Remember when
 

Hey gang,
I was going through some old books, looking for a specific article and came across this ad in an old issue of Shotgun News. I thought it was interesting and wanted to share it with the gang. I blocked out the seller's name and phone number to protect his privacy.
Mike

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/remember_when.jpg

What was the date of that add?
I have to know so I can set it in my Time Machine.

Sorry, I should have included the date. It was dated Sept 1, 1972

i'll take the erfurt, the military/police, the swiss bern.... :)

Hey Mike,

In 1972...all I was doing was chasing disco babes and not trying to fall off my platform shoes...but those Swiss prices make me cry...

Luger prices, or if you will, luger VALUES, have gone up more than gold, inflation, or just about anything save prime realestate!

Doc,

You had it right the first time. Luger prices are going up much faster than Luger value.

--Dwight

I can hear this guys thoughts and have hear them many times since: "the price of PO8s have peaked since I bought them for a third of current prices before 1968. I think that I'll get into Nambus while they are still cheap". Big mistake. TH

Dwight, completely understand what you say. It will be interesting to see what the gavel gown prices were for the recent Rock Island Auction. It's also interesting to watch the "on hold" and "sold" signs appear at Simpsons LTD. As long as someone is willing to pay higher prices, the "values" will sooner or later follow. These numbers seem to just go up and up. I don't see that with other collectible firearms, save Colt percussions, SA Armies, some model 1911's and early Winchester rifles, certainly not with Nambus (babies and granpapas excepted).

Guys,

The economic realities are this: the kids who grew up watching Vic Morrow and were sons of the "Greatest Generation" have lusted after Lugers for many years. This group is now middleaged and are no longer spending to excess chasing wimmen or buying diapers as the result of successes in chasing wimmen. We have reached the point where many are fortunate enough to have a little disposable income for hobbies.

And when there is a lot of money chasing a fixed supply of any commodity, there is but one result.

Tom A

I was collecting lugers in 1972. However I was also making around $9500 per year. They were still priced beyond what I could readily purchase. We need those prices with todays salary!!!!!

I had just been drafted into the Army. Now, how much do you think I was making back then?

Hate to break anybody's bubble, but this guy was not selling cheap Lugers. Did up the prices accounting for inflation (this http://www.westegg.com/inflation/infl.cgi is a great little inflation calculating tool):

Test Eagle $2,508
Totenkopf $1,710
1921 Police $1,140
1906 Swiss Police $1,824
1918 DWM $752
1900 Swiss $1,938
1913 Erfurt $889
1906 AE .30 $2,052
1906/24 Berne $1,710

With Bill's 1972 inflation-adjusted salary of $43,330 this puts us right about in today's ballpark.

--Dwight (the spoil-sport)

This is why I like collecting old cars as well. Pricing developed a bit differently there.

My car 'stash' would have cost me a whopping 1,1 million dollars twenty-odd years ago. Didn't pay that kind of money when I bought them :)

yes, but you've "fixed" some of those cars up, haven't you! The time spent and money (guilden) over 20 years makes a difference :D


Ed

Hi Ed,

It's not that bad. Seriously. I think.... :D

Showoff time: Current project, sofar less than 3,000 spent on it, including purchase of the car (as a gutted wreck, no interior, no gearbox).

Before
http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload...002s_copy1.jpg

During
http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/p0010018s.jpg

After painting (the volkwagen van was not used as a donor vehicle :D )
http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/p6010009s.jpg

Pipeman, does $77/month for an E1 in 1972 sound familiar? With your food & lodging paid (if the army wanted you to have a wife, they would have issued one) you might have had enough left over to purchase a P38 at the time. I know I passed on several that weren't perfect @$50 each. TH

Hi Gerbin nice to have a wealthy friend

a long time collector that introduced me Lugers told me a good luger always costs a month's wages. What where you making in 1972? 1962? 1982? 1992? and what does a good luger cost these days?

Ed,

We're having an issue with the FN pistols at the moment. The 6,35 pocket pistols can no longer be owned on a permit ('unwanted sidearm') and the 7,65 ones are changing hands for as little as 75 Euros. A large batch was sold to sports shooters some 15 - 20 years ago and now they're just taking up valuable permit space (max of 5 guns over here). Our club already has a donated FN 7,65 ex-customs pistol and another ex-police pistol given to us by club members. (and there's a nice hi-power coming soon).

Richie,
As they say 'he who dies with the most toys wins'.

Mike,
Sorry for plastering your nice thread over with benz images :)

I think I was getting child's benifits in 1972.