Type 95 NCO sword - sold for how much???

[Kolekt-To]

This Type 95 NCO sword, albeit in great shape and with matching numbers, sold on eBay today for $2716.00 USD. Is this a new high for the sale of Type 95's? I am astonished at how high the bidding went for this one!

[lonely panet]

s**t no, if that was in Japan, i think it would have been closer to 4000 usd

[robinalexander]

Thanks Kolekt-To ....something about NCO's has been on my mind for a few months now which possibly relates to your thread.

 

My point.

I remember that only 3 or so years ago there were ample NCO's on the market at auctions, military sites, Ebay etc...you could take your pick depending on price and condition of course. I recall prices were ...ballpark...US $450 to $650. BUT, since Covid really kicked in it has been hard to ignore the real lack of genuine NCO stock being offered for sale/auction.  Plenty of replicas and fakes but compared to 3 years ago (and further back) if seems to be 'spot the NCO'. Why?

 

Is it possible 'loose' stock is becoming exhausted and they have been snapped up over the last 10 or more years to the point that they are now all in collections. If there is any truth in that, it could explain why these prices are now being paid? Supply and demand???

 

Where have all the NCO's gone?

 

Rob

 

 

[robinalexander]

PS.  And I'm not talking about copper tsuka NCO's...they are a different kettle of fish altogether.

[lonely panet]

1 hour ago, robinalexander said:

Thanks Kolekt-To ....something about NCO's has been on my mind for a few months now which possibly relates to your thread.

 

My point.

I remember that only 3 or so years ago there were ample NCO's on the market at auctions, military sites, Ebay etc...you could take your pick depending on price and condition of course. I recall prices were ...ballpark...US $450 to $650. BUT, since Covid really kicked in it has been hard to ignore the real lack of genuine NCO stock being offered for sale/auction.  Plenty of replicas and fakes but compared to 3 years ago (and further back) if seems to be 'spot the NCO'. Why?

 

Is it possible 'loose' stock is becoming exhausted and they have been snapped up over the last 10 or more years to the point that they are now all in collections. If there is any truth in that, it could explain why these prices are now being paid? Supply and demand???

 

Where have all the NCO's gone?

 

Rob

 

 

i think your off, ten years ago nco 95s were still 1000 aud,  and at the dti 

pre covid they were still scratching these silly prices

[robinalexander]

Wow...must have been lucky or good buying with my seven!

Rob

 

[lonely panet]

you get lucky sometimes, i snached a neat example for 600 for a mate. but retail, most dealers know what some peaple will pay.

 

if anyone has read what ive posted over the years i have always stated type 95nco were over priced but after collecting for more then 20 years this model has attracted a solid following for some reason.  but hey thats the beast.

 

early imperial is my interest

[robinalexander]

Understand Hamfish (I'd rather address your by your real name or call you somerhing 'OZ' like Hammo) but my point was not so much price, but rather, actual numbers of 95's for sale. Just dont see them for sale much anymore.

Rob

[Brian]

Hamish

[robinalexander]

Thanks Brian...no offence meant Hamish...but we dont see 95's advertised for sale like we did in the past.

 

Rob

[Ian B3HR2UH]

How times have changed . Fifty years ago I was advertising to buy swords in the newspapers . Returned soldiers would ring me and I would go to their homes and look at what they had for sale . I well remember one night I had four swords to look at . Every one of them was ,what I still call them , a metal hilter . I wasn't exactly devastated but felt pretty unlucky . I didn't make an offer on any of them although I could have probably got half of them for twenty dollars each . How big a fool do I feel now.

Ian Brooks

[Kaz S]

Anecdotally, Covid has given me a lot more time to trawl forums and auctions. I suspect I'm not alone, so the new influx of buyers has reduced supply and inflated prices.

[Corry]

That's about as good as it gets, but $$$$ WOW! Question, why do some of the type 95 tsubas have brassy metallic looking crysanthimums, and other have yellow painted ones? Different makers/time periods?

