Sales of 70's / 80's era Original Dianas

[andrewM]

Weird. I picked up my 52 on here for about £140-160 around seven years ago. No sense then that they were in any way sought after. And a couple of years earlier you could snaffle up the odd but engaging ultra-carbine model for £395 brand new.

I guess it’s that thing that only once they are gone do people miss them. I think there’s a Jonie Mitchell song vaguely about that.

Yes, I think you are correct. Compare them, for example, with the ubiquitous HW99s. These are great rifles, no question about that, but there are so many of them and they come up for sale all the time. In fact, I don't see the point of buying a new HW99 when you can obtain a 9/10 quality for £200, perhaps with a scope as well.

[jonnyone]

Weird. I picked up my 52 on here for about £140-160 around seven years ago. No sense then that they were in any way sought after. And a couple of years earlier you could snaffle up the odd but engaging ultra-carbine model for £395 brand new.

I guess it’s that thing that only once they are gone do people miss them. I think there’s a Jonie Mitchell song vaguely about that.

Yes, I think you are correct. Compare them, for example, with the ubiquitous HW99s. These are great rifles, no question about that, but there are so many of them and they come up for sale all the time. In fact, I don't see the point of buying a new HW99 when you can obtain a 9/10 quality for £200, perhaps with a scope as well.

You make a very good and valid point there Andrew. I picked up a 99 ironically after responding to an advert to pick up a cheap scope that I later found used to sit on the sellers 99. When I bought the scope I noted the 99 lying on a settee across the room. It was 6 months old and was selling for £140 so I bought it more out of impulse for a good deal than an out and out motion of having to have one.
Pitching it against a 280 I definitely put the 280 ahead in most if not all aspects. However I digress from the subject here.
As I've said in other threads two of the guns on my target list of must have guns of the 80s were the 35s and 45 and I'm happy to say that I now have both of these. The 45 has certainly not failed to impress in its handling, power and accuracy stakes. The 35s I tend to think of as a younger brother to the RWS45 as visually they look quite alike.
Definite icons of the 80 despite maybe not shifting in the unit numbers of the HW80. The Originals put a bigger smile on my face than my vintage 84 HW80 these days.
Dave