How we ordered before the internet

[11Bravo]

I was getting rid of old stuff and came across this invoice from 1975. Notice the prices and how it was done by check through the mail. I wonder if my return credit is still good? haha

 

[ohio ramrod]

Yea, I have been ordering from Dixie since 1972. Plus buying from The Log cabin since 1966. Prices have gone up since then!

 

[oldwood]

In the 1970's , most places selling m/l parts took cash through the mail. They would either send you change , or credit slip. ............oldwood

 

[11Bravo]

Look at the postage cost for the items, and I'm a few states away!

 

[hrt4me]

is COD still a thing?

 

[tom_in_vt]

I remember filling out order forms and mailing a check!

 

[Robin Henderson]

Yea...and DGW made a fortune on all those unclaimed credits.

 

[Timber Wolf]

Where those $1.50 a dozen American Flints any good?

 

[Sidney Smith]

I remember those days. Page through paper catalog, pick out what you want, tear out order form, fill it out, include check or money order, fill out envelope, place check and order form inside envelope, include postage, seal and mail order. Weeks go by. No notice whether order sent or not. Approximately one month later order arrives.

Catalog becomes bathroom reading until new catalog arrives with your order.

 

[mooman76]

I use to send a little extra money in case the price went up a little or my math was off. Not enough money would delay your order as much as a month or more.

Some places also took phone orders with a credit card. If we got our order in a few weeks, we thought that was quick.

 

[sawyer04]

Where those $1.50 a dozen American Flints any good?

I ordered flints in a dozen lot in the 70's from Dixie and still have some, there quality was not great and some not useable.

 

[oldwood]

That American flint was Arkansas Chert. There was a guy that used to come around to the Indian POW WOW's maybe 10 yrs. ago. He made arrow heads and gun flints out of the chert also. It sparked about 2/3 's as good as English.

 

[Whitworth]

Remember when the 800 number came into use for toll free phone ordering. When that came about I thought we had reached the zenith of shopping

 

[11Bravo]

If I recall those dozen cheap flints were just that, I was always shooting on a budget back then. I only have them now as I didn't trust them hunting then.

 

[Musketeer]

I remember the wait. No tracking back in those days, you just kept checking the mailbox every day. Looking back, there was something cool about the anticipation, though I didn't feel that way at the time.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Yep, and by the time your order arrived, the original excitement of placing said order was long gone, and one almost forgot even ordering the item.

 

[flintsteel]

I remember ordering from DGW back in the fifties when he was a one man operation operating from his home garage. Most items were what we would today call poorly made but remember this was the beginning of the muzzleloading revival and everyone was starting from scratch. Yes, I recall the flints in the mid 60’s were horrible but as I remember they were from the quarries in Brandon, England. Half were unusable. First long gun I ever received came in through Railroad Express. All a long time ago….

 

[vintovka]

I still have a 1859 sharps percussion breechblock that came from DGW circa 1965. It is NOS and was shipped in a cloth tobacco pouch complete with drawstring. My first ML came from there as a kit that same year. It was a 28 Spanish back action and cost like $12 shipped REA. All i can remember is it had a patchbox cover shaped like a sea shell. In the early 80's i realized how cheap they were selling original items from the RW, CW, SAW and WWI and bought all i could at the time. One of my better investments.

 

[Bergmann]

I remember ordering from DGW back in the fifties when he was a one man operation operating from his home garage. Most items were what we would today call poorly made but remember this was the beginning of the muzzleloading revival and everyone was starting from scratch. Yes, I recall the flints in the mid 60’s were horrible but as I remember they were from the quarries in Brandon, England. Half were unusable. First long gun I ever received came in through Railroad Express. All a long time ago….

I will always remember Russ Hamm and Dean Minton locks. I never owned one that didn't require a LOT of tinkering to get it to work half way decently! And their kits were a nightmare! But there wasn't much else poor, unknown gun builders could afford back then! Remember Dixie's Italian percussion caps? $1 @ 100 - but I very rarely had a problem with them!

 

[flintsteel]

Heck, I remember $1.00 pound Dupont black powder that came in oval flask shaped cans. Threw away a lot of the empties! Stupid!