Fireplace finds....

f_soldaten04 said:
Jesus Mary And Joseph Thats Cheap!

I remember those adds for the $12.00 Martini's and $9.95 rolling blocks.
That was back in the days when a grown man worked a ten hour day for eight bucks and supported a family on it. By the time I had enough saved up these "deals" were sold out and they returned the money order, even the 71/84 mauser for $14.95 from international firearms that I sent a money order for was "sold out". They kept the money and then sent a cheap spanish made muzzle loading shotgun instead...
 
so....does anyone know how to calculate inflation and all that crap?

If I buy gun "X" in in 1960 for $"Y"....what is the value of "Y" today?

A calculation like that only takes into account the falling value of the dollar...not collector value.

The thing is....even though the government is SCREWING gun owners.....the number of potoential buyers is growing...always growing.

But the number of 'collectible' guns is decreasing....everyday someone drills holes in them...or they burn down in a house fire....or some widow gives them up for destruction(gasp) or whatever....

Old junk never decreases in value....sometimes a dealer will import a bunch of whatever...but the value will continue to rise after the temporary drop in value

Perfect example....Garands....they were $300-400 just a few short years ago. Now they are $500-600
 
BadgerDog said:
Then it dawned on me that I'd probably blow myself up shooting a musket that's almost 200 years old .... :D

FWIW, if the barrel is sound and the wood is not cracked and the lock is tight - I WOULD fire it! (with reduced loads, of course). :)
 
Claven2 said:
Klunk - try here:

http://www.westegg.com/inflation/

Don't know what year that ad was, let's assume 1930.

Inflationary value is $210.70 - still a whale of a deal!

That add is from after 1965. It is from Century / International firearms in Montreal and I can remember the flyer showing up in the mail.
I also remember the barrel of No1 Lee Enfields at W.W. Arcade and Army and Navy in Edmonton with the price $9.95 on the barrel, and two months later seeing these same guns in the pawn shops, second hand, and hardware stores for $35.00.
 
Ah, the good old days. I remember them well. I also remember not having all that much money. The prices look ridiculous now, but were in proportion to wages and cost of living in general. When I was a kid, my allowance was 25 cents. Saturday matinees - cartoons, a serial, and a double header of B grade oatburners was 15 cents. Cooey Juniors were $9.95 in the late '50s. In the mid '60s, Sniders were $25 - $30, India Pattern Besses $100 - $150 unaltered in flint. Short Land and Long land muskets were rare.
 
OK, well if it's 1965, then $19.50 becomes $116.19.

I'd love to get martinis at that price!

an India Pattern Bess at $125 for a decent example is 744.77 today, also a good price!
 
Claven2 said:
OK, well if it's 1965, then $19.50 becomes $116.19.

I'd love to get martinis at that price!

an India Pattern Bess at $125 for a decent example is 744.77 today, also a good price!

I bought a number of them in Vancouver in 1981 or 82 from Alan Lever for $79.00 each. I have two left. I regret not buying a couple of Egyptian rolling blocks for $69.00 each. Apparently they aren't making these guns any more.
Would be nice if Norinco caught on to the market and started building rolling blocks, Martini's, and highwalls.

I also seem to remember International selling Martini's for $99.00 in the mid 1980s as well
 
Canadian Ad from 1909. That's about a week's wages - I wouldn't pay that today.

Vetterli_Ad_from_1909.JPG
 
During this same period, my 1894 12 ga Remington with 2 stripe Damascus barrels was $35, a Colt Single Action or Winchester 1894 were $12.50 (Sears Roebuck) and my 1905R Ross .303 sporting rifle was $25 (HBC). If you consider a working man's wage at the time, these were not inexpensive guns.
 
Back
Top Bottom