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View Full Version : Memorable Past Hoards I Have Lost



beagle
01-18-2012, 11:13 AM
Number 2 son and I were kicking around, gunshop hopping, back in the 80s and went into this old gunshop in Hillsboro, NC. It had been an old hardware store with shelves to the high ceiling on both sides with a sliding ladder. Glass display cabinets along both sides and junk stashed along both sides. Plenty of guns, reloading supplies and those notorious boxes of "stuff" we all love.

I was browsing along the back wall and here's two cardboard boxes about 24" X 24" and they were half full of moulds. We pulled them out and started digging. A bunch of new boxed H & Gs (both 2, 4 and 6 cavity), some new Saecos, a bunch of new and used Lyman 2 and 4 cavities. A real gold mine.

I was in the Army and on leave at the time and don't remember what I came away with but I marked the target and came back with a full pocket several years later. The place was closed and empty. In checking, the owner had passed away and his son had moved the business so we tracked it down. He was doing business in a shopping center and was still not completely set up yet. We asked about moulds and got the "deer in the headlights" loook and although the guy let us look through the whole place, we couldn't find a single mould.

We'd been had. The hoard was gone to some other hopefully deserving caster. You snooze, you lose.

What's your sad tale?/beagle

LAH
01-18-2012, 11:36 AM
A couple tons of 175 gr. FMJ round nose bullets pulled from imported military ammo.

beagle
01-18-2012, 11:44 AM
How about a 1951 Plymouth junker with the area behind the seats filled with belted AP/tracer .30 ammo in a pile up to the seat tops? I'll bet that thing's still setting there too.

Or an old farmer with a barn with a grainery full of M1 and M1 Carbine stocks?

Or a gunshop with a footlocker 1/2 full of reloading dies mostly RCBS and Pacific. You pick and choose for $1. each. Came away from there with a set of .35 Whelans after much digging.

I'll post more as time goes on./beagle

DLCTEX
01-18-2012, 11:53 AM
At an estate auction about 6 yrs. ago there was a roll away tool cabinet with top box. Mounted on the top box was 5- Lyman 55 powder measures, a Corbin swage press, and two smaller C presses. In the drawers were dies and jackets for swaging bullets, lots of them. Also was another Corbin swage press NIB and probably 20 sets of reloading dies + much other stuff. I had already bought all the gun powder and primers and quiet a bit of other and figured the tool box lot would go too high, but was hoping it would be split up. When the auctioneer said sell it as a unit, I turned my attention to a gun that was to be auctioned and didn't tune back in to the sale until I heard the auctioneer say " I sold it for $385". Of course the buyer wouldn't sell any part.[smilie=b:

Bent Ramrod
01-18-2012, 02:30 PM
Several Stevens #44-1/2s at prices under $250 (my upper limit in the Good Old Days) that I turned my nose up at for one reason or another not related to financing, because I did have the money available. I must have had some idea that these bargains would keep coming along forever.

Probably the worst one that got away occurred when I motorcycled into the parking lot at college and parked there was a C-Series Vincent Black Shadow with a "For Sale--$750" sign on the Girdraulic fork. I had the money, but didn't have the storage space and didn't want to bother with finding some. The next Vincent Shadow I saw for sale was going for $20,000.

No problem with moulds--I glom onto all that I can find that are reasonable. Learned my lesson there. The bad part about this is having to buy guns to shoot some of the boolits cast from the moulds. That does get expensive.

oscarflytyer
01-18-2012, 02:41 PM
Several Stevens #44-1/2s at prices under $250 (my upper limit in the Good Old Days) that I turned my nose up at for one reason or another not related to financing, because I did have the money available. I must have had some idea that these bargains would keep coming along forever.

Probably the worst one that got away occurred when I motorcycled into the parking lot at college and parked there was a C-Series Vincent Black Shadow with a "For Sale--$750" sign on the Girdraulic fork. I had the money, but didn't have the storage space and didn't want to bother with finding some. The next Vincent Shadow I saw for sale was going for $20,000.

