For a ride in the Way-Back Machine - 1968 - S.I.R. Sporting Goods catalogue

shredder said:
When you look at those numbers, they're not really out of line with what's being asked for the same or similar firearms today. Sure, there's a few examples that sell cheaper than the adjusted-for-inflation price, but most fall reasonably close to today's asking price.

It still makes me want to cry about the ones we used to be able to have but can't because "they look scary and have an evil pistol grip". God DAMN all Liberals, especially Pierre Trudeau, Jean Chretien, Allan Rock, Paul Martin, and Justin Trudeau!!!
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Justin hasn't really hammered us in any big way yet.
Keep your fingers crossed.

I think they're waiting for another major shooting incident (enabling excuse) like polytechnic or a public figure being shot.

They probably won't have to wait that long.
There's always a nutcase around the corner ready, willing and able to f'k up.
 
The S.I.R catalogue was my bible when I was a kid... from the late 60's on... I loved the cover art... and pouring through the guns and traps and outdoor gear... I had them all saved up through the 90's, but the box disappeared during a move. I remember all of the cover pictures posted above.
 
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I can remember when Eaton's and Simpson-Sears catalogues had at least 3 pages devoted entirely to guns....I used to cut them out and save them as a young lad. :)
The prices in the day were something to behold. IIRC, one could buy a Cooey 22 for about $19.95. 30-06 ammo was $2.95/box of 20. 22LR was 59 cents. /50.
Ahhh! how things have changed. D.
 
I've got a collection of those too, from about 1973 to 1995.

In 1968 I had a part-time job at the local newspaper editorial office earning $1.00 an hour.

Good union wage jobs were paying around $7.00 or $8.00 an hour if I recall. I didn't start working in the pulp mill as a casual on weekends until 1970.

So those prices are relative.

For quite a few years Model 94 Winchesters were $99.99

By 1976 they were $129.99 while a basic LE 303 sported rifle was $42.99

A Browning A5 in 1976 was $464.50, so that was a significant amount of money for anyone.

They started to sell more milsurps so at one point I got a MN for $29.99 and a Swede Model 96 for $49.99.

Those were lean years for me so that $49.99 was a significant purchase at the time.

They were sending sale flyers by then too and seeing as my first MN turned out to be no good, I eventually got a real nice one for about $60.00.
 
In 1968 a union sawmill job was paying around $2.50 per hour. That's twenty bucks a day. In 1969, I was earning 83 dollars a month in the US Army (not my choice!). By the early '70's we were up to close to four dollars with the union mills running about 10% less. At that time, a Ruger Number One was 265.00 and a 77 was a hundred bucks less. My Number One set me back about eight days pay.
 
I miss SIR and Farmers Supply. I spent a lot of money at both places. SIR stocked lots of guns unlike the limited selection of Cabelas and Wholesale.

Prophet River has been taking my money lately.

I've never purchased a gun from Cabelas.
 
Ranger Dave said:
I miss SIR and Farmers Supply. I spent a lot of money at both places. SIR stocked lots of guns unlike the limited selection of Cabelas and Wholesale.

Prophet River has been taking my money lately.

I've never purchased a gun from Cabelas.
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I have.
They're pretty good to deal with if they have what you need.
They don't have the selection SIR had.
Lots of stuff 'on backorder'.

Old Earl Robinson was in his 90s when he sold the store to cabelas.
Couldn't expect him to hold on much longer.

Now Lebarons and SIR are both gone.
 
I had a huge pile of SIR catalogues squirreled away and my dear wifey tossed them all out. THEN... she told me about it!!!
Really liked SIR and Farmers Supply, both had an amazing selection of goods.
Still have a few boxes of bullets around here with the Farmers Supply price tags on them. Must have bought too many!!!!
 
I've got a few of them packed away as well from the late 60s. Found them in a box of my grandfather's after he passed. There's also books from Browning,Remington, winchester, marlin and lc Smith (I think). But the absolute gems of that collection are about 8 or 9 hunter-trader-trapper books ranging from 1909-1911.
 
SuperCub said:
......... and Russell Sports.

I used to love going into Elwood Epps with my Dad & Grandfather in the 70s and the trip north moose hunting. What I would give for another one of those trips.
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Used to ride my bike out there at least once a week all summer long.Ellwood was still quite active around the store at that time. Long before there was a "Weber's" there. There was also another place about 1/2 mile before Epps that I can't recall the name of that had some deals too..
 
Most people, including me, took that pricing and quality for granted. Now it's often outrageous prices, repressive laws and/or low quality control.

Not always though, look at the recent deals on M&P Ar-15's!! $730 bucks and made in USA.
 
The vast majority of firearm-related items are far less expensive today relative to income than they were back then. Far more from which to choose, easier to purchase and much faster to arrive too. Still fun to compare.
 
I have a catalogue from a surplus place in Winnipeg from 1972.

They had Canadian army surplus Lee Enfield sniper rifles with scope in the crate for $99.99.

I was just back, broke after an 8-month Euro-Canary Island/ cross Africa hitchhiking trip and needed every nickel I could save for another trip. Besides, I already had a rifle. What did I need another one for?

Knowing now what I know about me then I probably would have "sporterized" it.
 
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