# Communities > Antique Arms & Armour Community > Antique & Military Sword Forum >  Question for Small-sword collectors

## Adler Sochi

Hello Everyone!

I am new here and I got interested in small swords and would love to get some of those beauties into my collection.
So the question is where is a good place to shop for those and how often nice examples coming up for sale?
On line search comes up with some very nice ones available at Faganarms, Antiqueweaponstore . 

How reasonable are those prices? 

...check out this beauty at $4200:

https://www.faganarms.com/collection...ord-c1750-u269

...or this at $4200:

https://www.faganarms.com/collection...ord-c1750-u272

Is it possible to find swords like those more affordable?

Is there some kind of price guide from which I can learn what is to much $ and not to much $.

Thanks!

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## M Forde

Hi Adler, welcome to the forum.

The two you linked are expensive high-end examples but you can find plainer smallswords for much cheaper.

Art and Arms and Easton Antique Arms sometimes get them in.

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## Adler Sochi

Thank you M Forde!

So those are high end swords and priced very expensive, is Faganarms swords in general priced high?
What would be a fair price for a nice swords like those?

From reading tips for sword collectors, here are few quotes:




> ..... collect the best examples you can find.  If it means spending an extra hundred dollars to get a nicer example, spend it.  You'll be glad you did later on down the road!






> ....If a couple of hundred is what seperateds you from what you like and what you love, save a couple of extra months.  i.e do not settle for less






> ?... Buy the best examples you can afford. 
> That way you have swords that hold their value _and_ when a better example comes along you can partially offset the cost of the better example by selling your current one.


And the ones at Faganarms are the best examples that I have seen so far and the variety, only not sure about their pricing and if you decide to sell it for a better one, probably would be hard to get your money back.

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## Ivan B.

You can find small swords of similar quality on antique auctions (like Bonhams, Hermann Historica etc) 2.5-3 times cheaper. But it will take time.

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## Adler Sochi

Thank you Ivan, two- three times cheaper makes a big difference. 

So the FaganArms is more like online museum with those prices?

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## M Forde

Most welcome! I have a different philosophy of sword buying to the eminent gentlemen you quoted above as I don't like to save up for a particular sword. Instead, I like to buy whatever I can afford at that point in time and then replace it with a better example later on as the opportunity arises. But then I do not have much of a budget compared to some, and that's definitely not to say that the advice above isn't excellent.

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## Adler Sochi

I got a little to excited a few days ago and ordered something there on Fagan that I think I can afford, 
I know that dealers usually sell their stuff about 20%-30% higher than collectors to collectors do, 
but as Ivan B.  mentioned Fagan possibly two-three times more - didn't know that. 
Not only that I got a pm to watch out because they are selling sometimes fakes as originals, now I am worried if it is what they say it is.

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## Adler Sochi

Here is the link to that sword. It should be here on Monday. Does it look correct as described, any red flags? Not a later parts assembly? Is there something to look for when it arrives? 

https://www.faganarms.com/products/a...llsword-c-1680

Thank you !

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## Adler Sochi

No one has an opinion?

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## Frank WR

The sword is allright in my view...it was once apart but the blade fits that hilt in style and period. I it is a nice sword.

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## Richard Schenk

I am not familiar enough with small swords to have much of an opinion.  I do note the dealer implies the blade has been re-hilted.  The question is when.  If during the service life of the blade, not a problem - that was a fairly common thing.

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## Adler Sochi

Thank you guys! Yes the main question when it was rehilted 1680 as described or in modern times,
I'll have a close look tomorrow, any suggestions of how over 300 years old rehilting should look like.

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## Adler Sochi

Got the sword this morning, what a beautiful blade and the markings, the hilt is nice too, silver work and all the designs, but there is a BIG BUT, in my opinion it was not assembled over 300 years ago, there are bright fresh looking grinding marks on the blade where it's fitted to the hilt. 
So it is on it's way back to Fagans already.

Thanks everyone for your help!

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