No problem with moulds--I glom onto all that I can find that are reasonable. Learned my lesson there. The bad part about this is having to buy guns to shoot some of the boolits cast from the moulds. That does get expensive.

So not just me... '78 Harley XLCR. Could'a walked for $2000. Had cash in my pocket. Was in 1986. Last one I saw was in the $8000 range. Been awhile - can't stand to look nowadays - makes me cry...

Harter66
01-18-2012, 02:48 PM
I had a Ruger bear cat (the little single 6 22lr?) for a while . I found out later what is was worth...........

The 2nd Carcano.

A trio of stainless Montana 84s @ $179 ea tax/doc/brady w/Weaver 6x on them............

Ben
01-18-2012, 02:53 PM
I went into a gun shop in downtown Birmingham, AL in the early 60's.
The owner ( 80 + in age at that time ) was a bullet caster and as a result had a lot
of Lyman bullet molds in his display case for sale. The new molds were :

single cav. molds $8.00 each
double cav. molds $12.00 each

He probably had 50+ molds for sale that day.

gandydancer
01-18-2012, 03:18 PM
ESTATE SALE in 1976 old beat up home & barn in cheshire ct owner selling off items of his dads. old ideal molds odds and ends. purchased some molds did not have enough cash with me. I lived 10 miles away went home for money. wife had a honey dew list waiting for me.got back to the molds about 5 hrs later around 7:pm paid the money. I knew the owner a few years and he ask me about the old car I was driving a 1951 chevy and ask if I liked old cars and of course I did. took me over to the old barn and in side was a 1937 plymouth pickup great cond on body. motor and tranny setting in truck bed. belonged to his son who had died of cancer at 20 years old he wanted the truck removed that day. HE GAVE IT TO ME FOR FREE. just get it out. I and a friend tried to tow it home with a chain. cops stoped me. told me to get a tow truck. stopped beside a FRIENDS house with truck ask if I could leave it in his drive way for a few days. he said sure. went back in 10 days to get truck friend had moved and took truck with him never seen him or the truck again been 36 years now. hope he enjoyed it. GD

cbrick
01-18-2012, 03:23 PM
Thanks Beagle, I'll probably be depressed the rest of the day thinking about it.

How many times in the past I've said things like "yep, that's a great price but I don't know what I'd do with it". Only to find out a month later that if nothing else I could have at least doubled my money. Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda.

Not molds though, I take any that come my way that aren't radically over priced and it's something that I don't already have and once mine they stay mine. In fact they can bury them with me when the time comes.

Rick

Shuz
01-18-2012, 06:14 PM
Back in the early 60's in Caribou,Maine there was a hardware store on Main street that had a new Ruger .256 Win mag Hawkeye. It was there for a long time, but I just couldn't justify the whopping $87.95 they were asking for a single shot. Prolly still there?....Yeah, right!

clintsfolly
01-18-2012, 06:29 PM
A pallet of Browning A5's for $205. Ea. 12ga3", lite 12s 20 Buck SP all types!! But I was saving for a new truck. Clint

brotherdarrell
01-18-2012, 09:09 PM
2 years ago. LGS had a 22rf savage/anshutz single shot bolt gun for $160, german made. Sat there for over 4 months before it sold. Still kick myself. Did'nt know what it was at the time.

brotherdarrell

mpmarty
01-18-2012, 10:38 PM
Moving with a buddy from Reno Nevada to Tampa Florida. Had a 35gallon oil drum full of clip on wheel weights. Friend urged me to leave them as we could get all we wanted after the move and the barrel was just too heavy.

