Wow. I bought mine new in 1981. I'm glad I kept it.

 

About 35 years ago I paid $300 for an ANIB one. The rates have gone up.

 

I gave 900 for a 1968 39a.. its in nice condition but not new by no means..

 

$800-$1,000 for a nice one around East Tennessee. Some are asking more, but they’ll never get it.
That was my first rifle. Sadly, I sold it. Due to sentimental value of the original I’ll not try to replace it. They are fine old rifles though.

 

Just yesterday I purchased a 39a Original Golden never fired was happy to find it and at $895. Today at a gun show found 4 used ranged from $695 to $850.

 

Did you hold a gun to the seller's head~? That'd an unbelievable price if it was truly 'unfired'~!

 

I have/had 2 Marlin 39 rifles. First one I bought new in 1980, It was a 39M. I asked my son one day which one of my rifles was his favorite, he said the 39M, so I gave i to him. It remains today in the same condition as when I gave it to him. I bought my second one, a 39A made in 1982, didn't have the box but had the hang tags and owners manual. It's pretty nice, but probably a 95% condition, I think I bought it 7-8 years ago for probably around $375.

 

I've owned three, only one left.

 

There's such a huge demand for these great rifles, especially in nice condition. The original Marlins are much more desirable than the newer ones. Can't beat a 39A and they are great family guns, for all ages.

 

I payed $600 mine about 10 years ago

 

HUH,WHAT?

 

A couple of examples in Canada, do your own conversion on CAD vs USD.

Marlin 39A Mountie | London, ON | GUNPOST

Marlin 39A Golden .22 take-down | Vanc Isl., BC | GUNPOST

There are others but these are the best ones on that site.

 

I have been slimming down the collection but I still have a super clean '58 Mountie, an '82 as new in the box with all papers, and a Century Limited. Since I like the lever guns I also have the 9422 in .22 s, l, lr, and in magnum. Also the Browning BLR and Mossberg Palamino. The Marlins and Winchesters will be with me to the end - the Palamino is going to a son-in-law and the Browning to a grandson.

I paid $425 for the one in the box and $325 for the '58 Mountie. But bear in mind, that was a few years back and inflation has done its thing since then. At a gun show last weekend I saw a super clean Marlin Model 57 in .22 mag - the one with the short throw lever - and could have had it for $400 but I guess I was not in a buying mood. Besides I keep telling folks I'm downsizing.

 

Get a Marlin 1897 and have it lined (if needed).

 

I bought a very nice 39A a few years ago. The guy who sold it to me kept trying to buy it back for $650. Shot a few squirrels with it and liked it a lot, but couldn't pass up the chance to sell it for $1000.

 

Not sure what they are selling for today. I paid 400.00 for my 1961 year model 6 years ago.

 

I live in Central Indiana and I do a gun show almost every weekend except for the ones that are in far northern or southern Indiana and I see the same dealers with the same 39A’s asking 1000+ dollars and they just keep laying on the table, so they’re basically worth what someone’s willing to pay for them.

 

Went to a gun show the day I bought my 39a but the cheapest I found at the show was 600.00 up. I left the show and went a few miles up the road to a local gun store. The guy behind the counter ask if there was anything in particular I was looking for.

I told the guy I was in the market for a 39a he turned around and picked one up and handed it to me. I got it for 400.00 out the door. Last time I went to a gun show.

 

I recently won one at Auction for $600. A 1951 39A. Excellent condition. I could use a period correct front sight hood if anyone has one.

 

Mine is similar looking, except with receiver peeps. I had to replace the front sight to match the elevation of the Williams peeps and have long forgotten where the original front sight is. The original front sight will likely not work with your tang peep. I chose receiver peep sight because they were less vulnerable. But, the GS who installed it commented on the difficult he had drilling the exceptionally hard receiver and tapping threads for the Williams peep sight. My 39A is a late 1930's vintage with color case hardening which I believe is absent on most of the later versions. I consider the 39A the best lever action 22 ever made, and hands down, the best looking one as well. Mine is also very accurate.

 

In 1963 and fresh out of bootcamp with my first paycheck went to the local pawn shop at home and purchase a late vintage Marlin 39A with a 24" barrel for the whopping sum of $50.00. No registration needed at the time. Its now in the possession of my oldest daughter. It was literally a tack drive after installing receiver peep sights. I've not found one in all these years to replace it.

 

I bought my 39A about '61 or '62, still have it, love it and will not sell. Memory is a bit cloudy but the 39A plus a Winchester M94 30/30 were around $150 for both new in box.

 

Bought my 1950 39A about a year ago for $800. It’s nearly mint and shoots like a dream.

 

At a recent large gunshow I saw 3 Marlin 39A rifles for sale. One was $750 at about 80% condition with honest use. I also saw one for $875 in nicer shape but Bubba put a sling stud in the bullseye. There was a near mint early un-checkered (1983?) 39AS for $1200. By Sunday the first 2 were sold and both were a fairly priced even with the Bubba'ed bullseye. Actually the 39AS was really nice, but I did not ask if the price was firm as I was not going to buy.

For me what a gun used to cost is neither here or there. I could talk about what I paid way back, but that is 'gone with the wind'. For you who have college age offspring, I could tell of my major state university tuition was BITD, but that too is past. If someone had told me BITD the day that a Ford F150 would be a $60-80K vehicle..., well you get the idea.

 

For me what a gun used to cost is neither here or there. I could talk about what I paid way back, but that is 'gone with the wind'. For you who have college age offspring, I could tell of my major state university tuition was BITD, but that too is past. If someone had told me BITD the day that a Ford F150 would be a $60-80K vehicle..., well you get the idea.

You hit the nail on the head...so to speak. I see a lot of references on this forum to what was paid for a firearm "back when" in the guise of passing it off as what a great buy it was. Here is one for you....back when I was in my last year of college, around 1969, I once calculated what a bag (big paper sack) of groceries averaged in price. It came out to about $5 dollars a sack. But to provide perspective, I went to work teaching and driving a bus following graduation the next year and had a take home pay of a princely sum of about $500.

I too sometimes talk about what I paid for something in the past, but we sometimes ignore the effects of inflation and end up comparing apples (yesterday's prices) to oranges (today's prices). It still boggles my mind when a hamburger, chips, and soft drink cost in the $15.00 range. I'm still in the $1.25 range my memory conjures up from the past. 🙄

I think many of us let yesterday's prices keep us from buying things today, when, if adusted for inflation, aren't bad prices at all in some cases.

 

LVSNRP, That looks like a Peanut gun. Nice find at a good price.

 

Peanut gun? I'm not a Marlin aficionado. I had to go online and look that up. Then go and look at my gun. Son of a gun. Looks like you are right.

 

It looks like a lot of common models are going for $700 to $1000 depending on condition and model. A few well worn ones might go for less than $700 and some rarer models will go for more than $1000. And a few scarce ones can go for $1000 to $2000 or a bit more. And of course engraved ones or really scarce models can top that, too. Just my observations!

 

That's the one with the peanut. Nice one to find...