I have never seen a German 20mm flak round sell for this price. Did I miss something here?
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/785660247
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/785660247
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High Priced 20mm
- Thread starter orcutteod
- Start date
Tony Williams
Well-Known Member
Possibly a new collector with lots of money and little knowledge...
That particular seller always achieves very high prices for the items he sells. He has been discussed on some of the US gun forums and is referred to often as the Grey Blanket Seller. He must have a strong following of buyers that have deep pockets.
That is interesting. Vast numbers of Germany 20mm (along with all other types of German ammo items) were released into the US market last year on GunBroker from a large collection. It took all year to sell it off. By the end, all types of German 20mm in good condition selling for only $30-40 each. I was just buying them because they were cheap. I only recognize the final bidder. He has everything and funds are not an issue. I do not recognize any of the other bidders - new blood in the ordnance market?. So many German items are at an all time low here, and then something like this auction happens. Prices are all over the map.
I recently picked up a German 20mm like the one here for $5 at a local antique shop. The seller had it listed as a US WWII 20mm so he obviously didn't know what he had. Anyhow all it takes is 2 bidders to get into a bidding war which is always a sellers dream come true.
I have purchased items from the mentioned GB seller. He has a large following due to the quality and provenance of many items. No fakes, repros, and he backs it all up with a money back guarantee. Awhile back I had a need for some 7.62x54 Finn war dated ammo, he had an " unopened, untouched 1937 dated original crate full". When I received it I discovered it had been opened many years ago and the rounds were not in the advertised pristine condition. I emailed him with pictures asking for a refund- he said keep the entire crate and refunded all my money...I traded half the boxed ammo to a collector for a pristine Tula Moisin Nagant rifle and sold off the rest. A top notch quality seller who really believes in customer satisfaction...
Grey Blanket has a rep on various gun forums for a reason....
When it comes to guns, its buyer beware...he knowingly sells guns that have been "enhanced", humped, faked whatever you want to call it.
He knows exactly what is wrong with these guns, he doesn't mention any issues in his auctions.
I personally know of a Mauser he bought from a friend of mine that had issues (refinished stock, pimp shined bolt) me and a buddy passed on it, when we saw Larry with it we mentioned the issues, he said he knew.
It showed up on GB a few weeks later listed as 100% original, as from the factory, and sold for big bucks...and he knew it was humped.
He has been called out an many German and Japanese rifles. Most of his stuff is fine, and as described....but it is buyer beware.
And then there is the question of likely shill bidding. A lot of stuff that sells real high often has someone with no or very few feedbacks bidding it up. Guys have tracked bidding and pretty much proved shill bidding, but GB doesn't seem to want to do anything about it....
This auction is possibly a combo of a bidder with more money than brains, plus shill bidding.
These issues have surrounded sreisel for years, and are well known....