For your reading pleasure from American Rifleman, June 1940 classified ads;

In good condition, Sharps-Borchardt $10
Krag with Stevens-Pope barrel, $10
Stevens Schuetzen,double set,38-55,outside good,bore slightly pitted,no palm rest
Farquharson Match, $75
Borchardt 22-3000-R2,action slightly pitted, barrel perfect,blue not stocked $30
BALLARD SCHUETZEN,38-55,13lbs,bore perfect,all accessories,$21.50
Stevens Favorite,25RF, $2
Sell, 225 cartridges, 25-20SS, $5 per hundred
Stevens 441/2, Win52 barrel,6X scope and palm rest,$40
Springfield 45-70,very good, $5
Sharps Borchardt sporting rifle,40-70SS,good $45
Four Stevens Schuetzen rifles,two engraved, write
Sharps sidehammer,double set,45-70,fair, $15
Winchester heavy SS action,tools and cases, $15
HUBALEK HEAVY SPECIAL MATCH BARRELS, on your model 52, $25 Arthur Hubalek, New York, NY
Hubalek machine rest, $25
Engraved Hubalek Ballard,22LR,,scope blocks, custom stock and forearms,very good, $75
As an aside, no email, no telephone numbers all correspondence was by US postal service. Most of that was by general delivery, that is, the address was the persons name and the city,state address. This lists only the SS's. There was a lot of other really good stuff listed. Lyman's ad still showed the #5 powder measure at $7.50.

Two things to remember about that ad:

Single shots were the bottom of the barrel as far as being popular rifle. The bolt action was King.

2. The basic gold price at that time was $32 per oz

Divide thoughs prices by 32, then muliply by todays price of $1175. Even then, some of them are a good buy. But, notice these three:

HUBALEK HEAVY SPECIAL MATCH BARRELS, on your model 52, $25 Arthur Hubalek, New York, NY ($918)

Engraved Hubalek Ballard,22LR,,scope blocks, custom stock and forearms,very good, $75 ($2754)

Stevens Schuetzen,double set,38-55,outside good,bore slightly pitted,no palm rest
Farquharson Match, $75 ($2754)

Those of us who are of retirement age have seen similar changes to the values of fine single shot rifles just in our lifetime. I look at today's prices, and then look at what I paid for many of the guns in my safes, and realize how old I'm getting.

marlinguy wrote on Dec 25^th, 2014 at 11:12pm:


1958: S/B Quinton 14-bore shotgun with tatty twist barrel, early percussion, bar lock, also 14 UKP
1960: S/B Webley & Scott 12-bore, Nitro, ¾ choke, Alphamax: 12 UKP
1961: S/B Joseph Manton 8-bore game gun, twist barrel, browning in good condition, bar lock,, immaculate pattern (never missed a clay pigeon with it, No, never: really...) 14 UKP
1962: Tranter 54-bore revolver with cocking trigger beneath trigger-guard, 14 UKP (then around $50)

The Quinton was too much, but the other three were about right

My money was around ⅛UKP in 1958 (still at school), and 10 - 11 UKP/week afterwards

--
Aonghas

Talk about change sin prices:
In 2013 I bought a Stevens Favorite Receiver on (Auction site) for $30.00 then had to add a little over $100.00 for the California charges in Taxes and Transfer fees.

In 2014 a Stevens Favorite of the same model and stripped of internal parts like mine went for over $100.00 on (Auction site).

I bought a Marlin Model 56 on another (Auction site) for $275.00 in 2013, now they are listed for $400.00!

In the 1950s I bought two Win. 1890s for $50.00
The are listed on (auction site) for Much More now.

In the 1970s I bought two Win 1873s for $50.00 each, try to find 1881-1884 Build date 1873s anywhere near that price today.

My father bought a CMP M1903A3 in the 1950s for about $120.00 and we both used it in Club competitions until I went into the Navy on Extended Active Duty in 1961.  Try buying one nowadays. it is still in the Family Gun Safe, and was joined in 1989 by a .30 M1 Rifle, in 30-06 also, ($565.00) and in 2012 by a .30 M1 Carbine (700.00).  These prices do NOT include the California Taxes and Transfer Fees.

Things have gone up on everything original rapidly of late, possibly due to restrictions on Imports?

Best Regards,
Chev. William

I like Frank's comparison to gold, and it shows how the value of the greenback dollar keeps on falling.

Kurt_701 wrote on Jan 10^th, 2015 at 11:31pm:


Hey Kurt,

Shortly after leaving the USAF in early 1969 as the Nam conflict was winding down, I bought a slightly used 1966 Chevelle with around 20,000 miles on it for $800.  Sold it in 1982 for $650 with 195,900 miles on the odometer.  Probably the best investment I ever made.

Wayne

I still like 69 Chevelles. In 1969 States side, our barracks parking lot looked like a Chevy dealership.
9 Chevelles and one 35 Ford. 
Kurt