Quote History Quoted:
The luck you have!
View Quote
Retro collecting, or collecting anything old and scarce, has always been a mix of luck, persistence, and money. I've never had that much of the latter so have relied on the first two. The luck factor has definitely been there in the past.
My first attempt to buy an XM-148 came in the late 1970s from a Shotgun News contact. When it arrived, it wasn't an XM-148 at all but the bare receiver of a Colt prototype CGL-4 launcher. I was bummed at first but quickly realized the good fortune I'd been handed. Much easier to find a standard issue item, even something as scarce as an XM-148, than a prototype they maybe built 10 or 20 of.
Regarding value, I really don't know as they don't often change hands. Autoweapons had one a few years back and I think their asking price was $6500. It's gone now so someone bought or traded for it. And someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Moore Militaria listed their XM-148 on Gunbroker a few months back with a $10K opening bid. I think it got one bid and was sold, although I can't find it in a search anymore. Did I imagine that?