Sears 1897 catalog
 

From a reprint of Sears 1897 catalog . Also has Colt, lC Smith, Charles Daly,WW Greener, Ithaca, Crescent, Remington, Baker , Forehand Arms, Davis, Syracuse Arms, Lefaucheaux, Belgium guns, and others. 9 pages of just sxs shotguns. Plus other shotguns, rifles and handguns.

I'd sure like to know what the No. 81, No. 82, No. 83, No. 83 1/2, No. 84 and No. 85 represent.... ?

I guess the numbers only represent catalog numbers.



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Dean, yes they are catalog numbers

I find it interesting that Sears was selling a DH with a list price of $100 for $64.25 .

Parker Brpos. was overly generous with their discounts for retailers - but then, there was fierce competition from other SXS shotgun makers. But it sure looks like the retailer came out on top in profit-making.





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Just as a side note to this thread, Sears began in a train depot in the town of North Redwood, Minnesota. This is only a couple miles from the house where I grew up in Redwood Falls. Richard Sears was a cattle buyer for a very large area farmer and eventually found himself as the train depot agent in North Redwood selling watches. My father in laws relative purchased the first watch Richard sold and within a few months he moved on to Minneapolis and then Chicago where the full retail and mail order business took off.

Sears catalog No. 107 Fall 1898

https://photos.smugmug.com/US-Makers...20Parker-M.png

No. 112 1902 "BORED FOR NITRO POWDER" :shock:

https://photos.smugmug.com/US-Makers...20Parker-L.png

Discounts William Read & Sons 1906

https://photos.smugmug.com/US-Makers...0catalog-L.jpg

It appears that sears offered a discount close to 60% off retail with Read a little more. Couple this with the fact that the retailers were making a reasonable profit, I would say that Parker was selling at 50% to the larger retailers. Makes the direct orders look like not so good buys.

The thought occurred to me that I have never seen a gun lettered that was ordered by a catalog company like Sears. I believe I have seen a couple to Read. I suspect their sales when they occurred were likely basic level guns. I suppose most experienced or serious shooters paid the difference for the custom ordering. Either way, I think the catalog price looks to be better than the discounted prices quoted in most letters.

One other comment on the original picture. If you expand the picture, I suspect a lot of buyers of the hammer gun were pretty disappointed when they received their guns if they were looking at the picture provided.