As the years roll on finding and securing clean presentable examples of the above guns become harder to my mind. As you suggest where once you could perhaps surf the usual gun sale sites and find a number of examples of your desired gun- these days they are few and far between. For example at the time that I was on the look out for a 35s I detected a downturn in numbers going through the sales areas so I bought the most clean example that I found since I reasoned that the way things were going I would struggle in the near future to find one and certainly have the pick of a few. Generally speaking I've been proved right.

I've also noticed what I would term the "price band" of a given Original/Diana model has increased. Whereas you could perhaps find a clean 45 at one stage for perhaps £120-£140 now you get the occasional one just under the £200 with most being above.

I think those who have picked up clean examples in the past by and large are not moving them on. This in turn drives up prices and when the occasional clean gun comes along they don't hang around for long.

I guess if nothing else it proves the second hand market is still healthy.
Dave