Luger Automatic Pistol, $24.45
 

"Luger Automatic Pistol, $24.45 30-Caliber, 8 Shots.

"Modeled after the celebrated Maxim gun, automatically reloads and cocks as long as there is a cartridge in the chamber. Absolutely safe against accidental discharge. Nine shots can be fired in less than five seconds. This pistol can also be used as single loader for traget practice. The Luger pistol has the endorsement of the United States and several foreign governments. Very simple to operate; has few parts. The pistol can be dismounted without the aid of any tools in a few seconds time, and as easily assembled. Shoots special 30-Caliber Luger smokeless cartridges, either soft point or metal patched bullets. Range, over 1,500 yards. Weight, 1 pound 13 ounces. Length over all, 9 inches. Length of barrel, 4 amd 5/8 inches.

"No. 6K 1640 30-Caliber Luger Automatic Pistol

"Price.................................................................$ 24.45
"If by mail, postage extra, 48 cents"

SOURCE: SEARS, ROEBUCK & CO. CATALOG No. 117, 1908, page 735

:)

Ah, the good old days!

I have a copy of Shotgun News from about the mid 60's, the priced will drive you crazy....and Ye Ol' Hunters Lodge adds from the late 50's.....

I used to have one of those old Sears catalogs, makes you drool.
Of course, what were people getting paid? Was $30 a month's wages?

I ran the numbers once on C-96's and inflation adjusted, the used ones now are going for about what the new ones were then. Not a significant price increase.

Wow! If only... But you can imagine what $24.00 was in 1908. I can't remember where I saw it but I found a site on the internet that showed the varying values of $10, $50, and $100 from about 1800 to present in today's dollars. Will try to find it again and post a link.

I'd like to post the following quote from a book on gun collecting:

"Is Luger collecting really dead? Some collectors are fed-up with paying the stupendously high prices commanded for the Luger and have turned to other fields, saying that that Lugers have "dried-up".

This paragraph was written in 1972, and appears in a book called " Collectors & Traders Guide to Gun Collecting". The prices listed that he is referring to seem quite reasonable, even by early '70's standard.

What is interesting is the comparative value of Lugers in this price list, since the authors list the common S/42's and 1920 commercials at $165, but Krieghoff at only $250, 02 AE at $500, 1914 Navy at $350, and Arty's at $200!!
Obviously the rarer pieces have appreciated by 20x, and the more common ones only by 10x, validating the old maxim of always save your money the best and rarest.
In any case, Lugers have been a good investment, I was collecting US civil war swords at the time, and a good M1860 calvary sword ran $200-300 then, today they are only around double that. In 10 years or less, when Arty's are running at $10-15K, we'll look back at the good old days of the early 2000's

Vince

Here is a link to a good inflation calculator: http://www.westegg.com/inflation/

The 1908 Sears price is $520.62 in 2006 dollars, still not a bad price.

The comparisons from Vince's list:
S/42, 1920 Commercial @ $165: $793.47
Krieghoff @ $250: $1,202.23
1902 AE @ $500: $2,404.45
1914 Navy @ $350: $1,683.12
LP-08 @ $200: $961.78

--Dwight

Lugers still look like good investments.

Plus you can shoot them, unlike bonds.