Pricing for pocket revolvers in 1901, courtesy of Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co.

[Philosopher]

I have a tiny assortment of vintage catalogs that I was digging through last night. I happened upon a catalog from Hibbard, Spencer, Barlett and Company, then located at Lake and Wabasha in Chicago, Illinois. The catalog is dated 1901.

 

The catalog is 160 pages long and is a wonderful insight into the sporting goods and firearms available at that time. Colts, Winchesters, S&W, Marlins – they're all in there!

 

I have a few old Smith and Wesson pocket revolvers, one a double-action top break with a hammer, and two New Departure Hammerless models (lemon squeezers). All are chambered in .32 S&W "short". Checked the catalog and there they were on pages 59 and 60.

 

What struck me is the premium that the S&W pocket pistols commanded over the pocket revolvers from Hopkins and Allen, Harrington and Richardson, and Iver Johnson. The S&W (and Colt) revolvers are typically THREE times the price of the other manufacturers. A S&W New Departure revolver in .32 was around $14, and the same revolver in .38 S&W was $15-$16. The same types of revolvers from H&A, H&R, and Iver Johnson never exceeded $5!

 

Pictures from the catalog showing the S&W revolvers and some of the other brands mentioned follow. Enjoy!

 

 

[watab kid]

its always fun to see these old documents , amazing how much our dollar has inflated over the decades - centuries , owned a couple of those shown in these catalogs but not in the condition to command an equivalent inflated price , kinda wish i still had them tho 

[Hoss]

I have several old pocket pistols. H&R, Iver Johnson, H&A, a Merwin Hulbert, and some S&Ws. The S&Ws definitely higher quality. Although the Merwin Hulbert is close!

[Warden Callaway]

Back then a dollar a day was a good wages.  Dad was born in 1917 tells of howing corn for 25 cents a day.