Has The Gunto Market Sky Rocketed Recently?

[RobertM]

Maybe I'm missing something but has the gunto market gone up dramatically? Crazy prices for things 10 years ago would have been a fraction of the price.

 

Rob M

[Mark]

yes, i remember some years back being very happy to get $175 for a dead mint early NCO with leather tassel, now that would probably be worth $1000+

[RobertM]

I sold one for £130 without tassel about 7 years ago...wow how things have changed.

 

Rob M

[jeep44]

Increasing numbers of people worldwide becoming interested in vintage Japanese swords, coupled with a limited supply of authentic swords.

 

 

Doug P.

[Alex A]

Increasing numbers of people worldwide becoming interested in vintage Japanese swords, coupled with a limited supply of authentic swords.

 

 

Doug P.

 

Good news, forget your gold and silver shares, the futures nihonto.

 

I must say, some of the book prices have shot up too, buy whilst you can, boom times a coming!!

[brannow]

You might have just noticed it but Its been strong for a lot longer then just recently.  They have a broader appeal to more then just the snobbish true Nihonto collector.  They are also much easier to understand.  There are lots of military collectors that just want one or a few examples of Japanese swords in military mounts.

[Shamsy]

As has already been said, the gunto market has indeed skyrocketed recently. I agree it's been on the rise a while, but seems in the last three or so years people have been willing to throw huge sums of money at gunto just to own one. I think a good portion of people have no idea what they're doing and pay far too much, inflating prices. The other suspect is supply and demand. After WW2 the swords were common souvenirs. Then a few people recognised some were special. Then, as with all things, people started collecting. Now most of the swords have been found, bought and supplies limited. We know more about what is common and what is rare. As is always the case, people look at a sale and want their +% when they in turn sell. And we arrive at today's market with very steep rises in price for a limited supply of +% swords.

[SwordGuyJoe]

Not so much military market, but my experience in the 9 years or so that I've been collecting is that in my early years, military stuff went up pretty quickly. Then gendaito followed. I can't speak for the military market now (tho the Mantetsu swords and NCO's are going bonkers, while showato seems to be dropping a bit IMO), but the gendai market is chilly. In fact I'm pretty confident that I've got to be one of maybe three people buying these days :-|

[w.y.chan]

Hollywood also did its bit

 

 

 

Wah

[paul griff]

Hello,

I think there are a number of factors that have impacted on the "gunto " market. I used to pick up gunto,s that were brought home by veterans then put in the cupboard or attic out of sight and not proudly displayed. As these veterans have been fading away many swords found their way to second hand shops,car boot sales and house clearance people then eventually to collectors like ourselves. Inevitably and sadly this supply route is nearly at it's end...Then the Internet allowing global buying but with the added cost of commission and postage...All the local dealers that I talk to have seen their trade in swords disappear this way...In the U.K The Birmingham arms fair used to be fantastic for bargain Gunto's that were offered by some well respected dealers who took them in part exchange as collectors who have been " bitten by the bug " traded up.....sadly some of these dealers have past away prematurely and others for whatever reasons do not attend....Internet sales maybe ? = prices up.....And finally,and this again is in the U.K.when there is wind of new idiotic laws to be passed relating to weapons and normally after some idiot has committed an atrocity with that particular item people unload them cheap just in case their banned....all has been quiet here so at the moment there is no sword taboo...

Regards,

Paul.

[Dave R]

 As previously said, there are quite a few threads on various sites about the current rise in the price of Gunto, and a lot of ideas as to why it has happened. In the end, supply and demand rules apply, and one factor I think is the realisation that there are not as many of these about as people once thought!

 For myself I chased one down in order to own an example of the last sword seriously made as a combat weapon, as opposed to a wall hanger, sports equipment or Art object.