GOPHER SLAYER
01-18-2012, 11:16 PM
In the early 1960's my brother got a dealership for Honda motorcycles. When I was telling an older friend and fellow range member about it he asked if my brother would be interested in an old Harley. He took me out to an old shed and proceeded to pull the canvas off of what he said was 1940 Harley. He said his brother had been riding it several years before and had turned it over. He then went on to say he had the bike repaired and the motor overhauled but he never rode it again. He asked if I thought my brother would give $250 dollars for it. He said it needed a battery.I told him I would ask but before I had the chance my friend mentioned it to someone else and the guy promptly bought it. After buying the hog the guy sold it right away for $800 dollars. MY friend was very put out. In my defense I can only say that I new nothing about old motorcycles and in those days we had silver money, not this Monopaly paper we use today. That is to say I had just bought our first home and I didn't have the money.

quack1
01-19-2012, 10:00 AM
1971- I was on summer break from college and doing most any odd jobs to supplement my normal summer job of working in a steel mill. One of the older guys I worked with asked if I would paint his one car garage for $40. After I was done, and knowing that I hunted ducks a lot. he asked if I would be interested in taking an old boat he had as payment instead of the $40. I took a look and as I already had a beat-up jon boat for hunting, decided the cash was more useful to a college kid than another boat. The boat I passed up was an "Alumacraft Ducker" duck boat, probably the best aluminum duck boat ever made for shallow water duck hunting. I had no idea at the time, to me it was just another boat. Now, they are almost "collector items" and if you can even find one for sale, it will cost you a large chunk of change.

Texantothecore
01-19-2012, 10:33 AM
From the 1980s:

Wista 4x5 field camera done in cherry and brass. Swings and tilts etc. Twin rail 4x5 enlarger. Both with multiple lenses, good lenses. Vertical developing tanks with fittings for bubble processing.

800 bucks.

The offer was made exactly 3 hours after I had emptied my bank account at the title company for my first house. Have always regretted not cutting a deal of some type.

MT Gianni
01-19-2012, 10:33 AM
In the fall of '72 I was headed to school to be a Diesel Mechanic. I Passed on a 51 Chev pick-up with a custom bed full of $7,000 of tools new price. The widow wanted $950 and I had a list of what the school said I needed. I ended up spending $800 for nowhere neer the items that were on that truck.
I passed up more than a few shotguns as I have never really been a shotgun guy, Stevens doubles for $150, Browning Citori for $275 ,are the ones that stick out. All of this was in the late 80's when the kids were young.

Texantothecore
01-19-2012, 11:12 AM
Austin healey Bug-eyed Sprite in good condition, British racing green. 400 bucks. I passed on it. sob.....

3006guns
01-19-2012, 11:25 AM
Moving with a buddy from Reno Nevada to Tampa Florida. Had a 35gallon oil drum full of clip on wheel weights. Friend urged me to leave them as we could get all we wanted after the move and the barrel was just too heavy.

I'm only 150 miles from Reno. What was your address again..........?:bigsmyl2:

Actually, I think I'm entering a "greedy" phase of my life. Like everyone else, I've lost too many good deals by hesitating or talking myself out of it. Nowadays I'll float a loan, sell the dog, whatever it takes.

fixit
01-19-2012, 01:12 PM
two summers ago, at a yard sale, found a remington .22 semi auto and a mossberg m500 shotgun. owner wanted 100$ each, and i had money in pocket, but passed:veryconfu:?

blackthorn
01-19-2012, 01:48 PM
In 1958 I went into a second hand store in New Westminster BC. On the wall were two rifles, a Marlin 30-30 octogan barrelled rifle (not carbine) and a Winchester lever action 303. Each @ $15 dollars, take your pick. Bought the Marlin, left the Winchester, shoulda got both!!! Still got the Marlin though.

wtfooptimax200
01-19-2012, 08:42 PM
Actually, I think I'm entering a "greedy" phase of my life. Like everyone else, I've lost too many good deals by hesitating or talking myself out of it. Nowadays I'll float a loan, sell the dog, whatever it takes.

I totally agree...luckily I'm only 25 and have already entered my greedy phase. I have a very hard time passing up a good deal.

Jack Stanley
01-19-2012, 10:18 PM
I'm only 150 miles from Reno. What was your address again..........?:bigsmyl2:

Actually, I think I'm entering a "greedy" phase of my life. Like everyone else, I've lost too many good deals by hesitating or talking myself out of it. Nowadays I'll float a loan, sell the dog, whatever it takes.

