Thompson Center Arms .50 caliber Renegade
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erhunter
45 Cal.
First of all make sure the rifle is unloaded! It's all about condition. Make sure to check the bore by running a tight patch and jag combo down the barrel. You should feel even pressure all the way down. Even better if you have a bore light. If you can't examine it in your hands like a forum or internet sale, make sure you get an "inspection period, at least 3 days" where you can send it back if the bore is bad. With today's prices I would say $500 for a like new one is reasonable.
Old Hawkeye
50 Cal.
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I know of 4 or 5 that sold within the last 3 months for between $300 & $500. There is no set price anyone can give you for any particular gun without a hands on exam or at least pictures. It's all about condition, how bad the seller wants to sell it, how bad the buyer wants to buy it, location, time of year, phase of the moon, what side of the bed you got up on, what mood your wife is in, etc, etc, etc,. If the seller hasn't priced it & is just trying to get you fishing, walk away. If he has priced it, then just make an offer you can afford & see if he counters. You can check the gun auction sale sites for comparable examples or just look through the wants ads here to see sale prices. I think you will find 4 or 5 that have been listed here in just the first few pages. Regardless of price, it's not going to make a difference in your life style.
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Last year an acquaintance had the exact rifle in very good condition, asked if I was interested. I asked how much...he said 150. with accessories. I happily grabbed it on the spot. (always ask first for a price). A few years ago most any used ML was selling for about 150 in our area. Local online auctions have listed them (renegades) for about 275-300. Realistically if they have no idea, I would start at an offer of about 275 IF in good clean well maintained condition.
Old Hawkeye
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Auctions are a crap shoot! No one here can tell you what to bid. Do your research, as I mentioned earlier, set a limit on what you want to spend, & bid accordingly. They come up for sale all the time, so if you don't get this one another will be available.
bubba.50
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200 to 250 in good solid shooting condition. 350 or maybe a bit more for like new. Like new with an exceptional piece of walnut for the stock maybe 400. Just because people foolishly pay more doesn't mean it's worth more.
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Just last week I paid a tick over $500 out the door for an early 1980s Hawken 50 in very good condition at my LGS. I was referred to this forum by a friend on another shooting forum just a couple days after I brought it home. Prior to that I was mainly cruising GB and Guns International for old TCs in good shape. I was pretty shocked to see how high bidding was getting on them. I bid on a couple and lost as they went higher than I was comfortable paying.
I'm happy with my Hawken, but that said I was happy to see rifles in just as good of condition offered here in the classifieds for better prices. When I start looking for a third old TC for my daughter I'm definitely going to be looking here.
So really I said all that to say this: I think prices even on muzzleloaders have been effected by the rush on the firearms market we've been experiencing. GB is probably the most popular place to look because frankly, it's getting to be about the only place a person can find what they are looking for. And due to that, I think that in most cases you are going to pay more.
In my humble estimation, one can generally do better than GB. I might offer $300 on that Renegade if it's in good order and see what the seller counters with.
I'm happy with my Hawken, but that said I was happy to see rifles in just as good of condition offered here in the classifieds for better prices. When I start looking for a third old TC for my daughter I'm definitely going to be looking here.
So really I said all that to say this: I think prices even on muzzleloaders have been effected by the rush on the firearms market we've been experiencing. GB is probably the most popular place to look because frankly, it's getting to be about the only place a person can find what they are looking for. And due to that, I think that in most cases you are going to pay more.
In my humble estimation, one can generally do better than GB. I might offer $300 on that Renegade if it's in good order and see what the seller counters with.
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the prices are continually rising as more and more Ebay cowboys are parting them out. many times the sum of the parts exceed the price you can get for a complete gun. also this leads to many "frankenguns" or mismatched stocks and furniture.
getting a "virgin" TC is getting harder all the time.
getting a "virgin" TC is getting harder all the time.
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I think this is spot on. One of my other hobbies is old Honda three-wheelers. They have surged in popularity over the last ten years in a BIG way. I've been into them since I was a teenager in the early 1990s when they were less than a dime a dozen. People are parting out good running old trikes and demanding big money for the parts. It's good and bad at the same time I think
I did notice people doing this with TC rifles now, on GB and Ebay. Didn't take me long to figure out that piecing one together would be more costly than buying an intact rifle.
