When other kids
were reading comicbooks and jerking off to Ellie Mae Clampett, I was reading the Herter’s catalog. yeah, I know, that probably explains a few things; but lord, what a catalog!
You could buy any kind of gun accessory.
A minibike. hell, they made several.
THis sucker was the Christmas Wish Book for kids doomed to the sporting life, and I read each catalog cover to cover. Of course, sometimes scraping together the $1 cover price for the catalog was the most I’d be able to scratch together in a year, and that, often as not, had to be enough. My fishing supplies were purchased by Dad, until I could afforsd to myself, in my teens. My hunting supplies were what dad had.
But with the Herters catalog, I could dream. I could look at the cool stuff and think about the day I could be the big game hunter, the professional sport fisherman, the perfectly accessorized sportsman.
Old George Herter was going barking mad, and it showed in the things he did and wrote, but they were incredibly entertaining. if you ever lay your hands on an old catalog, you’ll find it’s an interesting read.
Minibikes were a blast! You can still buy one for under $300 at Pep Boys. Not as fancy as Herter’s but hey. Could be wrong but I believe Herters was bought out by Cabela’s in the early 90’s.
In the same vain but somewhat different area of interest… I used to get the Heathkit catalog. Build your own short wave radio or even a TV!!! Tons o stuff…but like yourself, no money. The closest I came was taking tubes from the set down to the hardware store to test em for dad.
Judging by your trip to Africa, you DID become the big game hunter…
“Ye Olde Hunter’s Lodge” for guns – $99.95 for a Lhati 20mm; $189.95 for the Soloturn 20mm. Built my first color TV from a Heathkit catalog
I grew up with the Herter’s catalog. I loved the hyperbole.
Wish I’d bought a couple of the Lahti 20mm’s too, but back then a buck was day’s labor for a kid.
MC
Funny that you bring up Herter’s Catalog. A friend cleaned out some storage and gave me some firearms-related books including Herter’s Catalog No. 83, August 1972 – August 1973. What a marvel!
“Herter’s Mark U9 Custom Made, Centuries Ahead, Advanced Design Bolt Actions”
I personally preferred Barbara Eden to Ellie Mae. Out first TV was a Heathkit!
Man does that bring bac memories. We’re in the same boat as far as Herter’s is concerned. They sold fishing rod kits. Build’em yourself. I bought and built several. Two, an ulta-lite spin cast and an ultra-lite fly rod, I still have and use on occasion. They also sold rifle and shotgun stocks. They also sold stock blanks and stocks that had defects for a little of nothing. I bought a couple of each. The postage was more than the cost of the stocks and blanks. Ended up making lamps out of them and they turned out nice. My brother still has one of them. I tell you though, I’ve worked with a lotta wood over the years but the walnut in those stocks and blacks was some of the most dense and hardest I’ve ever come across. I swear it was almost as hard a lignum vitae.
Herter, man. This here is the best (fill in the item) ever in the whole world. We got a sacerometer and with it came the recipes for at least 2 kinds of beer, 5 kinds of wine and sour mash whiskey. We were to young to buy beer but we sure could make it. First batch not too good. Second was in George Herters words the best beer there is. You have to go to Germany to get beer this good. Or something like that. It’s been a long52 years. Herters! Man them were some times