OK so this has been bothering me for a while... Why do people think they can sell CMP Service grade Garands for $800+??? It costs you $625+shipping and membership so about $675. And then you want $900 for it?? Why. The correct grades and such I can understand. But your average run of the mill mix master with erosion numbers on the higher end, that isn't worth a penny more than you paid...

People who don't want to wait 3-6 months and deal with all the paperwork? 900 bucks is pocket change to a lot of folks.

+1 time is money, money is time

P.T. Barnum also had something to say about the average consumer, so it never hurts to list it high.  If you're not interested, you're just not the targeted demographic.

Actaullay the $625 Service Grades are worth more than $625. Add on $30 shipping and $25 GCA membership and tax if you live in Alabama or Ohio $44 and you have $724 then add the time one may have in refinishing stock/ cleaning, money replacing springs etc.
So you can see it adds up quickly, Service Grades are easily a  $850 + rifle on the secondary market

If you can find Correct Grades for $900 I'llbuy all of them

I'm so glad I got my H&R made Garand from the CMP before all the H&Rs became "collector grade" pieces.

Can't imagine what it's worth now, and really don't care as I'll never sell it.   As I recall it was around $350 to my door.

At the shows around here I never see Garands offered for much less than $900 or so, any of them.

I'm not seeing where all the HRA garands are collector pieces.  OP, a lot of people don't want to wait 3-6 months on a rifle sight unseen.  800-1000 is worth it for many to get a Garand fast and know exactly what they are getting.  Don't want to spend extra money?  Then send in your paperwork and wait.

I have one Garand.  An H&R.  According to it's serial number there were only 157 made after it was. That makes it one of the last Garands ever made.   I did not know that athte time I purchased it.  It is not what some people  call "correct" because it was made from parts from different manufacturers.  Exactly what one would expect as production wound down and parts were gathered from wherever they could get them to fill the contract.  Awesome shape though.  And I did pay $800 for it some 10 years ago.  It was worth it to me.  

FWIW, if the rifle is made with government contract parts, then it is original and "correct".

I just got my email today "We have received and verified your recent order. Your order will now advance to our sales area and from there to our shipping area.  Please note, that unless otherwise stated on our website, our order to ship time is at least 60-90 days. You will receive other emails as the order progresses."

These guns sell for $875 all day long. With them drying up and most likely no more imports, it seems like a no brainer.
Instant $200 value increase.
Im amazed there are any left. So i got a couple ;)

An easy way to let it not bother you is don't buy it if you don't like the asking price. Frankly, I'm sick of guys complaining that they didn't buy one XX years ago For such and such dollars and now they don't like the current market price.  Go fill out the paperwork and wait for your very own H&R mixmaster yourself if you don't want to pay a premium.

I don't see a problem with it.  You're paying a bit extra for the convenience of not having to wait 4-6 months for it to arrive, as well as for knowing exactly what you'll get ahead of time.  For the bargain hunter, or the person who just wants one Garand as a representative piece, the CMP is definitely the better choice.  But it's a crap shoot as far as what you'll receive, and when you'll receive it.  For many collectors, being able to sift through WTS ads to get exactly the one that you want (whether it's a certain serial number range, the way the stock looks, the number of correct parts, the bore erosion numbers, etc.) is worth paying slightly more.

Apparently, other people are okay with paying a premium for those perks too, as evidenced by the speed at which these $800 Garands sell.

Besides, I don't think these $800-$900 Garands are necessarily overpriced.  I think the CMP is underpriced.

I can understand the time is money thing. Guess I was always taught the "good things come to those who wait" saying as a kid. The price doesn't bother me, so much as people are willing to pay it. And I went to the Anniston store and hand picked 3 for my collection so... Guess I am just as impatient as the rest, but my NFA items are at 14mo and I'm not beating down their door, so who knows. Maybe it's the cheap SoB in me that has a problem with people overpaying (in my opinion) for something...

The simple answer is that the CMP though the best source to obtain M1 Garands, does NOT set the market price.  Recently they sold IHC/LMR Garands for $975.  Some were correct or near to it.  The same gun when sold on gunbroker would sell for twice that price.  

