MG42 Value

[42rocker]

Well IMA has posted up a MG42 Display machine gun. With interesting wording about the receiver.
Note it is easy to bash IMA about a lot of things as several folks have done over the years. But we should remember that they do have to find it, buy it and then market it. In their doing that we can see a lot of interesting things if we Look for them. In this case we get to see the rear antiaircraft sights. Something you normally don't see and a lot of markings on this MG42. Look at it and review it, what do you think of it? There could be added extra marks or whatever, look, Learn from it. It has a WW2 front sight style area. Should there be holes, crimp marks for that style and receiver maker?
Ok, the only post war part that I see on the MG42 is the flash hider lever latch, has post war numbering.
What do you see?? Anything?

https://www.ima-usa.com/products/origin ... t=20190118

Now pricing -- They are asking $5,495. for a display MG42. Maybe it will sell maybe not. I'll bet it does. So that said -- What is a Working MG42 worth in Semi auto.
1st you have the ones that are put together with all kinds to parts. yugo and German and post war and modern
2nd the ones that have been made using current receiver parts (think brp, wiselite, others)
3rd ones that have been made from a WW2 German receiver and then nothing added but German parts.

Wow, that gives me a few things to think about. Anone care to think about posting a value or two as to what they think working semi auto MG42's are worth??

Later 42rocker

[42rocker]

Ok, reviewed their pics again and two pics really come to mind. Look at the pic with the top cover raised and you can see how someone welded everything to make it into a semi auto. How the interesting statement about the receiver. Look at the pic showing the left side of the rear of the receiver and look at the last rivet, to me it does not seem to have a depressed area for the rivet head, all of the rest of the rivets on this receiver seem to have a depressed area. I'm thinking that this is an added area that was welded up.
Again just my thoughts. As fewer and fewer of the MG42's come onto the market place the value goes up and we should try to look long and hard at them and think and learn.
Also it seems that everything seems to find a home and I'll bet that someone has been looking and they will like it for a great display model. Myself, I'll have to go and start getting a few parts and welding things before I can spend this kind of money.

Later 42rocker

[JBaum]

And to think someone bought that clunker...

[Abominog]

IMA is the easy button. Generally trusted and takes credit cards.

Like Apex. You can’t sell anything on GB for what Apex sells for. And I don’t mean asks, I mean sells. People will pay a lot more for easy.

Semi MG42 on GB usually sell just shy of $4000. Semi mg34 about $3600. Go do a search on GB completed auctions.

There is a dummy MU DFB on GB right now. Has mg34 stock. Over $1000 with a week to go. I think the dummy 42 sell as high as the semis because twits think they can reverse the dummy mods. Which they can, just can’t fix disalligned receivers

[42rocker]

OMG it sold. Maybe I'll get lucky and the buyer will buy my WW2 German marked flash hider lever to replace the postwar lever that is on it.

Abominog
I'm thinking that full working complete German semiauto MG42's sell for a lot more and what you are talking about is the ones that are made up of lots of other parts.
But thanks for the input as you might be correct.

John any thoughts as to the different types of values?

Later 42rocker

[JBaum]

I don't watch prices on mg42 semi stuff, or Yugo. I have too much other stuff to watch that I'm interested in buying. I was trying to get a cherry Browning Hi-Power 9mm from GB tonight. Just had to give it up when it got to $1,000 more than I wanted to pay. "Wanted", not "willing if I have to".

[APEXgunparts]

I am always a bit surprised when I see replica / high end airsoft / parts kits sell for nearly as much as I paid for the actual gun (LEWIS parts kits for example)
In a lot of places these solid receiver replica's are all that can be owned, or easily traveled with to re-enactments.
I know the people who want to put MG's on their military vehicles have "problems" when traveling on public streets and so have to display non-functioning replica's.
I think to understand the prices you have to understand who the buyers are.

Richard

[Abominog]

Richard (Apex) of course is right. For example, I don't want a live gun on my 34 Lafette, which is openly displayed, so a dummy fits the bill.

