Found something today that made me go Hmmmm.

[Wayne R. Scott]

I was going through an antique store today and found a Photo Dealer Official Blue Book for trade-in allowances on used photo equipment September, 1963. Here are some of the prices I found interesting:

Leica M-2, 2.0 Summicron $140.00
Leica M-3, 2.0 Summicron $160.00

Contax IIa, 1.5 Sonnar $60.00
Contax IIIa, 1.5 Sonnar $65.00

Canon P, 1.8 Canon $65.00
Canon L-1, 1.8 Canon $65.00

Nikon S2, 1.4 Nikkor $65.00
Nikon S3, 1.4 Nikkor $90.00
Nikon SP, 1.4 Nikkor $107.00

If only I had spent my lawn mowing and paper route money on some of these cameras instead of Pepsi, comic books and .22 rifle shells. :bang: I would have been the richest 6th grader in my school.

Wayne

 

[SolaresLarrave]

That's the problem of looking at old catalogs and price lists...

But then, I sober myself by thinking about the price of a loaf of bread, a bottle of milk and gas, versus the salary a college professor with a PhD would get in the early 50s (about $8000/year).

Nice thing to look at, though...

 

[back alley]

Canon P, 1.8 Canon $65.00


i'll take 2 please.

i guess times have changed a bit, eh?

joe

 

[nwcanonman]

Let's see my allowance at that time was a quarter a week. So if I'd of saved for .............. , naw. The Civil War trading cards I bought for a nickel a pack then sold for $400 awhile back.
I'ts all a trade-off ~ ; - )

 

[jan normandale]

Wayne!!

first rule.... never second guess yourself. Comix , 22 rifle shells and Pepsi sounds just about right for me when I was young. I'd have to drop the 22 thing because there is nowhere to discharge firearms in a city but fishing was just as good and those Daredevle spoons cost me a lot too.

I don't regret that , and I really don't think you do either. Probably makes you a better photographer

Jan

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

Actually, if I had kept my comic books in the wrappers until today they would be worth a small fortune also.

Wayne

 

[Heath]

I used to spend my allowance on Star Wars toys. When I was 13 I thought I was too old for them and gave them to a neighbours children. NHow they are worth a small fortune, especially when the set is complete.

Oh well, thems the breaks.

Heath

 

[JoeFriday]

20 years ago I bought a bunch of comic books for their collectible value.. a handful of the 3D issues are still in the unopened protective wrapper with the funny little glasses.. I don't even know what they look like inside.. I paid a buck a piece for them.. now they're worth almost $3.. so far my investment has really paid off well! LOL

 

[Oldprof]

... the salary a college professor with a PhD would get in the early 50s (about $8000/year).

I think that is way too high for the early 1950s. I started grad school in 1970 and one of the beginning assistant professors in my department was making $10,000/year. When I was a beginning assistant professor in 1976 my first year's salary was $12,000.

 

[pshinkaw]

There's a story on the ABC news website about a Conference at MIT tomorrow on Time Travel (things get weird closer to final exams). Since there is an open invitation to all time traveler's to attend, there may be an opportunity here to get some of them (assuming some attend) go back and make some purchases for us. Better yet. perhaps they can tell us what camera purchases to make today that will be valuable in the future.

I think for prudence's sake, I would stay away from anything that might invite SEC scrutiny.

-Paul

 

[nwcanonman]

Being a "pack rat" I've still got a lot of goodies from my childhood. The first Seven Astronaut cards, with the 3D pics on the back and the glasses. "Zorro" trading cards (Disney's first). An actual Lil' Oscar Weiner whistle. Original Smurf figures, LOL. Sold the first dozen "Spiderman" comics for a song. Now that the 2nd movies out, I could've made a mint.
We'd all be millionaires in hindsite. ~ ; - )