It's nice to see I'm not the only one who will float a loan and then figure out how to pay for it [smilie=l:

Not all that many years ago I worked a ton of overtime and saved the cash for a big gun show that was coming up . Brother and I both went in his big truck and a good thing too ! There was a deal on good .308 surplus ammo and between the two of us we got close to forty cases . it was good stuff and the price was really right .

Jack

Fishman
01-19-2012, 10:34 PM
I totally agree...luckily I'm only 25 and have already entered my greedy phase. I have a very hard time passing up a good deal.

That's funny right there.

The past hoard I wish I'd have taken advantage of was when the Swedes were being imported. I remember looking through a table full of rifles and carbines most of which were matching. The rifles were $79 and the carbines were $99. This was in the mid 90's. I bought one rifle at the next show after saving up, but by then they were mostly nonmatching.

A couple years ago I bought two gorgeous all matching Swede 96's for quite a bit more than $79 each and didn't bat an eye. Almost had to sell a kid though:). The two rifles were from the same unit. Pretty cool.

gnoahhh
01-20-2012, 11:59 AM
Austin healey Bug-eyed Sprite in good condition, British racing green. 400 bucks. I passed on it. sob.....

In 1983 I was gassing up my 1959 MGA Twin Cam when a scruffy kid approached me and admired my "race" car. He then asked me if I would be interested in another "race" car that he and his brother needed to dispose of out of the back alley garage they had rented in order to go into the automatic "trans-missy-own" [sic] repair business. Their landlord had told them to scrap it. Well, what did I have to lose? Upon opening the garage door 5 minutes later, there sat a rust-free Bugeye Sprite, up on blocks, with a racing stripe down the hood (hence the "race" car appellation) under about 20 years worth of dust. Scattered around the car were 3 complete engines and transmissions, plus a pickup truck full of other odds and ends- including a full set of Minilite mag wheels. I said "How much?" He said "Just get it out of here, we need the space." After a frantic search for a pay phone I found myself telling my buddy to get the hell over here NOW with the rollback. I restored the car and played with it for 10 years, then sold it for a LOT more than I paid for it!

Then there was the guy in the parking lot of a small gun show 40+ years ago with a trunk full of Springfield stuff- a bunch of minty 1903's, and a complete M1903 armorer's tool chest with every tool and gauge present in the original oak chest-- all priced to sell. And me a poor college kid without two nickels to rub together...

MT Gianni
01-20-2012, 06:14 PM
In the early 1960's my brother got a dealership for Honda motorcycles. When I was telling an older friend and fellow range member about it he asked if my brother would be interested in an old Harley. He took me out to an old shed and proceeded to pull the canvas off of what he said was 1940 Harley. He said his brother had been riding it several years before and had turned it over. He then went on to say he had the bike repaired and the motor overhauled but he never rode it again. He asked if I thought my brother would give $250 dollars for it. He said it needed a battery.I told him I would ask but before I had the chance my friend mentioned it to someone else and the guy promptly bought it. After buying the hog the guy sold it right away for $800 dollars. MY friend was very put out. In my defense I can only say that I new nothing about old motorcycles and in those days we had silver money, not this Monopaly paper we use today. That is to say I had just bought our first home and I didn't have the money.

Dad bought an old Harley about 1962 that had a suicide clutch and a hand shift lever. I was 8and IIRC he paid $25. He promptly stripped it and used the parts to make a "tote gote" that we played around on for years, 5 hp Briggs and Stratton. I don't know if it ran or not but it was the original sows ear out of a silk purse when I hit my teens. I probably would have killed my self and /or given my Mother a heart attack but it would have been a ride.

TCLouis
01-20-2012, 11:18 PM
Not that many years ago, a local guy was selling Martini Mod 12s and 15s with target sights for 165 bucks. Heck that was way to much for a 22.

