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Forums10
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Jul 28th, 2025
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,064 Likes: 13
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,064 Likes: 13 |
Anybody remember the Herter's company in Wisconsin from 30-40 years ago? They were suppliers of all things outdoorsy. I know they are out of business now, but does anyone remember the history of the company and why they folded? I heard there were some sort of "irregularities", but don't know any details. Their catalogs were my nighttime reading material. I bought my first black walnut stock blank from them in the mid 60's along with a set of Millers Falls chisels. Paid all of about $6-7 for the wood. It was (is) a pretty nice piece and I still have it on my Fox SW. Couldn't afford their top grade wood: it was more than $10 and beyond my budget. 
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,307
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,307 |
Certainly. I bought many things there, from stock blanks, semi inletted stocks, to reloading dies. One of my sons still has one of the huge "C" presses they made, he sizes .50 caliber brass and swages bullets in it. I never heard anything about irregularities in their business. They are actually in business now, but they sell mostly decoys and waterfowl stuff.
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 976
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 976 |
Waseca, MN was their HQ as I recall. Great company and I bought stocks as well as many other items before I left for Alaska and a tour of duty in 1970. By the time I get out in late '72 they were in decline. Another great group was a couple of brothers who sold flies for $.25. I wish I still had some of the original ones. Jim and Dick Cabela went to school on the Herter's and sell flies and many other great goods today!
Jim
Last edited by jjwag69; 06/15/07 05:08 PM.
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 371
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 371 |
Here is the model J9 30-06 I bought in about 1968 with paper route money.  I too would dream over the Herters catalog for hours as a youth. Wish my Dad had kept some of the old catalogs. I remember they used many superlatives to describe their products.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,265 Likes: 94
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,265 Likes: 94 |
Don't forget about the infamous Herters .401 PowerMag.....awesome.........not!
Dodging lions and wasting time.....
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 371
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 371 |
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Last edited by devrep; 06/15/07 07:05 PM.
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,064 Likes: 13
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,064 Likes: 13 |
jwag, you jogged my memory. Yes, it was Waseca, MN. Now I remember. I just now typed Herters.com and see that Cabela's comes up. They are "handling" Herter's stuff. As Chief said, it's mostly decoys. Even today, their decoy paint is listed as "world famous." Yes, they had a flair for the superlative in everything they sold. Sorta like Ansley Fox products; guns, cars, fishing reels. I also drooled over their catalogs.
Last edited by Dave Schiller; 06/15/07 05:21 PM.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 333 Likes: 1
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 333 Likes: 1 |
The inside scoop is that Dick & Jim Cabela tried for two years to hire Herter's CEO Dennis Highby away. They finally got it done by buying the company outright and Highby is currently CEO of Cabela's.
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 288
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 288 |
George Leonard Herter wrote much, if not all, of the ad copy for the catalog. As I remember, at least half the products offered were labeled "model perfect" blaa, blaa, blaa. Dad bought many of his stock blanks from Herter's, we used thousand's of their wads, and Herter's shotshell loaders were built like a Panzer tank. 
Mark
A sailor's creed - "If you can't tie good knots, tie lots of 'em."
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 12
Junior Member
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Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 12 |
Yes Herter's was indeed in Waseca MN. When George was ready to give it up the kids did not want to take it over, so it was sold to a company that raided it.
I am from Waseca and yes I still own my 1966 401 powermag, but I was never able to kill an elephant with it
Tom
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