1.....
Sword Values.For unmounted, bare blades only, lightly rusted (i.e. in need of a polish) the absolute lowest prices that can legitimately be found are as follows
a)
Tanto; USD $1.000 to $3,000; if extraordinary such as signed or HITATSURA (meaning temper line flying all over the blade) then $3,000 to $8,000. Of course, as with all swords, very beautiful works or Tanto with great engraving would be much much over $8,000. I have seen old, Suguha, boring "Kamakura" pieces on sale in Tokyo sword shops for $250,000.
For example, did you know that all "Appraisal Papers before the year 2000 are INVALID"
Reason: "Well, the people at The Sword Museum before were corrupt, and all their papers were bad. You must get new papers for all your swords!!!".
Wow.
Mounted Tanto (that is to say with scabbards, handles, guards, each of which has value or costs money) expect to pay $2,000 to $8,000. This is because you are getting an old Samurai Sword blade, Habaki, scabbard, sword guard, Menuki, Fuchi Kashira, Sageo, handle base, ray skin, silk wrap, and perhaps a fresh new polish.
Some fully mounted Tanto are incredibly beautiful and sell for $10,000 to $80,000
b) Wakizashi: in original Edo condition i.e. lightly rusted, then expect to pay $1,000 to $3,000. For mounted, expect to pay $3,00 to $7,500 . Signed is more than unsigned. Old is more expensive than new. Beautifully mounted is more expensive that simply mounted. A fancy Hamon (temper line) is more expensive than a simple Hamon.
c) Katana: these are defined as long swords, with a length of over 24 inches or 60.67 cm when measured along the BACK of the blade, from the notch or the end of the white polished steel that is shaped as if a triangle had been placed along the back of the blade (i.e. where the Habaki stops - measure in a straight line from this to the tip of the point).
Katana are the most expensive of the three categories, the most desired. Discussing the various values, and the reasons for these values, would require pages, or perhaps a book.
Bare blades: $3,500 to $5,000 for a simple one, more for something nice. Anything under $2,500 is sure to be a oil-tempered WW II blade, re-birthed as a Samurai Sword.
These are not folded or hand made, hammered, made from river sand steel as a true Samurai Sword is ... sometimes the tangs have been replaced with an old tang (hell, many Koto Katana have had this trick performed on them.