Sight are worth that now

bbqncigars
01-22-2012, 12:43 PM
Long story shortened: around 1970 my visiting grandmother asked me if I'd be interested in a pistol her friend was selling prior to moving south. Comparing ammo and guns on hand, the pistol's ammo was "more like a .44 special than a 9mm." It was a Mauser in it's original box with manual plus ammo all in German. She said it held the ammo like the Win 94 I showed her. ***? I told her that I'd pay $120 for it, figuring any old minty Mauser pistol had to be worth that. She later called and told me she didn't make the offer to her friend, as she hated to see me waste the money. Later reading in the first edition of "Cartridges of the World" revealed an unillustrated entry of an obsolete 11mm Mauser pistol round for a prototype tubular magazine Mauser pistol. No examples of the ammo were known to exist.
That made me ever so happy that my grandmother saved me from wasting the money from my paper route. I never told her what she'd done. I pray that the gun will turn up in some magazine or auction notice. I would dearly like to see some pictures of it.

Boerrancher
01-22-2012, 02:23 PM
Back when I was in college in 91, I was looking for rebuild parts. I had just lost my 69 Grand Torino GT Sport, do to a Tractor Trailer who's driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. I went to this junk yard to see if there was any body parts. The fella that owned it was a Viet Nam vet and after talking to him about what I was wanting he told me he didn't have any Torinos. He then told me he had a 69 GTO Judge in the barn. He took me to the barn and pulled a tarp off of a new looking judge on blocks. It still had the original tires on it and had less than 10k miles. He reached in and turned the key and it fired right up. We talked about it for a while and he told me the story. He and his best friend from high school made it back from Viet Nam in 69 and bought a pair of Judges. They was racing them one night and his friend lost control, crashed and was killed instantly. After the funeral he pulled his into the barn and there it had sat all those years. On occasion he would go out and start it, put it in gear and run it on the blocks for a while to keep everything lubed.

When I ask if he wanted to sell it, he told me it was time for it to go. I ask how much he wanted and he told me $6,000. I had the money and like a fool I thanked the man and walked away. Still to this day I kick myself for not buying that car, bringing it home and putting it up on blocks. I knew then that if I did buy it I would do exactly what he had done with it, except I would have taken it out and drove it on nice days. That car was worth twice that back then and would be worth 10x that today.

The other big mistake I made around the same time was a Mod 99 Savage, take down in a 30-30 sitting in a gun shop for $75.

Best wishes,

Joe

WilNsc
01-22-2012, 02:39 PM
Back in the 90's I was in Montana for a weekend and the very small towns gunshop had a few crates of SKS's for $69 each out the door. I only bought two because "Hell these things are so cheap they'll probally never be worth much"

Alley Cat
01-22-2012, 03:05 PM
In the early 90's, my dad got all of the lead wheel weights he wanted for free from the local tire shop. He melted it down to make farm equipment counter weights. I think he got a total of 500 lbs and all of it went to the scrap yard a few years later for the price of scrap steel...

10x
01-22-2012, 03:38 PM
My friend Rene ran a 2nd hand store. He died and his widow asked me to help clean out the store and haul the stuff her family didn't want to the garbage. About thirty trips to the dump we found his guns and ammo stash. Got a weblely 38 S&W, about 8000 rounds of ammo in all calbers, and a whole swack of reloading stuff. His stepkids too the rifles and acouple of pistols but his widow said - take the rest.

A number of owner operator hardware stores went out of business - I would put abid in on guns, ammo, and gun accessories. My standard bid was $200.00 The value of the goods received was sometime 10x to 20x that.

fatelk
01-22-2012, 07:41 PM
The past hoard I wish I'd have taken advantage of was when the Swedes were being imported. I remember looking through a table full of rifles and carbines most of which were matching. The rifles were $79 and the carbines were $99.
I remember that. I'm still kicking myself for not buying at least one. I was young and didn't know any better back then.

My friend's dad owned a small hardware store in a small town for many years. I remember going in there and looking at the ammo he had on the shelves. There wasn't a whole lot, but he had a bunch of oddball stuff that had been there so long the boxes were faded- stuff like .350 Magnum and the like.

He closed the store down some years back and sold the building. I asked my friend what his dad did with the old ammo, figuring he sold it cheap or still had it. He said no, his dad was worried about some of it being old, so he took it all into the garage, put the brass in a vise, pulled the bullets with pliers, dumped out the powder, and threw it all in the garbage.