JM marked Marlins seem to be priced at a premium. Hell, the NEW Marlins at the Tulsa show were priced at well over 1K.
I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings, and this is not to disparage Marlin - or any other "cheap" gun for that matter, as I am rather fond of "cheap guns in particular, BUT Marlin was always a "cheap" gun.
Marlins are what regular folks bought and used, and I mean USED. They ever got the respect and TLC someone else's "nicer" guns got. I don't remember anyone among the general populous of hunters ever, who bought a new Marlin within the past few decades, bragging about their new baby, showing it off and extolling its engineering and superior level of quality and wonderful finish. They weren't finished all that nicely. They went on sale for under $300 when most other rifles with walnut stocks were fetching $450 new, and used ones, right after deer season, would show up in pawn shops and gun shops for $150, with the room to let the next owner talk the proprietor down to $125 out the door. Some poor fella was always trying to move one for $100 to pay for parts to get his truck back on the road. They were "a dime a dozen." Common.
I do NOT look down on them for that, in fact this is what endears them to me.
Rossis,... In 2009 or 2010, I bought a 92 for $430, new. It was a mess, but I believe not typical. I was astounded that they cost that much, expecting to pay something under $300. That just over a decade ago - not THAT long. I do believe that they have made improvements to their manufacturing and think they are decent guns, but not $700 and $800 guns.
"Stuck in the nineties? Well, over the past decade or so, things have soared all out of proportion to what we've seen in the past. I expect to see prices rise, but when the sellers have the buyers by their purse strings, because there are so many who will just hand over the money,...
It's not that ANY of these guns are "worth" what anyone is charging, but that so many people don't seem to be very mindful of how much comes in versus how much goes out, so if you don't fork it over, they will. I don't understand how people are affording to pay for all the guns being sold these days.