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-   -   Not Kits, but Catalogs...Have you noticed lately? (http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showthread.php?t=16534)

Woody's Workshop 03-15-2017 10:41 AM

Not Kits, but Catalogs...Have you noticed lately?
 
I drift around Ebay several times a day to take up some of all this free time I have since all my rocket stuff is in storage for a while.
Since the announcement that Estes will not have a printed or pdf version of a catalog this year, I've noticed a drastic increase in the asking price of older catalogs. Also, more catalogs are being offered than usual. And they are being snagged up, some going into mild bidding wars.
Now, if this no catalog thing turns out to be a permanent thing with Estes, I suspect catalog pricing will continue to sky rocket (pun intended). I wish I would have kept all my old catalogs now. Even if they were all in pretty bad shape from being used daily for the entire year.
I enjoy looking threw the old catalogs. It brings back many fond memories. Some I may have forgotten that included my Dad. He's been gone for 10 years now and I miss him daily, and think about him several times a day.

Dewalt 03-15-2017 11:57 AM

I have a pretty good collection of 1970 's Centuri and Estes catalogs. To me they are more inspiring to look at as the majority of the kits were builders. (not bashing RTF's - just not my type of model)
As a kid I would pour over the pages and be lost with the "Designer Parts Assortments"
The grand ideas I could dream up and build if I could afford one. My budget at the time was $1.50 and under type kits. The Little Joe II and Saturn rockets were way beyond my means but sure caught my eye.

Perhaps the spike in prices are from guys that grew up in the same era and want to relive their childhood memories - only they have more money now. Me I am still on that $1.50 and under budget. :confused:

That is nice to have those memories with your Dad, mine always scowled at the thought of "burning up money" to send a cardboard tube into the sky.

I keep the Centuri "Skylab" catalog by my bedside and thumb through it every night while waiting for my wife to finish grading school papers.

Joe Shockcord 03-15-2017 06:41 PM

...Perhaps the spike in prices are from guys that grew up in the same era and want to relive their childhood memories - only they have more money now. Me I am still on that $1.50 and under budget...

I know what you mean.

Fortunately, I bought a copy of my childhood wishbook (Estes 1973) before the prices shot up.

LeeR 03-15-2017 08:17 PM

The first catalog I had was the 1964 catalog. Several years ago I tried repeatedly to win bids on one when I'd see them. The prices were crazy high. I decided I'd go up to $100, which in retrospect, is crazy. But most of us have experienced something that we MUST have, regardless of cost. Or almost regardless of cost (I did set a limit of $100 ...).

It went for WAY more than that. Seems like it went close to $200. I suddenly realized I'd likely be looking at the PDFs of them forever. 😀

I felt a little better when I got a really good deal on a really clean copy of the 1965 catalog, the first full color catalog. Since then I've picked up some gems, like the 1967, 1968, 1969, and 1970. Those are all incredible catalogs that showed the incredible kit offerings from Estes during that period.

Dewalt 03-23-2017 01:07 PM

I received a 1981 Centuri catalog recently purchased from ebay. I was actually disappointed when I eagerly opened it up . Gone were all the full color rocket pages - most are B&W , there are a few pages that do have color models but not like the early 70's catalogs I have. I would of thought a decade later the pictures would be more outstanding then not.

tbzep 03-23-2017 02:49 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dewalt
I received a 1981 Centuri catalog recently purchased from ebay. I was actually disappointed when I eagerly opened it up . Gone were all the full color rocket pages - most are B&W , there are a few pages that do have color models but not like the early 70's catalogs I have. I would of thought a decade later the pictures would be more outstanding then not.

You'd really hate the 76-78 newsprint catalogs.


.

Jerry Irvine 03-23-2017 03:05 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by tbzep
You'd really hate the 76-78 newsprint catalogs.
I thought they were magic.

Dewalt 03-23-2017 03:29 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jerry Irvine
I thought they were magic.


There are some great designs - so you are correct there. I have been spoiled by the older ones.

Newsprint - I had seen those but I thought they were like "Sale or Specials" flyers. Not the genuine catalog.

tbzep 03-23-2017 07:34 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dewalt
There are some great designs - so you are correct there. I have been spoiled by the older ones.

Newsprint - I had seen those but I thought they were like "Sale or Specials" flyers. Not the genuine catalog.

They were the real thing. My first Centuri catalog was newsprint style. I immediately thought it to be an extremely inferior company. I eventually ordered from them anyway.

BTW, if you don't already know, Ninfinger has many of the catalogs online.

ghrocketman 03-23-2017 08:50 PM

Centuri went to the "newspaper" style catalog in 1977 I believe, the year I first got into model rocketry.
I agree that it made them seem like a FAR inferior company to Estes; they were on the downhill slide at that point; it was obvious that Damon was putting more $$$ into Estes and letting Centuri slide.
Centuri prior to that time had many products that were far more innovative than Estes such as the Large-Scale/Mini-Max line of kits/engines , the Enerjet line of kits/engines, tons of boost-gliders, 1/45 Little Joe II, a far superior Saturn V kit, etc.


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