Mine was a 1942 studebaker commander. Dad had a 41 commander and bought the 42 for spare parts but didnt use any. Gave it to me when I was 15. I then bought a 46 chev from a uncle for $65s. Third car was a 1950 studebaker champion starlight coupe and then a 1956 chev 210 coupe. Then a 1950 Dodge coronet buisness mans coupe from another uncle for $65s, then a 1961 oldsmobile 88 coupe.
I have been having fun telling the kids at circle K where I buy my gas, that tank of gas cost me more than I paid for my first 3 cars! They just look at me like I am a dumb old grouch! It was a different day. I didnt even have insurance the first 3 years or so that I drove.
When I look back at it, the very best retirement plan I could have had would have been to buy certain old cars and motorcycles at the bottom of the market. (If you had a old barn to store them). You could quietly sell them when you got old and hopefully not even have a tax factor.
I had a chance at many in the mid late 50s. For instance, I had a high school friend that had a 40 ford coupe that looked new. He wanted $200s for it. On my inflation calculater that $200s back then would be like $1,600s today. I have no doubt that car or a harley or indian MC for the same prices, and they WERE around for that, would all be worth close to $25,000 to $30,000 today. Guns being smaller and easier to store would be high too, but not as high as well chosen coupes or MC`s.
The saved tax factor itself means a LOT! Every time I need to get $10,000 out of my IRA`s, I have to pull out about $13,000 after taxs. I also seen certain airplanes that I could have bought and retired off of it had I had a place to store it. In 1976 I bought a beautiful metalized 1956 piper tri pacer for $5,000s. Today I am quite sure if I had it that one would sell for $50,000 to $60,000s! $5,000 in 1976 would be like paying $20,000s today.