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prices from a 1902 Sears & Roebuck catalog(new pics added)
- Thread starter Lee Barner
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I really liked that, "If by mail, postage .40 extra". Why, I'd double that price for either of those 
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The inflation-adjusted price for that Model 1899 is about $410 in today's dollars - still a good price for a finely crafted firearm.
rednichols
Member
That's really useful info, that I've been looking for. Trying to find the price of Colt SAA in 1902 on Google only turns up what folks are asking today, for a Colt SAA made in 1902! My interest as a 'holstorian' is using the price of an SAA as a price benchmark for the era; for example, the price of gold, or a horse, to a cowboy of the time (gunleather belts were used to store both gold coins and the bill of sale for the horse, for example).
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Easy to find inflation adjusted amounts using a variety of websites. Just google CPI Inflation Calculator - I believe there is also an Australian converter. The other question for me is "How much of the average person's weekly or monthly income did that $14 Model 1899 represent?"
shouldazagged
Absent Comrade
A goodly chunk of the monthly, you can be sure.
rednichols
Member
Thank you, and of course I use those already. They can't help with the query, "when Texas lawman Tom Threepersons sold two of his guns in 1929 for a total of $50, how well or poorly did he do?". Perhaps not so badly given that the sale was two weeks after the Crash of '29!
The two guns were a Triple Lock 1st model, and a Winchester 94. They were in used external condition but excellent internally (their latest owner has described them for me) and full page color images are in my (and turnerriver's) book called Holstory -- Gunleather of the 20th Century. As well as his two 'kind of a pair' Colt SAAs.
I have long labored under the legend told to me 50 years ago, that in 1900 a cowboy's Colt SAA, his horse, a $20 gold piece, and an ounce of gold, all were priced the same: $20. But as you can see from the OP's page on the SAA, that's not correct; an SAA was fourteen bucks not twenty, in 1902. I still don't know about his horse! "Depending" would be the answer, or as it is said here, "how long is a piece of string?".
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S&WsRsweet
Member
Cool thread ,I always enjoy the history lessons that go along with old turn of the century advertising .You guys are experts on way more subjects than just firearms .
A few observations/questions:
The model 1899 is listed as .38 Colt, not .38 S&W Special.
The .32-20 caliber is not available.
How did Sears acquire and sell these? I don't recall ever seeing a Smith lettering as shipped to Sears.
Bob
The model 1899 is listed as .38 Colt, not .38 S&W Special.
The .32-20 caliber is not available.
How did Sears acquire and sell these? I don't recall ever seeing a Smith lettering as shipped to Sears.
Bob
I guess we're looking at different catalog pages, because the second page posted by the OP reflects that at least one of the Colt SA revolvers was $22. Admittedly, it was the fancy one . . .
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ExRanger714
Member
Spot price of gold $1286/oz. a few minutes ago.
I too have heard said that a $20 gold piece (not 1 ounce of lump gold) would then, as now, buy a good horse and saddle or a Colt P model.
The poorest of the poor $20 Liberty is worth about $2000 so the adage may be true.
I too have heard said that a $20 gold piece (not 1 ounce of lump gold) would then, as now, buy a good horse and saddle or a Colt P model.
The poorest of the poor $20 Liberty is worth about $2000 so the adage may be true.
I suppose it really depended on where you were and at what point in history during the Old West? If you were in Bodie, California about 1880? ( Very remote ) You'd probably end up paying well over $30 for a SAA. If you were in a major city on the East Coast where all the Gun makers originated? Probably find a good one for under $10. If there was a good hardware store in your town after say 1880 and the train came through town? You could mail order your Colt for about $18. The Hardware store would want at least a buck for their services plus shipping costs but that would be a brand spanking new Colt. Wow! Remember, those prices listed in the early catalogs were often for the Distributor only. NOT the consumer. The catalog was sent to the Distributor from the manufacturer. This Sears & Roebuck catalog was much later. Introduced in the late 1890's when mass production took hold and prices went way down! Plus surplus revolvers/pistols became the duty of Major Distributors to "Sell off" leftover stock at rock bottom prices! In that same 1909? catalog photo'd above you can also find cheap bulldogs for $1.25. Junk? maybe but when they were new they would function well enough that's for sure and shoot fast and accurate at close range. Some were 44 cal! I wouldn't call that a pea shooter!
Oh, one follow up. How did Sears obtain S&W's for sale? If you ever attempt to obtain a factory letter for your antique Smith? Often you will find that your gun was sent to a Major Distributor, right from the factory. You will also notice that it was part of say 500 guns shipped. Once the Major Distributor has possession of your gun it could end up anywhere in the Country! That same Major distributor would advertise and sell to other Distributors. Sears and Roebuck was a "Late in the Game" player but specialized in bulk sales at very low end prices. What folks don't realize is that many!!!! many !!!! of those guns you see listed in 1909 are actually "SURPLUS".. Long discontinued guns that have been sitting around for a long long time unsold!!! Now Sears has them and they are confident that they can get rid of them at low prices.... NOT all of them are surplus but many are! All you have to do is cross reference when the guns were made and discontinued and look at the year of the catalog. If say the Colt lightning was discontinued in 1909 and you see them for sale in a 1915 catalog? Houston, we have a surplus sale! In this same 1909 catalog you will see spur trigger revolvers for sale? The vast majority of that type of revolver was discontinued in the late 1880's. So many of those listed have been sitting around unsold for 20+ years.
1962 Sears 03-A3 for $49
In the early 19060's I bought several rifles from Sears. Place the order, wait for the train (yep....real chew-chew train....no Amazon Prime in those days), pick up your genuine 03-A3 direct from the train depot agent, back to the farm and bang away.
Maybe Sears should have stayed in the gun business instead of latest fad bikinis and they might just still be in business today, but alas................all gone in my area.
In the early 19060's I bought several rifles from Sears. Place the order, wait for the train (yep....real chew-chew train....no Amazon Prime in those days), pick up your genuine 03-A3 direct from the train depot agent, back to the farm and bang away.
Maybe Sears should have stayed in the gun business instead of latest fad bikinis and they might just still be in business today, but alas................all gone in my area.
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All I can say is that when they invent the time machine, I know where I'm going and I'm bringing a bag of gold dust with me.
I sure know what I would do. I would take the old Steam train and visit every Major Distributor throughout the country from coast to coast. They were much like BASS PRO Shops and Cabellas. Only way better. They averaged 4 stories and spread over a city block long! Loaded with "mint condition" antique firearms of all makes and models. Dedicated floors to indoor shooting(Test your firearm before purchase). Elaborate woodwork everywhere, Chandeliers hanging from the ceiling with gas lights, absolutely the best of personalized service including on site gunsmiths, magnificent hand engravers that were way beyond talented! You could have gold plating done dirt cheap with custom banknote engraving that puts everything to shame you see today and it was all hand carved. I sure would never get tired of seeing that level of entertainment.
Here you go!
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Prices for Early Smiths
You can see in the attached catalog photos from 1897-1909 in the Sears catalog that the prices stayed pretty much the same for Smiths. Quality firearms retained their value.
You can see in the attached catalog photos from 1897-1909 in the Sears catalog that the prices stayed pretty much the same for Smiths. Quality firearms retained their value.
