For those who pondered how much $200 in 1963 is worth today, the answer is $1,422.42 according to the US governments online CPI inflation calculator.
And yet my personal inflation calculator reminds me that my new Chevy supercar cost $2900 in 1966 and if I bought a new one today it would be 10 times that much. In 1963 I was in high school and pumping gas after school for 50 cents per hour, much less than 10% of today's minimum wage. Machinists and welders in my area were making $2-$2.50 per hour in 1967 but wages were starting to go up by then. In 1970 I bought 2 Colt 45ACP Government Models for $100 each at a large gun show; one was a prewar commercial National Match and the other was a US Army issue, serial # 135. Yes, serial 135, made the FIRST DAY of Colt's military production. Both these guns are worth more than $3000 each today, but they had been floating around the local gun shows for more than 2 years with no takers by the time I bought them. In 1969 I bought an older hammerless H&H double rifle in 500/450 Magnum Nitro Express for $1000 and a Hubertus vierling in 5.6x35R/16/16/8x57JR for $900; what would they be worth today?
So my personal inflation calculator would estimate that $200 in 1963 would be worth closer to $2500 today; when I add for the relative rarity factor of the older rifles today compared to their relative availability back then when they were more common, why then the comparison jumps yet again.
I'd say that $4K would be closer to the REAL differential, considering today's relative rarity as well as the monetary inflation.
Mark, many thanks for sharing this interesting history.
Regards, Joe
