What makes an SKS desirable to you?

[firstchoice]

  I had to take the "Other" choice. After thinking about each choice given on the poll, I could only think of all the possible combinations of the choices that could make or break my decision to spend the extra money on any given "unique" SKS. It could be rough, but have all matching numbers and a rare arsenal code. It could be non-matching but have an outstanding stock with grain that I've never seen and a rare sling. Too many variations to pick just one special reason that I look for. There's about four of the special quality choices in the poll that I use to decide if I'm even interested in buying the SKS to begin with, much less spend anything extra. Unless it's bent in half, I look at the numbers and Nationality first. By now, most of us can look at one and figure that out pretty quick. Arsenal codes, date stamps, proof stamps, stamp locations, methods used to apply the import stamp, (which has turned me off completely on a couple of otherwise nice carbines), and metal/wood/bore condition. The plethora of combinations on the boatloads of Type 56 carbines that arrived here, some with the "special" qualities, just makes it...interesting.   

firstchoice

[escobert]

Since I'm not a collector, I just want the ones I look at to be in OEM for matching preferably. Although, my next SKS purchase will be a Russian Refurb. I want the blued blade/bolt.

[Greasemonkey]

One thing I haven't figured out, and it kind of fits in with desirability, I've seen it many times, and I gotta ask, the sasquatch is highly curious ... 

Go to a show early one Sat. morning, looking, drooling, and lets one finds, say an Albanian, at fair market value. One keeps looking, walking around and spies with their little eye, and a dozen Chinese, a Russian, maybe a Yugo M59/66, all priced the same, at there respective fair market value.

Fast forward to 4:50ish PM Sunday afternoon, last call was made over an hour ago, the jerky is all boxed back up, bathrooms are all stankin and stuff.  Guess which SKS is still there, all alone. 99.9% of the time, the Albanian.. 

I've always wondered, why , it seems certain variants get absolutely no love and looked over, while others get snatched up, hugged, squeezed and named George, before the price tag even quits swinging. After a while of scanning through RM's auction lists, I've even noticed it in auctions as well, and the only rational things I come up with:

The Russian, ok, I get it, I know, it's the "one", the "original", it's a RUSSIAN you fricken dolt!! Ivan Smirnoff built it just for me. bla bla buzz bla 
A Chinese, geeze, well, I get that as well, in general, there is probably at least one in the states for every person in a small third world nation and 4.5 billion screaming Chinamen can't be wrong. 
Yugoslavian, sorry, the former Yugoslavia, as long as it ain't that awful M59, that M59 creature seems to be one that either confuses or turns or throws most people off. No disputing the grenade launcher on the M59/66.

But, the Romanian and Albanian, more so the Albanian, are like the bastard children of the SKS world. They are kinda treated like going to the dog pound, and leaving the little 3 legged 1 eared personality disorder bipolar helpless pooch that barks with a lisp behind. I know the Albanian doesn't lend itself to being bubba'ed up, and I admit, it's kinda strange looking. The Romanian is a M56, not a Type 56, is that it, it still ingests 7.62x39 ammo? I mean, it's not like the availability on either of them is 0, nada, zilich, they are not made from unobtainium. Even the Albanian while it is relatively uncommon comparatively, at maybe only a few thousand in total existence, is usually somewhat easily found.

Disclaimer

Again, I am not trying to flair up lovers/worshipers of one particular SKS breed  , just over my many, many years of being in the hobby, I kinda noticed a trend and it's always been a curiosity of mine.

[Power Surge]

One thing I haven't figured out, and it kind of fits in with desirability, I've seen it many times, and I gotta ask, the sasquatch is highly curious ... 

Go to a show early one Sat. morning, looking, drooling, and lets one finds, say an Albanian, at fair market value. One keeps looking, walking around and spies with their little eye, and a dozen Chinese, a Russian, maybe a Yugo M59/66, all priced the same, at there respective fair market value.

Fast forward to 4:50ish PM Sunday afternoon, last call was made over an hour ago, the jerky is all boxed back up, bathrooms are all stankin and stuff.  Guess which SKS is still there, all alone. 99.9% of the time, the Albanian.. 

I've always wondered, why , it seems certain variants get absolutely no love and looked over, while others get snatched up, hugged, squeezed and named George, before the price tag even quits swinging. After a while of scanning through RM's auction lists, I've even noticed it in auctions as well, and the only rational things I come up with:

The Russian, ok, I get it, I know, it's the "one", the "original", it's a RUSSIAN you fricken dolt!! Ivan Smirnoff built it just for me. bla bla buzz bla 
A Chinese, geeze, well, I get that as well, in general, there is probably at least one in the states for every person in a small third world nation and 4.5 billion screaming Chinamen can't be wrong. 
Yugoslavian, sorry, the former Yugoslavia, as long as it ain't that awful M59, that M59 creature seems to be one that either confuses or turns or throws most people off. No disputing the grenade launcher on the M59/66.

But, the Romanian and Albanian, more so the Albanian, are like the bastard children of the SKS world. They are kinda treated like going to the dog pound, and leaving the little 3 legged 1 eared personality disorder bipolar helpless pooch that barks with a lisp behind. I know the Albanian doesn't lend itself to being bubba'ed up, and I admit, it's kinda strange looking. The Romanian is a M56, not a Type 56, is that it, it still ingests 7.62x39 ammo? I mean, it's not like the availability on either of them is 0, nada, zilich, they are not made from unobtainium. Even the Albanian while it is relatively uncommon comparatively, at maybe only a few thousand in total existence, is usually somewhat easily found.

Disclaimer

Again, I am not trying to flair up lovers/worshipers of one particular SKS breed  , just over my many, many years of being in the hobby, I kinda noticed a trend and it's always been a curiosity of mine.