 

[Bazza]

10 hours ago, Ian B3HR2UH said:

How times have changed . Fifty years ago I was advertising to buy swords in the newspapers . Returned soldiers would ring me and I would go to their homes and look at what they had for sale . I well remember one night I had four swords to look at . Every one of them was ,what I still call them , a metal hilter . I wasn't exactly devastated but felt pretty unlucky . I didn't make an offer on any of them although I could have probably got half of them for twenty dollars each . How big a fool do I feel now.

Ian Brooks

Ian, yes, but - I used to have the same experience as you know and I don't quite feel like a fool.  Then as now true Nihonto were my goal and I turned down numerous 'metal hilters' over the years.  For me it was also the "holding cost" when money was scarcer and always needed for something "better".  With all due respect to our esteemed friends in Type 95 land I still won't buy them and still think they are overpriced.  Fifty years ago we were still wet behind the ears (speaking for myself) and looking back there was quite a bit I should have kept, but the "holding price" beat me every time.

 

BaZZa.

[Bruce Pennington]

5 hours ago, Corry said:

That's about as good as it gets, but $$$$ WOW! Question, why do some of the type 95 tsubas have brassy metallic looking crysanthimums, and other have yellow painted ones? Different makers/time periods?

 

Maybe an example photo would help.  They were all painted yellow, but the paint on the aluminum handles quite often wore off.  I'll be a 'brassy' looking one is on a tsuka that was coated.  I've forgotten the chemical name, but @Shamsy or @Stegel knows the term.  It gave the aluminum a brass coloration, and has tricked me, in the past, to thinking I was looking at a fake copper handle.

[BANGBANGSAN]

On 9/20/2021 at 4:53 PM, robinalexander said:

 

Where have all the NCO's gone?

A lot of them went to China.

[ribendao]

I've been debating with myself whether or not to sell some of my type 95s. I have three, got em all right before the prices jumped. Seems like the market is good now.  Still hard to pull the trigger and let one go though.

[BANGBANGSAN]

38 minutes ago, ribendao said:

I've been debating with myself whether or not to sell some of my type 95s. I have three, got em all right before the prices jumped. Seems like the market is good now.  Still hard to pull the trigger and let one go though.

Not all Type 95 are on the high price,only the minty ones are getting very expensive.

[Kolekt-To]

5 hours ago, ribendao said:

I've been debating with myself whether or not to sell some of my type 95s. I have three, got em all right before the prices jumped. Seems like the market is good now.  Still hard to pull the trigger and let one go though.

My thoughts exactly. I have four Type 95's, currently - one 1st version (brass tsuba) in great shape, two 2nd versions (first variation - top latch style) - one in excellent condition, the other is average, and one 3rd version "Pineapple sword" in good condition. I sold a 1st version model to a fellow NMB member a couple months ago. I am debating whether or not to sell one of my 2nd version models - the one that's in average condition. The blade and fittings are solid, but tsuka has much of the paint worn off. I would use the proceeds toward the purchase of another Type 97 Kai Gunto, since that is the type I'm enjoying most, currently.

[robinalexander]

Hello Trystan, 

 

I would be interested to know why you say a lot of them went to China.  Just havent heard of that one before (usually thousands of replicas/fakes coming out of China).  ☺

 

Rob 

 

[ribendao]

8 hours ago, BANGBANGSAN said:

A lot of them went to China.

Someone else just asked but I have been curious about this too for a while. Who owns all this former IJA and IJN stuff in China? When I lived out there during college all the equipment in those "war against Japanese agression" TV shows looked real/legit. Are there just waerhouses full of these swords, rifles and uniforms in Hengdian somewhere that just get taken out when filming another TV show/movie? Are collectors in China even allowed to own these types of swords?

[ribendao]

1 hour ago, Kolekt-To said:

My thoughts exactly. I have four Type 95's, currently - one 1st version (brass tsuba) in great shape, two 2nd versions (first variation - top latch style) - one in excellent condition, the other is average, and one 3rd version "Pineapple sword" in good condition. I sold a 1st version model to a fellow NMB member a couple months ago. I am debating whether or not to sell one of my 2nd version models - the one that's in average condition. The blade and fittings are solid, but tsuka has much of the paint worn off. I would use the proceeds toward the purchase of another Type 97 Kai Gunto, since that is the type I'm enjoying most, currently.