It's actually a good thing that these weapons are available on the secondary market.  Many people such as myself missed out on the carbine offerings.  People may have only paid $475 for the carbine with the CMP a few years ago but now that same carbine sells for twice that on the market.   The CMP themselves has said within the last week or so that future carbines are only going to be sold on their auction sight where prices tend to be around $1200-1300 rather than sold on the e-store or store pickup where the price would be half that.

Many people such as myself cannot get to the South or North store.  So other than taking a shot in the dark mail order, your only way of knowing what you are getting is using a store agent to pick one out for you - or buying from the secondary market where the prices are higher but you know exactly what it is you are getting and don't have to wait for it.  The seller isn't breaking any rules, Orest at the CMP himself has said that once it leaves their hands (CMP) they don't care what the buyer does with it.  

In fact, the one of the best places to obtain CMP rifles and carbines from current owners is on the CMP forumn itself - which wuoldn't be allowed if the CMP frowned on it.

Earl

There is a fellow on ODT that buys them and 03 s and sells them within a few weeks. It's free enterprise and all, I know I fall in love with mine from the CMP and have sold one from there, but it was like selling one of my kids!!!!!

Consider that CMP rifles are not import marked, unlike other Garand sources.  Bought 2 Winchesters over the years, knowing they will run out.
'55 Springfield is almost new.

I'm still kicking myself for not getting a M1 carbine and 03a3. I bought a Winchester garand rack grade a couple of years ago and the receiver is a win13.

If you can get an agent to represent you (have to have all your paperwork on hand, etc.) or go yourself - the South Store has been having 1903's and 03A3's on Fridays the last 2 weeks.  It's expected they'll have some tomorrow.  Of course, me in Texas that does me no good but I did buy one (with certificate and in CMP box) from a fellow arfcom'r a few weeks ago at a price not much more than what the CMP is selling them for.

Earl

They're worth $850 because that's the secondary market price for them right now.   Check out gun shows, gunbroker, for sale forums here, etc. and you'll see.  Two years from now they'll command more.  And even more when the CMP runs out of them.  Not everyone is eligible to purchase from the CMP, and believe it or not there are still people out there who don't even know about it.  

That was years ago and have since got an 1903A3 and a couple of carbines. I just wish I would have got them from CMP when they had plenty.

There are some that buy through the CMP only to turn around and sell them to make a profit. They know they can make money and they do it. You will find some of these guys at gun shows selling as privateers. Is it ethical? NO. Is it legal? Questionable? I was fortunate when I bought my 1943 Springfield Armory M1 Garand several years ago. I bought it from a young man near Chicago for $700 shipped and included a M1905  SA bayonet (UF&H, dated 1908, and cut down to 10" w/ a knife tip). The khaki web sling is dated 1943. It turned out that I got a heck of a bargain. It turned out to be nearly all original except for a few field modifications. It is now worth nearly three times what I paid for it. It is, however, not going anywhere. This is a permanent part of my WWII collection.





Now, back to the issue at hand. If I were looking for a Garand and did not qualify to buy through the CMP, I would be looking toward the private seller for one. Granted, they probably bought them cheaper, but because of the need, supply, and availability, I would not have any problem paying a reasonable price for a certain grade. That is why many private sellers like the Garands. They know they can make money off of them.

I drove to the CMP store and picked up my own rifle. OP can stop bitching any day now.

If you dont qualify it means you are not an American or havent taken the time to prove you know about guns.
As TheCMP is for getting American shooters military history I dont see a problem with it.

Figure either the gas to go there and pick out the rifle by hand (at least $200 unless you live next door), or the months of waiting and then the repairs to make a barely serviceable rifle slightly less of a beat up POS that will work for a while ($150+ in parts).

This doesn't take into account the run around to get half a dozen forms signed and sent to them and then wait for their slow, incompetent staff to get around to approving you, by which time you hope they'll still have what you wanted in stock.



It isn't really profitable until you charge $900-$1k for a CMP Garand, otherwise you're just reimbursing yourself for the money spent getting the thing.