A dream, back to 1960...

[cjsimoh]

Some of you were collecting even back then...

http://www.gunsmagazine.com/1960issues/G0160.pdf

[Junk Yard Dog]

If we are going back to 1960 we can load all the guns into the trunk of my brand new 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible that we will be steali....I mean picking up, before we return home

[cjsimoh]

The MSRP on a 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz 2 door convertible was about $7,400. That was a LOT of money back then. I think my dad was making around $75 a week back in 1960...

[iwuzwhatiwuz]

I hopped over to an inflation calculator. It helps me, a young whipper snapper, put the prices into perspective. For example, "The Reb" Colt copy by Navy Arms would be $707 in today's dollars! You can order a Pietta Griswold and Gunnison copy from Cabela's tonight for $200. Keeping with the pistol theme a P-38 in 1960 was $42.50, in today's dollars that'a $334. I wouldn't let my bring back P-38 with its original holster and 2 mags go for less that $1200. Its fun to reminisce but it's also good to be thankful for the deals we have today.

P.S. I'd love to have a Savage 99 in .243 (pg. 23)... Anybody ever have one?

[Junk Yard Dog]

Yea, and nobody would be looking for it in 2013 You want to really have a good cry, look over an old Bannerman catalog should you come across a reprint , or original one day. My 1903 ( updated from 1899) original catalog has USS Maine relics for sale, Spencer rifles, Henry's, Brown Bess flinters........even Union Army generals uniforms.

[Junk Yard Dog]

http://www.headlesshorsemangifts.com/product_p/55.htm

This copy of the 1900 catalog has only 20 pages, I guess they trimmed it down, my original of the same has well over 100.

[Ironnewt]

What we could do with a time machine.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Oh yea, I would shoot right back to 1921 and get involved with the family's new liquor business

[rideandslidejim]

That was a blast to read,thanks for posting it. Looked like the the milsurp import then was mostly Enfields.

Jim

[SA1911a1]

In 1960 the wages of a skilled tradesman, at least in the South, was around $40.00 per week. It is not, so much, that the guns were a great deal cheaper, it is that the dollar was worth a great deal more. If I remember correctly, in this time frame Gold was worth $32.00 per ounce. Again, that says nothing about gold being cheap, it speaks to the value of the dollar.

[Rongo]

In 1960 the wages of a skilled tradesman, at least in the South, was around $40.00 per week. It is not, so much, that the guns were a great deal cheaper, it is that the dollar was worth a great deal more. If I remember correctly, in this time frame Gold was worth $32.00 per ounce. Again, that says nothing about gold being cheap, it speaks to the value of the dollar.

Yep... We really are in the gun bargain Nirvana right now. Or at least up to a few years ago.

[Junk Yard Dog]

That's why I call 1990-1999 the happy time for milsurp collecting, and 2003-2009 the second happy time, everything was around and it was cheap.

[Greasemonkey]

What we could do with a time machine.

I would do one simple little thing, buy 500 shares of Berkshire Hathaway Inc for 8 bucks a share while I'm there. Today it sells for $162,904 a share. Add stock splits, etc, That way I could just finance my own import company and everything would be GMI import stamped, Greasemonkey Imports

[Junk Yard Dog]

We would have to leave you back there in 1960 just to make sure the company stays on the right course, that means in 2013 you would be......well....remembered fondly as we count our stock earnings.

[Rups63]

I hopped over to an inflation calculator. It helps me, a young whipper snapper, put the prices into perspective. For example, "The Reb" Colt copy by Navy Arms would be $707 in today's dollars! You can order a Pietta Griswold and Gunnison copy from Cabela's tonight for $200. Keeping with the pistol theme a P-38 in 1960 was $42.50, in today's dollars that'a $334. I wouldn't let my bring back P-38 with its original holster and 2 mags go for less that $1200. Its fun to reminisce but it's also good to be thankful for the deals we have today.

P.S. I'd love to have a Savage 99 in .243 (pg. 23)... Anybody ever have one?

I have a 1949 Savage 99 in 300 Savage... really, really nice gun to shoot. It is not bubbad, meaning not scoped, with the original Lyman pop up peep sight. The front sight really had to get drifted to the left to shoot POA, but it does a really, really nice job at 100 yards. It was my great grandpa's and is probably around 90-95%. You couldn't pay me enough to get rid of the rifle, it will stay in the family as long as I have anything to say about it! The only drawback is the rounds cost $1.50-$1.70 a piece... neat to own though!

[iwuzwhatiwuz]

My brother has a Remington 760 in .300 Savage. He reloads for a reason.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Price out .577 Snider, .577-.450 Martini Henry, .43 Spanish, .43 mauser, .50-70 Govt, reloading for the oddball rounds is the onlt was to shoot them.

[husker51]

Cool old magazine! I like looking at that old stuff. That was interesting! I was born in 1960. Thanks for the flashback!

[joe7170]

I'm gonna guess zeebill wasn't even collecting way back then, but he was around, I bet he'll tell you that!

Sorry Bill, I had to

[Longcolt44]

I was a sophmore in highschool and had just bought a '48 Chrysler convertible for $17.50. Two year before I was given a 30-30 winchester 94 for Christmas. I still have it.