 561s for this month.

• # sold: 5
• Lowest Sale Price: $531.00
• Avg. Sale Price: $710.71
• Highest Sale Price: $1247.50
• As-Issued Avg. Price: $923.75

Please let me know any feedback (good or bad) to these.

If you have an objection or observation to add to anything I've listed, by all means call it out.  Let's look at it long and hard (I only look at each listing for a minute or two at most) and maybe everyone can learn a thing or two! 

-RM

Item Link | Description |# Bids | Final Price | Arsenal Condition | Current Condition | RM's Notes

• 680765615 | Excellent Matching Albanian SKS in Cosmoline 1978 | 1 | $1,247.50  | As-Issued | Good | This one sold before back in June for $1201.  Not much of a profit eh?
• 676811529 | 1971 ALBANIAN SKS All matching | 1 | $600.00  | As-Issued | Fair | This gun worries me in that they don't show the trigger group S/N.  Otherwise, home run Alby.
• 688380839 | 1968 ALBANIAN SKS 7.62X39 MATCHING ALBANIA C&R OK | 1 | $609.95  | Refurbished | Poor | This gun sold before on Gunbroker by this same seller…it had an intact stock back then.  Looks like someone wrecked that stock badly.  They are giving a replacement stock, but I bet the fitment is going to take a bit of work.  Pricey for what it is.
• 677701340 | Albanian SKS Rifle matching dated 1969 | 4 | $531.00  | Uncertain | Uncertain | That stock looks 'off' to me, very off indeed.
• 673263972 | Albanian SKS | 4 | $565.09  | Uncertain | Fair | Since the seller doesn't indicate that the stock matches, I'd assume it doesn't.  Nice enough gun though.

[firstchoice]

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/676811529

676811529 | 1971 ALBANIAN SKS All matching | 1 | $600.00  | As-Issued | Fair | This gun worries me in that they don't show the trigger group S/N.  Otherwise, home run Alby.


On pic #6 of 11 of the GB ad, the SN of the magazine is clearly visable so the SN of the trigger group should be somewhat visable. I'd say it was a replacement Chinese milled trigger group. It may have been done in Albania, but still not numbered. I've noticed a lot of ads that advertise "all matching numbered parts", which gets around the "all parts that are supposed to be numbered are matching". Plausible deniability, I guess? 



http://www.gunbroker.com/item/688380839

688380839 | 1968 ALBANIAN SKS 7.62X39 MATCHING ALBANIA C&R OK | 1 | $609.95  | Refurbished | Poor | This gun sold before on Gunbroker by this same seller…it had an intact stock back then.  Looks like someone wrecked that stock badly.  They are giving a replacement stock, but I bet the fitment is going to take a bit of work.  Pricey for what it is.

Yep, it's not an all matching either. The Trigger Group looks to have been mostly scrubbed and not restamped, so who knows what it's from. It's a stamped TG, too, which culls it from original. The replacement stock is from a 1967 Alby, so there shouldn't be a huge fitment issue. Not like those oversized replacement stocks that AIM was selling.



http://www.gunbroker.com/item/677701340

677701340 | Albanian SKS Rifle matching dated 1969 | 4 | $531.00  | Uncertain | Uncertain | That stock looks 'off' to me, very off indeed. 

What's off on the stock, RM?  It's the same shade of finish as my '69 Alby, with consistant wear and dings all over. Not saying it's right, just curious as to what you're seeing?
If anything, the Sellers description and total of 11 not-so-good pics probably cost him some money.
Sellers description: vg original condition,bright bore, matching, stock is solid w/ no cracks Not much enthusiasm there. 



http://www.gunbroker.com/item/673263972

673263972 | Albanian SKS | 4 | $565.09  | Uncertain | Fair | Since the seller doesn't indicate that the stock matches, I'd assume it doesn't.  Nice enough gun though.

Agreed on the stock. Much lighter color than the original handguard. Since I see no serial number on the stock, I'd guess it was replaced in Albania and not renumbered. It looks too well fitted to be one of the AIM replacement stocks. Either that, or somebody did a heck of a lot of fitting, finish, faux wear, and dings for nothing. 

firstchoice
 

[carls sks]

thanks for sharing. Albanians do look nice, someday. 

[running-man]

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/677701340

677701340 | Albanian SKS Rifle matching dated 1969 | 4 | $531.00  | Uncertain | Uncertain | That stock looks 'off' to me, very off indeed. 

What's off on the stock, RM?  It's the same shade of finish as my '69 Alby, with consistant wear and dings all over. Not saying it's right, just curious as to what you're seeing?
If anything, the Sellers description and total of 11 not-so-good pics probably cost him some money.
Sellers description: vg original condition,bright bore, matching, stock is solid w/ no cracks Not much enthusiasm there. 

Hey FC.  I had meant to reply to this one a long time ago but managed to procrastinate to the point that the next month's GB listings are already being tabulated.   

 I guess the stock looks off to me because there is so much shiny on it.  I even see glare at the bottom of some of the heavier gouges.  That just gives me the heebie jeebies on GB.  I have visions of bubba hitting it with a coat of poly and then going over the whole thing with some steel wool to buff the shine down a bit.  If one had it in a face to face transaction and could inspect it a bit better, it might be a total nothingburger, but on GB dealing with a guy across the country like this makes the base of my skull tingle when something just doesn't seem quite right.  It's likely nothing and a legit matching Alby someone got in at a great price (although that's a pretty low final price when compared to other all-matching Albys recently).   I'm sure I miss out on many a good deal because I'm too skeptcal when looking at something that is a legitimate good deal.