Sorry, I misinterpreted offering. I thought this was a person to person direct sale.
Bruce
32 Cal
I just bought a.50 new in the box, $ 450
Ditt44
40 Cal
First time posting, LONG time lurker 
Also, long time auction hound. I recently bought a like-new Renegade percussion in .54 thru an on-line auction. $210 and with buyer's premium and shipping, delivered for about $270 (I also got a percussion PA Hunter for $300 in the same auction, excellent condition as well). GB is a wide range the last few months from penny starts to easily $800 for an unfired flintlock. Currently there is potential on GB on any given day to get a nice+ Renegade for $350-500 in a percussion cap. Flintlocks run about $100 more, usually. New Old Stock are stupid high starting bids.
I think it generally comes down to three things: Budget, which seems to fluctuate based on perceived "need"; availability; and timing. Luck doesn't hurt either. I got very lucky with the on-line auction being a Wednesday morning and low bid pressure. There are great deals out there and if you are patient you can find a great gun at a reasonable price point. The more you "want" or "need" one, the more you are going to pay.
Last note... ALWAYS ask for photos of the bore and if the seller won't or says they can't get a clear one, move on. I got burned once on a first year Renegade that had a bore that was worse than a brick laid street in winter. The pitting and carbon build up were beyond description. 100s of patches and dozens of hours later and that damn thing still shoots very well. But, no bore pics, no bid.
Also, long time auction hound. I recently bought a like-new Renegade percussion in .54 thru an on-line auction. $210 and with buyer's premium and shipping, delivered for about $270 (I also got a percussion PA Hunter for $300 in the same auction, excellent condition as well). GB is a wide range the last few months from penny starts to easily $800 for an unfired flintlock. Currently there is potential on GB on any given day to get a nice+ Renegade for $350-500 in a percussion cap. Flintlocks run about $100 more, usually. New Old Stock are stupid high starting bids.
I think it generally comes down to three things: Budget, which seems to fluctuate based on perceived "need"; availability; and timing. Luck doesn't hurt either. I got very lucky with the on-line auction being a Wednesday morning and low bid pressure. There are great deals out there and if you are patient you can find a great gun at a reasonable price point. The more you "want" or "need" one, the more you are going to pay.
Last note... ALWAYS ask for photos of the bore and if the seller won't or says they can't get a clear one, move on. I got burned once on a first year Renegade that had a bore that was worse than a brick laid street in winter. The pitting and carbon build up were beyond description. 100s of patches and dozens of hours later and that damn thing still shoots very well. But, no bore pics, no bid.
I recently picked up a Renegade for 150. It is about a 7 in looks and about a 4 for the bore. I have spent about 3 hours on the bore and it may be OK. Haven't shot it yet.
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It boils down to what it is worth to you....Bidding, it always pays to initially bid your high end you will go. Bidding incrementally has never ended well for me, and I think tends to drive the price higher than necessary.
After looking at a gazillion TCs and barrels for sale here, on eBay and other places I have noticed that a TC barrel without pitting is a rare breed indeed. Quite often the seller will state that the gun has a shiny bore which means nothing, even a pitted bore will look shiny with a cheap bore light.
I have several guns (not TCs) with pitted bores that shoot a very tight group but if I was buying a TC one with a less than perfect bore would be a $250 max gun to me where as a really pristine one would be in the $500 range at todays prices.
I have two TCs, one kit gun I made and one with a drop-in Gm barrel, both guns have perfect bores and I have a Teslong bore scope to prove it.
I have several guns (not TCs) with pitted bores that shoot a very tight group but if I was buying a TC one with a less than perfect bore would be a $250 max gun to me where as a really pristine one would be in the $500 range at todays prices.
I have two TCs, one kit gun I made and one with a drop-in Gm barrel, both guns have perfect bores and I have a Teslong bore scope to prove it.
You stop bidding when you think, that is too much to pay.
Even Bill Gates has a budget.
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