GB listings for April, 2016 - Albanian

[running-man]

A pretty decent 8 Albys changing hands this month.  Haven't seen that many since January!

Lowest Sale Price: $485.00
Avg. Sale Price: $664.13
Highest Sale Price: $825.00
As-Issued Avg. Price: $664.67

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   Year   Arsenal Condition   Current Condition   RM's Notes


548902371   1969 Albanian SKS Numbers #'s Matching $.01 Start   46   $825.00    1969   As-Issued   Good   Definitely a very nice gun here.  Doesn't quite reach VG status because of all the stock dings, but it's about as nice an Alby type 561 as you'll see.  I don't like the price though.  Man that's some serious cash!

549819742   Albanian SKS Semi-automatic Carbine, 1970, 7.62mmx   21   $586.00    1970   As-Issued   Good   If you're in the market for an Albanian SKS for your collection, look at this listing.  This is the type of gun you should be buying.  All original, decent looking stock minus a few dings and gouges, very good looking metal, excellent price.  Very nice gun here that gives the two $800+ guns a run for their money this month.

551413576   Albanian SKS Gramsh 7.62x39 Russian Yugo Norinco   1   $700.00    1968   Refurbished   Fair   This is a relist of auction 548347467 from last month.  Same selling price.   Same stock replacement.  Same question as to how it's worth $700.

551644325   Ultra Rare Albanian SKS All Matching NR   15   $522.00    1969   As-Issued   Good   This stock sure has quite a bit of beech "fish scale" checkering in it.  Nice looking gun all in all and a very reasonable price.

551766747   Rare 1978 Albanian SKS With Sling All Matching   1   $625.00    Uncertain   Uncertain   Uncertain   Horsetrash.

552033299   Rare 1970 Albanian SKS, All Matching - .01 Start   27   $770.00    1970   As-Issued   Good   Another really nice Albanian with a price to match.  Not the most expensive this month, but it's up there!  Decent looking gun.

552845693   SCARCE ALBAINIAN S.K.S. WITH Accessories   1   $485.00    1978   As-Issued   Good   Man Albys are coming out the ears this month!  Another really nice one here!  Has the oiler and cleaning kit as well as the chest rig, nice collection, screaming deal.

553862321   1970 date Albanian SKS, great condition matching   12   $800.00    1970   As-Issued   Good   Another nice gun, maybe not as nice as the previous $800+ one, but it's an honest as-issued Alby in pretty good shape.  Still don't like the price, but what can you do?

[Phosphorus32]

Wow! Talk about an off the trend month. A bunch of guys waiting for tax returns to fill that Albanian slot?!   

[running-man]

No doubt.  If this keeps up, when I get to the end of the year, the black trendline is going to be strongly upward titled I think...

[firstchoice]

  1969 Albanian SKS Numbers #'s Matching $.01 Start   46   $825.00

  http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=548902371
 
  The '69 Alby's stock has been refinished. In a perfect world, I'd love to have seen mine all nice with no flaking of the varnish, too. That's just not the original finish on that one. I guess it made the Seller some bucks though. Not saying it was the Seller that did it. It may have been sold to him like that, dunno. What do you guys think?

firstchoice

[running-man]

Very possible FC, I hadn't considered a refinish on that one.  Were the '68 & '69s oiled or did the Albys jump into the game with both feet using shellac from the onset?  Now I'm curious, I'll have to go look at some of my archived Albys!   

[Loose}{Cannon]

I think early guns are oiled.....   Hard to say if this one was redone.  I see cosmo in the crossbolt and no sanding marks on crossbolt or wood for that matter.

[firstchoice]

  It was done well, but there's no difference in the highs and lows of the wood. No wear on the stock. No scratches that don't have the same finish as the non-scratched wood. The dents have the finish in them.

  As far as "early guns", are you talking early '69 or something different? I only see the shellac'd finishes on the '69's with a usual smattering of peel on the shellac. But I certainly haven't seen them all. That built up hard shellac and gunk around the crossbolt would stay put if refinished with steel wool or light sanding. Looks like a Tru-Oil finish after it was lightly "refinished".

  Not that there aren't examples of really nice '69 Alby's out there. It's just that this one shows no evidence of any of the "fresh" scratches or dents since the wood was new. It all looks the same. Without being able to hold it and look more closely, I won't bet the farm on my opinion. But, I would bet 10 bucks!   

  It's your fault LC! You guys taught me to question everything! 

  firstchoice

[Loose}{Cannon]

I see what your saying...  could very well be.

It seems to me that the 60s guns are oil/varnish....  def not like the orange shellac I see on later guns. Even the replacement Alby stocks... varnish and no shellac.

[running-man]

The dents have the finish in them.

Yup, this one's the smoking gun in my opinion FC.  Definitely see loads of finish in many of the divots.

I found a very close gun to the one on the auction, 02134 from 1969 as well.  I don't know if this one is shellac or another type of finish, but even areas like the S/N on the stock aren't filled in like the auction gun appears to be.  Light years of difference between this one and the one in the auction, good eye FC! 

[Loose}{Cannon]

See...  I dont see shellac.

[running-man]

But it's not dull like a pure oil either.  Something like a varnish perhaps?  There's definitely a texture on the surface from it.

[Loose}{Cannon]

Im guessing some type of oil based varnish.    .    Look at those Alby replacements.