Parker time capsule - 1968

[Garth Gustafson]

I recently purchased an old copy of Peter Johnson's book; Parker...America's Finest Shotgun. On the inside cover, a previous owner had scotch taped 2 classified ads from The Shotgun News dated Sept 1968 featuring some very desirable Parkers.

Makes me wonder, did he purchase these great guns and where are they now almost 50 years later...

[Robin Lewis]

Back then I had a good paying job in a steel mill in Pittsburgh paying about $25/day, my rent was 85/month for a three room apt, with utilities included. $785 for a DHE sounds good today but back then it would have been a lot of money.

[Dean Romig]

In 1968 I sold my 1965 GTO hard top with tri-carb, and a close-ratio Muncie for $1,200. and I was making $1.55/hr.






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[Don Somers]

Today my wife & I have 52 years of marriage under our belts, in late 1968 I bought our first new car a 1969 Chevy Camaro Z28 paid $3464.00 for the car. Most of the time I worked two or three jobs just to get ahead (which never happened). Now at nearing 71, I wouldn't want to do it over but I would do it with her.

[Jerry Parise]

I just did an inflation calculation off of google. $875 in 1968 equals $6,105 in 2016. So, though $875 seems very low in the ad it was quite a sum of money.

[Steve Cambria]

Forget the prices, what really astonished me were the seller's addresses. :shock: "Key is under the mat if we're not home."
My, how times have changed.

[Josh Loewensteiner]

Not in any way to hijack the thread but I was up at Julias cataloging last week and cataloged a large collectible sporting shotgun paper collection that is in the April sale. Included in the lot were copies of letters from Larry Del Grego dated 1976 discussing the authenticity of the famous John Lee Pratt Parker A1 special. Del Grego was paid $150 (3 hours at $50 each) to inspect and appraise the gun. He valued the gun at $25,000 at that time.

Times have changed!!! In many ways....

[todd allen]

Further to not hijacking this thread. I was sorting through some old pictures from maybe 20 some years ago. Ran across a picture of a (the?) B grade .410, laying on a sellers table, (Beinfeld's) with a hang-tag on the trigger.
That would have been a good one to scoop up, back then, but so was Las Vegas real estate.


Edited to prevent further embarrassment.
:shock:

[Dean Romig]

I'm confused.... what is a "B grade A-1 Special"???






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[todd allen]

I'm sorry. Brain fade B grade .410.

[Robert Delk]

I've got most copies of the Shotgun News from 1966 through the late 70's and they are fun to go through if you can remember to adjust for inflation.

[Phil Yearout]

In 1975 I was an illustrator at Boeing; my starting salary was $10,000 a year. My dad, who had a really good job (he worked for Mobil Oil as a gauger), said "Do you know how long I worked before I made $10,000 a year?" Times have indeed changed!

[Richard Flanders]

In 1965 my dad supported 8 people on $8,800/yr. I worked in a neighbors hayfields all that summer for .50/hr and at the end had $500 for the entire summers work. I was already playing with my first Parker though, a family VH12 that a brother still has. I don't get it, but economic theories tell us that things cost the same today as then, that you still get the same thing for a days labor, the only difference being the dollar amount involved. Can you imagine what a loaf of bread will cost in 50yrs?? It won't matter really because by then the poverty level will be way above $100,000/yr. Go figure.

[Mike Franzen]

In 1968 I sold my 1965 GTO hard top with tri-carb, and a close-ratio Muncie for $1,200. and I was making $1.55/hr.


YOU DID WHAT??? You HAD a 65 Tri-Power G T O AND YOU SOLD IT!!! I don't know what in the world to think of this young man! Now GO get that car back. ITS MY DREAM!!!


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.[/QUOTE]

[Dean Romig]

.[/QUOTE]


Sorry Mike - the kid I sold it to wound it around a pole three months after he bought it.

(I still have nightmares that I still own it but can't find where I stashed it :crying:)





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[todd allen]

I had a 65 GTO as well. Tri-Power 389, 4 speed, and 410 gears. Wish I still had it.
In about 1978, I passed up on an all original 68 Hemi Roadrunner, because I couldn't come up with the 3 grand the guy wanted.