Finding Market Value On A Gun

A friend recently emailed me a question regarding market value on Marlin 30-30 lever action rifles. I just thought I'd post my reply to him thinking it may help someone else out.

The easy way would be to pull out the latest edition, Blue Book of Gun Values and look the gun in question up in it. Even then I like to back that information up with whats selling and what has actually sold on Gunbroker

First off you can't just say Marlin 30-30 Lever Action. you need to ask the following questions.

• What Model?
• What Condition?
• Year of manufacture?
• Special Edition?
  
• Stock material/style: (for the 30-30) Walnut being the most valuable in my opinion, birch being the lowest quality. A laminated stock can never be restored, and has pretty crappy wood underneath the laminate, they call "assorted hardwood".
• Barrel Style: (for the 30-30) Octagon barrels add about $300 automatically!
• Stainless or blued: Stainless has the best re-sale value, but blued looks better in my opinion, but you need to be more careful not to let it rust and keep it oiled.
  

people love Marlin lever actions because they have side ejection, which makes them more reliable than the more classic Winchester model 94. And you can really beat on a Marlin and it will just keep on working. I would say that the marlin 30-30 is the deer hunters favorite brush gun of today, and was the all time favorite hunting gun before the bolt actions started making their appearance in hunting.

you can pick up a low end used Marlin 30-30 in good condition for as low as $200 on www.gunbroker.com sometimes a little less, I would consider $180 a pretty darn good deal on your basic blued Marlin 30-30 with a birch stock. If it comes with a scope that counts almost for nothing value wise, most people put on their own scopes that they are partial too anyway. I personally like open sights for lever actions anyway.