Hello, everyone.  While snowed in, I spent my time drooling over the original Sharps Borchardt Mid & Long Range match rifles pictured in Sellers book.  And in back of mind figuring how long I would need to scrimp...or hit the Mega Ball in order to afford one of these beauties!  Which got me thinking..at $100.00 to $125.00 1878 dollars...what would that be in todays devalued paper?

Some five years ago or so a magnificent Borchards 1878 LR Target Rifle sold at Amoskeag? (sp) for US$ 50.000.00. At the time it was said by the auctioneer that it was perhaps the finest Borchardt in existence. Less than two years ago another Borchardt LR sold for US$ 78,000.00. I haven't seen a picture of this latter rifle, but it certainly must be something to look at. 

Over 50 years ago when I first started shooting, an original Colt Walker in magnificent condition (for its age) could be had for US$ 20.000.00, today you would have to pay 1.5 million US Greenbacks for the same pistol, or perhaps more. 

I have always been hampered in the purchase of firearms by being born with a wooden spoon in my mouth instead of a silver one. 


Harry

With the historical low interest rates, I wonder if many antique guns are being bought as investments. The price of antique firearms have skyrocketed since 2008. I paid $300 for a thick side Hiwall in 84, wonder what it would bring now.
Mike

dealing with historical research I often use the 
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calculator cited above.  however it is still a tough call since so many factors are involved.   there is another formula system (I can't find my notes on this 'puter to cite it) that bases the calculation on the relative values of a bluecollar workers labor to acquire various commodities--- I.e. the number of hours required to purchase a loaf of bread, a pair of shoes etc.   However commodity prices are extremely subjective to supply demand cycles and transportation costs.

How many hours worth of wages would one of the Sharps semi-skilled factory workers have to spend to buy that 125$ rifle?   How many hours worth of wages for a modern semi-skilled worker to purchase a modern factory made rifle with similar functional values---not a custom made replica or an import knock-off--or an original.


Amazingly most of the difference between prices then and now is inflation, and while wages seldom keep up they do rise in the long haul.  (current situation probably being an aberration that will be corrected in the long haul) Because of technological advances in ALL areas of raw material extraction and processing and MFG production as well as better faster more efficient transportation, many goods and services are LESS expensive now than then once inflation is factored out.

BP wrote on Jan 12^th, 2014 at 10:09pm:


Using my scale for a $100 rifle, at a $20 per (modern day) hour, it would be 39, eight hr days. I'm sure those miners where working 12 hr days though.

Frank

if my calculations are correct 
20 an hour X 8 hours = 160 a day
160 x 39 days= $6240
160 x 60 days or at least 2 months=$9600
I don't think(my opinion fwiw) for 39 days you can't find an origonal Sharps Borchardt Long Range for that kind of money today. More like 2 months is what I see.
Don

Don

In 1952 we moved to Texas and my dad went to work for Dow Chemical for 1.60 an hour, he had been making 11.00 a week. We thought we were rich. Two years later he bought a new Plymouth for 1200.00 cash. We moved into a duplex rental with a slab, indoor bathroom and a tv. Never had any of that before. I was in the 5th grade. We were not rich but a lot better off than most of our relatives had ever been. I owned a Remington single shot and now I have as many as I want, we are much better off and enjoying it.

Too bad that Al Story was/is such a lousy business person. If he wasn't, you would be able to purchase a new reproduction Borchardt for around $4-5K, depending on the wood, extras, etc. Al lost his FFL (after years of repeated warnings by the Feds) and can no longer make them.

Rudi asked: "Is there an economist among us that could give a ball-park figure of what the 1890 Farrow rifle would have cost in today's dollars?"
I am and I can.

The inflation calculator, at (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links); says that $1 in 1890 is $17.71 in 1998.(1999 isn't over yet, making calculations for this year tough)
(The pre-1975 data are the Consumer Price Index statistics from Historical Statistics of the United States (USGPO, 1975). All data since then are from the annual Statistical Abstracts of the United States.)

So the short answer is that the Farrow rifle that sold for $50 in 1890 should sell for $50 X 17.71 = $885.50 in 1998. The "Cost of living" multiplier is 17.71.

Economists don't like to give short answers about prices over time. Here's why.
(The following from the "Old Colony Memorial" from 1890, copies of the Plymouth Town Report, and some other reference books. in the Plymouth MA public library.)

In 1890, coal was advertised for $6.25 per ton delivered, today's quote was $171 per ton delivered. $171/$6.25 =  27.36 is the "Coal " multiplier.
The 1890 Old Colony Memorial was 5 cents; today it's $1. $1/$.05 = 20 is the "Newspaper" multiplier.
The Governor of Massachusetts made $5000 per year in 1890, and  makes $90,000 per year today.$90,000/$5000 = 18 is the "Governor" multiplier.
Strawberry, Blackberry or Raspberry vines were 10 cents per dozen in 1890; and are $1 each today. $1/(10/12) = 120 is the "Berry" multiplier.
In 1890, Piano tuning was (upright)  $2.50, in 1999,  $65.  $65/$2.50 = 26 is the "Piano Tuning" multiplier.
In 1889 the Plymouth Superintendant of Schools earned $1200 per year, in 1999,  $100,000. $100,000/$1200 = 83. 
Massachusetts Legislators made $650 per year in 1890, $46,000 per year in 1999. $46,000/$650 = 71.
In 1889 the High School Principal made $1500 per year, in 1999 the job paid $79,896. $79,896/$1500 = 53.

I have found this whole thread fascinating.  My questions are "Who bought them then?" and "Who is buying them now?"

Harry used a Colt Walker as an example, but the Walker has a historical use/romance or "macho" factor that is lacking in the Long Range Borchardt example.  The buyers of what are now & were then "single-purpose" target rifles were financially secure and reasonably well-educated men engaged in a sport or game that was beyond the $$ reach of ordinary working stiffs.

The same thing can be said for high-end Schuetzen or Indoor Gallery rifles.  The people who are buying $50,000 antique target rifles today are in the same economic class, financially secure people who are buying hedges against inflation.

joeb:  can you do 1998/2013 updates on the multiplying factors?

SSShooter wrote on Jan 13^th, 2014 at 8:47pm:


Modern Borchardt reproductions are available from two sources in the USA. firstly from Argus Barker and secondly from Joe Lozito. Both men make their rifles to order and you may have several months if not more to wait for delivery. Neither maker has mass production facilities. I understand Joe Lozito has just returned to work after a period of illness so is unlikely to be back up to speed yet. In either case a new repro Borchardt is going to cost you over 5G's and possibly more if you want additional features like engraving, inlay work, fancy stocks etc.

It does appear that the Borchardt that Shiloh Sharps was planning to produce is on the back burner now with the company tied up in making an additional model of the Sharps side hammer and producing casting kits of the 1885 High Wall.

Harry

SSShooter,

your calculations may be off, as is your knowledge of Al's business.  My brother and I had dinner with Al at the Quigley in 2017.  I ordered an action then.
Last week I got a phone call from Al while I was at my Ranger Company Reunion in Niagara Falls.  My action is finished, and the total cost, to include shipping and insurance was less than $2700.  I rounded that to $2700, and told him to put any extra in the coffee fund jar.  Just in case Jeamie dropped by.

Rich

As an FYI here is an inflation calculator by Bureau of Government Statistics - you can compare any two years between 1913 and Dec 2022; e.g. what $1 in 1925 is today or what $1 in 1995 was in 1915
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