Also, the default is Ebay, which is typically higher priced. Furthermore, the uninitiated and busy don't have time or knowledge to dig for stuff. There are several sellers on GB that buy from RTG and BRP and flip the stuff on GB, when buyers could buy it direct- either they don't have knowledge, or time.

@42rocker, GB history shows a BRP MG42 semi sold $5500, but that's the highest I've seen actually sold. I do watch the 34 and 42 prices, and typically semi 42s have sold for about $3800, though "factory" (well known builders) guns go for up to $4500, with home builds less. The buying public seems less interested if it's German or Yugo...I presume because most who want German have already build a German gun and/or have a kit they could build. Within the last six months semi 34s are all over, one didn't sell at $3500, others have sold for more. Go figure.

Back on the topic of why Apex and IMA can sell at such high prices: aside from taking CC, and being a go-to source, a lot of it is exposure and reputation. Friend A sells USGI stuff and can't get the prices for some of the other he wants to sell on GB, so he has Friend B advertise them on GB for him, and Friend B does get the sales for Friend A at the desired prices!

Furthermore, IMA has a following amongst the "non gun" types- Hollywood, museums, etc.

[42rocker]

A little of topic, myself I've almost always liked Apex prices and have bought a lot of stuff from them.
Glad to see that Richard and Apex have received many truckloads of parts over the last few weeks. Go Apex.
Good to see a few folks posting at any rate.
Anyone else have any thoughts as to MG42 semi values??

Later 42rocker

[Abominog]

Don't get me wrong, I love Apex, they are a great group of guys. Customer service is a model that could well be copied by many companies. You buy from Apex, you get what you ordered, probably better. If there's a problem, they make it right ASAP.

That Apex can charge more than stuff sells for on GB isn't a knock on Apex, it's a commendation. Not all of their colleagues/ competition can say that...

For example, (and getting off topic) a few days ago I ordered a big MG3 accessory from "another vendor" with free shipping. Well, the small print says no free shipping when I filled the cart. But no big deal, I think, because shipping is only $10 for this item! So I placed the order. Today I received a call that shipping is actually $150. I cancelled the order.

Back on topic, the value of semis and dummies isn't in cash, it's time. Even if one pays too much today, it won't be a long wait until that's the going rate. MG34 and MG42 kits, parts, etc are doubling in price every few years.

[hakentt]

---- Off topic material removed by adm ----
As for prices on semi MG just because it was "sold" on GB does not mean that seller completed the transaction.

[Abominog]

Here's the MU DFB dummy to watch: https://www.gunbroker.com/Item/796658152

As of right now over $1000 with six days to go. What do you think? $2500? $3000? more? I'll bet it tops $2500.

Ironic, as when people were paying $800 for these things 12 years ago I'd laugh at them. I remember Gordy K throwing out big chunks of MG42 receiver "aww, these are useless junk!" LOL. He had a whole bucket of 4", 6" sections that were "junk" and I never thought to offer him ten bucks for the bucket. Arrrrgghhh!

You didn't ask about German kits IIRC. I tried to cut a deal on a BNZ on GB (I know the seller) and it did sell, but not to me, for over $2300.

Also, a SVQ kit sold on GB for $1800, that's with a Yugo cover...and, FWIW it was advertised as a M53 kit and specifically said "NOT MG42". But there were a few people that figured out what it was and drove the price up, bastages.

The really odd thing to watch are complete M53 kits. The prices are all over the place...even for the same seller. One will sell for $800, the next for $1800. Same thing, different week. We watched this on two Izzy 1919a4 kits that were on GB at the same time- one sold for $1400, the other for $2400. WTF? No kidding, they were both run of the mill, standard 308 izzy kits- and I had the experts check both auctions to see if I was missing something. Nope. And I've seen huge swings with plum AK74 bayonets too- $85 this week, $185 next week. Really odd buying habits.