Well, I'll give you my answer to that, maybe it will shed some light.

My first SKS was Chinese. Being the type of person I am when interested in something, I like to learn everything possible about what I have. So my initial interest was in Chinese guns. Add onto that, there are a zillion more models of Chinese SKS than any other kind, plus military and commercial, plus tons of build differences,  which makes them even more interesting.

Yugos are just neat because of the grenade launcher.

Now I know that the allure of the Russian is that it was the original. And allure of the Albanian and Romanian is the low production numbers.

But here's the thing for me....  I see Russians, Albanians, and Romanians for sale often. So to me, my thought is I can buy one any time. And there aren't as many variables of them to "collect". The Chinese guns, are going way up in value fast. And there are lots of models to obtain if you are a collector. So right now, there is more focus on finding and buying those guns before they are either dried up, or way out of my price range.

[running-man]

I don't have a good answer why the Albys aren't loved more.  I, personally, love em.  My #2 favorite gun is my Alby ranch gun.  Maybe it's because they are so unfamiliar to people that they aren't more in demand.  If "rarity' was real and tangible, the Alby would be the first gun snatched up in your example scenario.  The fact that it typically isn't (and I've observed the exact same thing, the Albys absolutely don't get the love that a Russian or even run of the mill Chinese get) really points me in the direction that people don't really understand nor appreciate them.  To be honest, they really didn't sell like hotcakes when they first were offered at retail either.  That Alby ranch gun I've got was bought for $79.99 with free shipping from AIM.  They were simply trying to unload the darned things.  It boggles my mind now that I look back.

As for Romys not getting the respect they deserve....that one I haven't the foggiest.  Fit and finish of the metal on my two are on par with any Russian.  The stocks are the only thing that dings them in my opinion.  Who knows though?

[Greasemonkey]

Well, I'll give you my answer to that, maybe it will shed some light.

My first SKS was Chinese. Being the type of person I am when interested in something, I like to learn everything possible about what I have. So my initial interest was in Chinese guns. Add onto that, there are a zillion more models of Chinese SKS than any other kind, plus military and commercial, plus tons of build differences,  which makes them even more interesting.

Yugos are just neat because of the grenade launcher.

Now I know that the allure of the Russian is that it was the original. And allure of the Albanian and Romanian is the low production numbers.

But here's the thing for me....  I see Russians, Albanians, and Romanians for sale often. So to me, my thought is I can buy one any time. And there aren't as many variables of them to "collect". The Chinese guns, are going way up in value fast. And there are lots of models to obtain if you are a collector. So right now, there is more focus on finding and buying those guns before they are either dried up, or way out of my price range.

Cost and price, the estimated worth/value 1,5,10 years from now aside, any firearm will appreciate, given enough time.. in the 70's-80's my old man bought M1 Carbines, another zillion variant type rifle a dime a dozen from WoolWorth, Roses and KMart. So money and or future price speculation as an excuse is kinda null and void, it's a given, prices will go up, or at least increase until the absolute worse case scenario, the market flat out crashes, being unable to support the quick price rise. I don't see the market or supply necessarily drying up or even crashing, I see people flipping them enough trying to jack prices to a point where the market stagnates, because no one wants to pay the top dollar. Currently, plain jane round receiver Mosin refurb M91/30s are up for auction now skirting 400 bucks, and yea, some sell. Will that last, very doubtful, that's a price bubble just ready to burst. Yet Romanians and Albanians, hover around roughly the same price range, and have for quite some time, yes there are exceptions, random bid wars and what not, I'm just speaking in general. Even during the past two we're taking your gun threat buying sprees, the prices didn't fluctuate wildly like the others did.


BEWARE--OPINION AHEAD 
 Now, models, this I can truly see, they are a little catchy, but, it still boils down to, it's Chinese, and straying away from the standard military issue Type 56, it's commercial. And I guess I look at it as all those oddball strange fluff and buff variants, remove or look around the fluff and buff, they were, at one time a normal plain jane standard issue Type 56. Thats a never ending argument, classic vs. bubba which this is not about that.  Now, something to consider, the Albanian is a Chinese bastard step child with a weird twist, the Chinese instructed and taught them, the Albanians just did it their way.

I don't have a good answer why the Albys aren't loved more.  I, personally, love em.  My #2 favorite gun is my Alby ranch gun.  Maybe it's because they are so unfamiliar to people that they aren't more in demand.  If "rarity' was real and tangible, the Alby would be the first gun snatched up in your example scenario.  The fact that it typically isn't (and I've observed the exact same thing, the Albys absolutely don't get the love that a Russian or even run of the mill Chinese get) really points me in the direction that people don't really understand nor appreciate them.  To be honest, they really didn't sell like hotcakes when they first were offered at retail either.  That Alby ranch gun I've got was bought for $79.99 with free shipping from AIM.  They were simply trying to unload the darned things.  It boggles my mind now that I look back.

As for Romys not getting the respect they deserve....that one I haven't the foggiest.  Fit and finish of the metal on my two are on par with any Russian.  The stocks are the only thing that dings them in my opinion.  Who knows though?

This, I'm inclined to believe, unfamiliar, strange, maybe against the norm, morally degrading, maybe not socially acceptable. For all I know, it's those that is talked, discussed and photographed the most, maybe in the end, it's just the classic case of, mob rule mentality, everyone else is doing it, so I should too.
I've read many posts elsewhere, the Romanians or Albanian are piss poor quality wise, I've never seen it on Romanians, the stocks are usually battered, numbers all over the board, but everything else seems fine. The Albanians, the quality can be hit or miss it seems, but in the end, it still goes bang.

All are very good points to bring out, like I said, I just find the whole mess kinda interesting.