Suggest an asking price.

[StuK]

I may have an interested buyer but I need advice. What would be a reasonable asking price for the following:
Black powder rifle manufactured by Thompson/Center arms. It was made especially for the 1984 Kit Carson Rendezvous in Carson City, Nevada. The serial number is 1984 1-1. It has a commemorative medallion embedded in the stock, is .54 caliber, and was intended to be a collectors item. It has never been fired.

 

[azmntman]

$550.00 percussion, $650.00 flintlock IMO (what I might pay if interested). Maybe others pay more if the "collectors" value intrigued them.

 

[SDSmlf]

Commemorative guns tend to be poor investments unless they were made by a company like Colt or Winchester and would have value not associated with being a commemorative.

In my opinion I see it as a nice unfired 54 caliber TC. Most TC Hawken percussions seem to sell for $275 to $325 or so. Would think this one would be at the top end price wise. You should post some photographs, there could be something unique about the gun and its value.

Wait for @bubba.50 to chime in. He seems to stay pretty current on TC prices.

 

[nhmoose]

$55000.00

 

[Eterry]

Dad always said if the seller and buyer both walk away happy then all is well.
Just remember, you can always come down in price, but rarely go up.

 

[Bledfor Days]

Is it in mint condition? Any safe kisses or bluing loss?

 

[Notchy Bob]

I've never heard of that rifle. Can we see some pictures?

I think T/C did make a few "Hawkens" in .54 caliber, with larger, 1" barrels. The typical .45 and .50 caliber Hawkens had 15/16" barrels. I would think the relative rarity of the larger caliber Hawken might add a premium to the selling price, regardless of its "commemorative" designation.

I'm interested in whatever the more knowledgeable folks among us may have to say.

Meanwhile, maybe a few pictures...?

Notchy Bob

 

[SDSmlf]

I've never heard of that rifle. Can we see some pictures?

I think T/C did make a few "Hawkens" in .54 caliber, with larger, 1" barrels. The typical .45 and .50 caliber Hawkens had 15/16" barrels. I would think the relative rarity of the larger caliber Hawken might add a premium to the selling price, regardless of its "commemorative" designation.

I'm interested in whatever the more knowledgeable folks among us may have to say.

Meanwhile, maybe a few pictures...?

Notchy Bob

Don’t think the 54 caliber TC Hawken is all that rare, but I could be mistaken. There are a few that have taken up residence in my safe, two of each, percussion and flint.

 

[Prairieofthedog]

Don’t think the 54 caliber TC Hawken is all that rare, but I could be mistaken. There are a few that have taken up residence in my safe, two of each, percussion and flint.

Yes, .54 Hawken is not really that rare. But mint, unfired .54 Hawkens for $275- $325 are.

 

[SDSmlf]

Yes, .54 Hawken is not really that rare. But mint, unfired .54 Hawkens for $275- $325 are.

Agree. But what I said was that TC Hawken percussions seem to sell for $275 to $325 or so and think this one would be at the top end price wise. Don’t know what the top end price is. See a number of ‘unfired’ TCs priced well north of $400 that just sit. Suggested OP wait to hear from @bubba.50, who seems to stay current on TC selling prices, but Bubba has not posted his opinion.

 

[bubba.50]

Your lack of viable market is gonna affect you more than anything. Someone interested in kit carson or in the history of nevada might pay a slight premium for it. If you keep it 100 years it’s not gonna be some major collectible like a winchester or colt. They made a similar Renegade commemorative in 82 for the Tennessee worlds fair. It had a brass plate on the stock, a plaque for the wall, a tomahawk and i think a Bowie knife. I’ve seen them listed on gunbroker in the 6 to 8 hundred dollar range. They lay there til the owner gets tired of relistin’ them.

to me, dependin’ on condition and how bad i wanted it, it would be worth maybe 250 or 300. Maybe less dependin on how big a detraction that medallion is.

every word of this is my opinion and my opinion only. I wish you the best of luck with it.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Unfortunately for your commemorative rifle, Kit Carson never carried a rifle that looked like a T/C Hawken. Having a gorgeous stock and an engraved inlay just makes it a T/C with a lot of make up.

 

[StuK]

I am attaching a .pdf file of documentation and four pictures.
The rifle has been stored in the original T/C box so there should not be any blemishes. As for the bluing, even if I took it out and looked at it, I wouldn't know enough about such things to offer an opinion.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Very nice TC, but I would have no clue as to fair market value. It definitely should be worth a bunch more than the typical TC Hawken.

 

[Boomerang]

I think the right person would give you 7 or 8 hundred for it.

 

[FishDFly]

After this, you might come up with what you consider a fair price to you and then let the person make an offer. It might be worth more to the interested person than to you.

It's one of those rifles which has really nice eye appeal, just not what you want to wander around in the deer woods in the rain with.

 

[Barry Strickland]

That TC may not be worth a tremendous amount of dollars right now but you can bet sometime in the future it will be worth a stupid amount.

 

[Kansas Jake]

The number on the barrel, 1984 1-1, does that mean it is a one off or is it number one of a series?

 

[NorthFork]

Maybe $500 to $850. Nice T/C but at the end of the day it's still just a T/C. I'm not trying to be rude, just honest. I agree with the above poster who commented on commemorative firearms are usually questionable investments.

 

[SDSmlf]

I am attaching a .pdf file of documentation and four pictures.
The rifle has been stored in the original T/C box so there should not be any blemishes. As for the bluing, even if I took it out and looked at it, I wouldn't know enough about such things to offer an opinion. View attachment 37499View attachment 37500View attachment 37501View attachment 37502

You need better photographs. Try taking some outside with natural light.