I have been conducting some research into the price increases that we have all seen in the past couple of years. A lot of this is due to the economic fiasco of out illustrious Obama’s total lack of how free economics work. As he prints money without any form of backing the value of the dollar on the world market depreciates, thus more dollars are required to attain the same revolver than it did two years ago. This could be temporary depending on how the government reshapes itself in the next couple of years. I have communicated with many people in both the collecting and shooting fraternities and many are putting off acquiring new revolvers thinking the prices will go back down. However, in talking with the importers of Pietta and Uberti percussion revolvers this is definitely not going to happen. If you check out the Web Sites of the major importers you will find the disclosure, “Prices may change without notice”. All have informed me that they have already been notified by the manufacturers that there will be a definite increase in prices of these revolvers in 2011. Also, more and more the manufacturers are requiring CASH from the importers rather than credit. This means they can only order in small quantities for resale. Many have discontinued offering percussion revolvers because of this. Uberti was absorbed by Beretta and as a result the delivery of percussion revolvers has become totally unreliable. I have been told that an order placed now may not even be filled until October of 2011, with a possible increase in quoted prices. This is also true of Pietta. Cabela’s is probably the largest retailer of Pietta revolvers and many are on back order. One reason for the low Sale prices that you see Cabela’s offer is an attempt to turn the inventory fast in order to maintain a high volume of new orders from Pietta and maintain a contracted price.
Another very important point is the sesquicentennial of the Civil War. Manufacturers and importers both sense that this also may cause a resurgence of interest in reenacting thus an increase in the sales of replica percussion revolvers.
The collector value of replica black powder revolvers is most definitely causing prices to increase. One of the most outstanding examples of this is the in depth research done by Wolf Niederastroth into the Centennial 1860 Army manufactured in Belgium by Centaure. This was the first mass produced replica 1860 Army that came into existence with the efforts of William B. Edwards. The prices of these revolvers were pretty much the same as their Italian counterparts through the years. With the information uncovered by Wolf the collectability of these revolvers dramatically increased as did their prices.
In short it is suggested that the prices of new replica black powder revolvers is not ever going to drop to the levels of two years ago. Indeed, right now the prices of rare markings on older revolvers are probably as low as they will ever be. As the number of collectors increase, so will the prices. As more information is uncovered the number of collectors increase.
Do you think the price of gasoline will ever be $1.25 a gallon the same as when a replica black powder percussion revolver was $69?
