If only I had a time machine.......

[Roger Payne]

Canadian forummer xsniper suggested we might all want to shed a tear (& wish we had a time machine) at the prices in the enclosed ad from the 1960's. He wasn't too sure about uploading an image, so here it is. Open it up, then look down the LHS towards the bottom........

Do you remember them Warren??

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Warren]

Gord Cummins at Crown Surplus in Calgary is where a lot of my kit came from over the years.
Mind you, you really had to dig deep in your pocket to find $90.00 for the snipers and the $4.00 in gas money for the 400 mile drive to Calgary.
Plus, Gord was a real great guy and on occasion he would let you into the sheds at the back to root around.
Deac 34's were $25.00 each if I recall.......
Oh, this was in the late 50's, early 60's.....
I believe the son still runs the business
Gord even had a Centurian tank that was a runner with all new running gear, among other bits of armour, but that is another story best told over a pint with old friends

[browningautorifle]

Gord Cummins at Crown Surplus in Calgary

I remember well strolling through his hallowed halls. The Cent with the spare barrel lying beside it. The tail turret from a Lanc standing in the corner...guns intact...

[Warren]

Jim: we can no longer claim we are only 29 years old and holding.
Well, you at least..
There was also a carrier or two and more than one ferrets as well.
Jacques Littlefield bought most of the armour.
Apparently he was in store and asked if it was for sale.
Gord gave him some ridiculous sky high price and Littlefield asked if he would take a cheque.
The rest is history.
I think the Centurian ended up with the Coors collection not that many years ago.
Some nice stuff has come out of Canada including the complete running engine for a Tiger..
To only be 60 years younger and know what I know now and have a few $ in my pocket.

[browningautorifle]

Jacques Littlefield

We should be so lucky as to have something a guy like him wants. I was just lucky enough to have stumbled into the right places at the right times I guess...know a few people.

[Piscoda14]

If only we new

[Promo]

Interesting to see a Garand at $ 120 while at the same time the No. 4 T is $ 90. With nowadays knowledge clearly the T's would had been the better investment.

[Eaglelord17]

Part of collecting though isn't what is the better 'investment' rather what you enjoy collecting. I have technically lost money on some of the trades and sales I have made, but I don't feel as though I have because I am happy with the result.

For example I once traded a RC K98k for a Portuguese M1904/39 in the grease. Technically even at that point the RC was worth more. Today the RC is worth significantly more but the M1904/39 hasn't really increased that much in value. That being said, I consider the M1904/39 a significantly better gun and the condition significantly better so to me I did better than the other guy.

[CINDERS]

Not that long ago we as young fella's in the very early '80's used to go belting down gravel roads in the bush in our mates car maroning (Fresh water crustacean yummy.) and shooting the particular car was a Ford GTHO 351 Phase III Shaker manual, check out and see what one of those is worth.

We also used his brothers XB Ford 2 door coupe 302 Windsor manual same deal except this one was one of only 2 in Australia that were customer orders with all the Bathurst racing gear installed he had all the original paper work from Ford Australia confirming the cars pedigree.
Today with these 2 cars in your garage in pristine condition you'd get no change out of a million $'s to buy them.

And the bikes I've owned and sold I'm kicking myself but we all have had similar experiences young and hot blooded looking for the next big thing!

[Flying10uk]

When looking at prices of items years ago it is worth remembering what the "average person" was earning at the time. A house may have only cost two or three thousand pounds fifty or sixty years ago but people were only earning a few pounds a week at the time.