Yeah the one I have been considering selling is a brass tsuba version. Not in the best shape but I still think I could make my money back on it plus some if I decided to sell. However, it is my oly brass tsuba type 95 and I would hate to dimminish my collection, even by a little. Such a hard decision. It really is the collector's conundrum.

[Corry]

12 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Maybe an example photo would help.  They were all painted yellow, but the paint on the aluminum handles quite often wore off.  I'll be a 'brassy' looking one is on a tsuka that was coated.  I've forgotten the chemical name, but @Shamsy or @Stegel knows the term.  It gave the aluminum a brass coloration, and has tricked me, in the past, to thinking I was looking at a fake copper handle.

 

Bruce, here is what I mean. Top has chyrsanthimums that look yellow painted and the bottom other metallic brassy:

 

 

[Kolekt-To]

I believe those are Cherry Blossoms, not Chrysanthemums, you're referring to.

[Brian]

7 hours ago, ribendao said:

Someone else just asked but I have been curious about this too for a while. Who owns all this former IJA and IJN stuff in China? When I lived out there during college all the equipment in those "war against Japanese agression" TV shows looked real/legit. Are there just waerhouses full of these swords, rifles and uniforms in Hengdian somewhere that just get taken out when filming another TV show/movie? Are collectors in China even allowed to own these types of swords?

Are they allowed? No. But they do. Lots of collectors in China who quietly collect and don't make it public.
Yes..there are warehouses with WW2 stuff still sitting there. But govt controlled and no way to get access. I don't think they care much about it.

[BANGBANGSAN]

13 hours ago, robinalexander said:

Hello Trystan, 

 

I would be interested to know why you say a lot of them went to China.  Just havent heard of that one before (usually thousands of replicas/fakes coming out of China).  ☺

 

Rob 

 

Many collectors in China love to have Gunto and Nihonto. So, there are quite a few guys in China doing that biz, bought Gunto from overseas, and use special channels to smuggling them into China. Because technically it's against the law to own such a sword in China. 

They sell replicas to the west and keep import the legit ones for themself.

[dwmc]

I'm a bit along the same line as Mr. Ian Brooks. Many of the younger members here are of the era of $500 or $600 Type 95 swords, or what the prices are now at present. As long as I can remember, I've had an interest in Japanese swords, and would always take a look at any that I may happen to see at antique stores, Pawn Shops, Flea Markets, Etc.. For some reason however, I could never generate enough interest in the Type 95 to purchase one, even when the prices 40+ years ago were $50 or so. Although, I was tempted once to buy a copper handled one for $125, but quite foolishly didn't...

 

Finally, after all these years, I entered a small antiques shop and found the 95 pictured below, and knew I wasn't going to leave without it, although it was considerably more than $50...

 

Dave M.

[Bruce Pennington]

10 hours ago, Corry said:

yellow painted and the bottom other metallic brassy

Ok, I see what you mean (and as Geoff said, they are 10-petal sakura, or cherry blossoms).  Steve or Stegel will have to give the definitive answer, but I can see that the top on, with yellow, was made by the mystery "Ichi" company (possibly Kobe Shoten) and the bottom 2 are Suya Shoten and Iijima Co.  It's likely to simply be a difference in shop preference.  But I'm purely guessing.

[lonely panet]

7 hours ago, BANGBANGSAN said:

Many collectors in China love to have Gunto and Nihonto. So, there are quite a few guys in China doing that biz, bought Gunto from overseas, and use special channels to smuggling them into China. Because technically it's against the law to own such a sword in China. 

They sell replicas to the west and keep import the legit ones for themself.

you would think the chinese would have some sort of allergic reaction to gunto consider the past aplications 

[Bruce Pennington]

No more so than the application the gunto did to the Allies.  We weren't there.  For the guys that came back with these, many considered them no more valueable than a weed whacker.  For us, we see history.  We have the Collection Bug.  Same goes for the Chinese or any other nationality that has the same perspective as ourselves.