In 1979 (when I started reloading) CCI Standard Primers were $6.99/1000, Magnums were $1 more and BR's were about the same as Magnums.
In 2008 I lost my job and sold my "Unmarked" primer stash for what they wholesaled for at that time. I had bricks I couldn't sell because they had $8.99 and $10.99 written on them with magic marker. I sold 30some thousand primers and got around $850 (just under $40/1000). In 2010 I stumbled onto Federal Match primers for $39-/1000 by the 5000 flat. I think the last flat of Federal 215M I bought was $65/1000 by the 5000 in about 2019 or 2020 BC (Before Covid)
In 2011 or 2012 I lost a different job and sold my "Strategic Reserve" of casting lead in 25-pound ingots for 45 cents a pound. 40 ingots was 1000 pounds I got $450 (I had 10 cents a pound in it)
Commonly used reloading components are a good hedge against both inflation and hard times.
A friend of mine bought a very large fireproof gun safe (think 80 or 88 guns but all shelves) just to store powder, primers and jacketed bullets in. (When Burger would discontinue a bullet he liked, he would buy their remaining factory stock of that bullet! He had 6500 each of three different 6.5mm bullet the same weight. Sure enough, Burger gave his number to some big money reloader, and he would sell off a thousand of a bullet for 4 or 5 times what he paid! I've done similar things with 1980's 22 RF ammo that shooters had guns that shot that ammo best! (Only I was charging 10x what I paid on clearance!)
Ivan