[42rocker]

What I find interesting that on that link into gunbroker is that pics 35 to 42 are of a MG34 topcover and such. That said at least most of it looks like German WW2. Lets see where the price goes, so pull up a chair and pass the popcorn.

Later 42rocker

[Bil]

Way down in the bottom of the ad they mention the wrong pictures.. :O With the top cover up, it shows the welded displacement block, there are a certain amount of space that must be filled inside the receiver to make it legal.I guess I should finish up my last 42..Interesting to see the prices, due to circumstances beyond my control I haven't been able to do much in a long time... back when the kits were all over, I bought and sold a lot of them, didn't make much but it paid for the stuff I wanted and I met some great folks. My favorite deal was with Flemgunner. He had gone overseas and really wanted a 42 but no way to get one for various reasons. I got a really nice kit when they were at 900 and set it aside. When he came back they were around 1500 and really crappy at that! I sent it to him for 900, thanks for your service! He ended up building it on the TV show!
---bil

[Abominog]

The MU DFB dummy sold for $1800. It was filled with weld so would be a bear to restore.

[Abominog]

Complete MU DFB kit tops $4000. Two bidders drove it from $2500 to $4185

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/807003041

[Blanksguy]

So then does this mean that an old 3-cut "Angola-Dan" receiver with a parts-kit like this would be more $$$$…...or is this just another one of those "auction" "things"....(??).

Regards,
RichardS
US Army, RET

[42rocker]

Richard
Good to see your post. Hope all is going well.

Yes, there is a large demand for 3 and 4 cut receivers right now. I've seen the hop in sale after sale. Wish that I could have bought several from Dan.

Later 42rocker

[Abominog]

The MU DFB that recently sold looked like a Dangola kit.

Tracking sales, it appears that a "typical" MG42 kit runs about $2500-$2600. Given that a kit w/o any of the receiver aft of the trunnion recently sold for $2600, and the recent MU DFB went to $2500 before the third party quit bidding, it is pretty safe to say that a MG42 kit is worth between $2600 and $3000.

That said, there are many variables. Tracking sales of complete M53 kits, photos and descriptions make a world of difference- like double the price. With poor photos and vague descriptions they sell for under $1000; with a good kit and good photos I've seen them run about $1300-$1400; primo kits up to $1800.

Some markings demand more interest than others. Many collectors crave CRA. SVQ SM are far rarer, but don't seem to demand a commensurate increase in price. Mauser AR also are in higher demand, no doubt because of the Mauser brand.

Most of these kits available- arguably except the Dangola kits- have some M53 parts, identifiable by the Yugo part number. And, of course, there are both German and Yugo unmarked parts for which it's hard to determine whether they are German or Yugo. Sometimes I can't tell either- and we are still learning. It wasn't long ago that "common knowledge" indicated that a BK or K stamped part meant it was made by Yugoslavia; we now know the Yugos remarked German-made parts.

In most cases, GB sellers call the kit "German" even if it contains Yugo parts. I wonder what the acceptable parts and ratio is. I suppose most buyers don't know enough to discern Yugo vs. German, except for the receiver, top cover, etc.

I have seven kits that when I have time I'll put on GB. My moral guide says I should note which parts are Yugo, which undoubtedly will impact the price. Why should I when nobody else does, and it will hurt the sale price? A dilemma.

So far as components, the "asking" prices on GB are astronomical now, certainly equal to MG34 parts. Even penny auctions bring good money- I recently paid over $200 for an unmarked (no WaA, no Yugo, nothing) bipod.

[Mdshilli]

I was the one who finally had to pay for that MG42. It went for more than I wanted but have been looking for over a year for the most complete German kit I could find with receiver. I have some displays I set up for historical events so I want to try and get as close to an actual item used on the battlefield. Still need to get a 8mm feed tray barrel and top cover though. It will be built up as a post sample to go with my 13,15 and 34.

The MP44 kit awhile ago went way over my budget , just depends who happens to see an item, what time it closes and who REALLY wants it. I do hate the 15min rule though.....