HH Heiser holster value

[mtnbkr]

I got this holster in a gun purchase and didn't give it much thought until Robl commented on it in the S&W Prices thread. It's not quite to my taste and I'm thinking about selling it now that I know they're somewhat collectable. I've seen prices all over the map for Heiser holsters, prices that don't seem to correlate to age or style. Vintageleather.com has a similar model for $369, but I don't know how well rooted their prices are in reality. What do you guys think a holster like this should sell for these days?

The leather is still quite supple and doesn't seem to be particularly dry. The gun, a K38 Masterpiece, and holster came from the collection of an older gentleman. Based on what the man's nephew told me, he tended to buy a lot of guns and gun accessories and barely use them, hence the condition of this holster (and the gun that it came with).


















Chris

[Mark Terry]

Chris,

I blame Mr. Taffin for kickstarting my interest in gun leather. He wrote a couple of articles and covers gun leather in his books. I appreciate good gun leather. A few others here had piled on. They know who they are.

I started with George Lawrence as in the model 120 that Elmer Keith preferred. Since then I have discovered HH Heiser and good examples really do sell for those sorts of prices and the only way I've been able to acquire a few specimens are to find holsters that haven't been discovered by collectors and generally they are well used and/ or abused. Apparently, there are collectors who will pay premiums or what seem like premiums versus my budget.

Tooled are more valuable and models for single actions are especially valuable judging from prices I see.

That's a very nice example you have and it would bring the price you indicated (in my opinion) to a collector. It will probably not get less valuable and will most likely only appreciate in value.

[mtnbkr]

Thanks for the info. I don't dislike the holster, but have enough quibbles (hammer thong and back shield or whatever it's called) to think it would be better off with a collector or aficionado rather than someone like myself who just needs a decent holster.

It's the same reason I don't buy unfired examples of vintage guns...

Chris

[Frank V]

Very Nice, thanks for sharing, great pictures too!
Frank

[dmize]

Jan 23, 2011 22:55:57 GMT -5 Mark Terry said:

Chris,

I blame Mr. Taffin for kickstarting my interest in gun leather.
Yea i blame Mr. Taffin for a LOT of stuff too, at this point not too sure my wife is keen on the fella and she has only seen pictures of him.............

[jayhawker]

That is a very inflated price, and is totally dependant on being for a Colt SA.

[robl]

I would encourage you to look at a wide spectrum of sources for leather SELLING, vs ASKING prices. It's a nice holster, But you may be waiting a long time to get anything like 369 for it.
Good luck to you. Nothing says you can't have more than one holster for a particular gun.

[woody]

I agree with Rob. Vintage leather is really high on there prices. I had a nice Heiser holster a few years ago and did well but not anywhere near the prices they ask for the same thing.

On a side note they also made the earlier Randall sheaths.

[mtnbkr]

I fully understand the difference between asking and selling prices. I did a search on Gunbroker of completed auctions for similar Heiser holsters and saw selling prices range from <too low to bother> to just under $300 (6", tooled, medium-framed holsters sold for $200 and $270). I've seen them elsewhere online sell for similar prices. The biggest problem is finding a buyer since there doesn't seem to be a good location for leather specifically.

I posted in on Gunbroker with a $200 opening bid and $250 BIN. Buying something like this new today would cost you nearly that or more and it wouldn't have the history. If it doesn't sell, it won't kill me.

I'd even be open to trades on more suitable holsters (or multiples of such), but I suspect that would be an even more frustrating proposition to run down.

Chris

[lightningii]

for more info on Heiser, look at "Packing Iron", by Rattenbury.

[jayhawker]

Pr WW II there were 3 major holster makers. S.D. Myres, George Lawrenec and H.H.H. All oters were small time compared to them. The original Herman H. got his start in the CO mining camps before relocating to Denver.

[robl]

"George Lawrenec" Didn't know George Lawrence had a cousin from the Ukraine....;-)

[cubrock]

I bought a very nice carved, lined, and laced Heiser holster for a Colt Officer's Model at the Denver gun show for $110. It had been marked $135 and no one else looked at it. The table was well laid out and in one of their major lanes of traffic. Denver is THE show for leather and Heiser goods are extremely popular there. There was a lot of Heiser leather there priced similarly to what you see on Gunbroker and it didn't sell. I bought a similar holster for a K22 from a shop in NC. It had been there for quite some time for $60. Admittedly, that was a good deal, but this shop is very well traveled, K22s are very popular, and the holster still didn't sell for months.

Point is, based on my experience with this deal and others involving Heiser, you may have to be a lot closer to $100 than $200 to sell it.