Herters

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Iggy

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Fifty years ago I used to study the Herters catalogs. Never bought anything from them and kinda forgot about them. Looked for a website but didn’t find anything. Are they still in business?
 
Herter's as you knew it went bankrupt in 1981. Cabela's bought the brand at approximately that time, and Bass Pro Shops still owns it today.

The last printed Herter's catalog was published by Cabela's approximately 1997-1999.
 
Herter's catalogs were terrific fun for a kid growing up in the 60s, but like all good things, it had to end. Here's a link to an interesting story in Field & Stream magazine: https://books.google.com/books?id=ASCHZCBumo4C&pg=PA135&lpg=PA135&dq=herters+story&source=bl&ots=ThME2h0pw4&sig=ACfU3U1emh-6mvPkIuUaM8q2xkSNlgZn9A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi44rzs5qznAhWVGM0KHW7xDKk4ChDoATARegQICxAB#v=onepage&q=herters story&f=false

I used to pick up boxes of stock wood scraps at the Mitchell, SD Herters for making knife handles. The prices were right, but one couldn't help but roll eyes at the "genuine Pepps Spinners known the world over for the most authentic ..." when it was clear that the subject was a shoddy knock-off of the Mepps or Abu-Reflex spinner.
 
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Herter's catalogs were terrific fun for a kid growing up in the 60s, but like all good things, it had to end. Here's a link to an interesting story in Field & Stream magazine: https://books.google.com/books?id=ASCHZCBumo4C&pg=PA135&lpg=PA135&dq=herters+story&source=bl&ots=ThME2h0pw4&sig=ACfU3U1emh-6mvPkIuUaM8q2xkSNlgZn9A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi44rzs5qznAhWVGM0KHW7xDKk4ChDoATARegQICxAB#v=onepage&q=herters story&f=false

My first fly tying vise was a Herter’s, purchased in 1960. Still have it!
 
My Dad use to get a lot of his fishing equipment and lures from the Herters catalog. I looked through it for the shooting supplies.
 
I recall Herter’s having a lot of reloading equipment, i.e., dies, presses, etc., but they also had their own guns, and even their own caliber, .401 Herter’s.
 
I've got some Herter's reloading dies, and various other things, Father in law, when he was alive, had a .401 single action revolver he bought, but never bought ammo for it. By the time I came along, ammo was collectible. I don't believe he ever fired it, just kept it in the sock drawer. I suspect the idiot that shall remain my brother in law has taken possession of it now that my father in law has passed.

I've got a .357 derringer from Herter's that I picked up, as I recall, in a crap game or a poker game in my younger days. Not knowing some of the players, I didn't know if I felt better once I had possession of the thing or more worried that I may not be the only armed player.

I, too, remember the old catalog, and about wore the pages out turning them.
 
Now, it’s just a brand name applied to whatever the owner wants to hawk to its customers. I saw an ad recently for a two-piece coat (liner and outer shell) for duck hunting. The camo pattern was right for down here, anyway. Coulsn’t have been more than a few years old. It was branded Herters.
 
Unfortunately I only know of Herter's as a brand of ammo that use to be sold by Cabela's. Actually had some interesting defensive shotgun ammo for a time, but then Bass Pro bought Cabela's and made sure to stop that defense ammo because guns are only meant for hunting, never for self defense.

Gosh, I miss pre Bass Pro Cabela's...
 
Thanks for the info.. I have a friend that ran across a pallet of Herter's ammo at a buy it and run price. That got me to wondering what happened to them.
 
They were big into reloading as well....have a Herters turret press found at a garage sale for $5.
My dad had one of those. I learned to reload on it about 1980.

I also have a fishing rod my dad built with Herters components in the early 1960s. Dad bought a lot of reloading supplies and fishing equipment from them in the 1960s. I believe the GCA of 1968 was the beginning of their downfall.
 
In the 1960's I spent many a Saturday rummaging through Herters clearance shed. I still have one of their knives parrerened after a Russel model.
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I spent many an hour dreaming over various Herter's catalogs when I was a boy back in the day. There really hasn't been anything like them since then.
 
Bought a black Herter's range bag at Cabala's last year. Holds two 9mm hand guns, ammo, and a magazine loader. Excellent quality at a low price.
 
Herters was noted for two things...

Whatever they sold was absolutely the world’s best....just ask them

And, as noted, they took liberties with other competitors products that they very closely copied
 
Herter's catalog ranked up there as the outdoors-men's Sears catalog of that time. I still have some remnants of their reloading dies and knife I made from one of their kits in the garage.
 
Herters was noted for two things...

Whatever they sold was absolutely the world’s best....just ask them

And, as noted, they took liberties with other competitors products that they very closely copied

Yep, they did make that claim. Fresh out of school in the early 50's I purchased their single stage loading press and a set of powder scales to start reloading. The powder scale was an almost exact copy of the lyman scale but the beam was steel instead of brass and the press was similar to, but about twice the amount of cast iron as a Pacific press. Still have the press; wish I had a nickel for every round I've loaded on it.

Have since set up two Dillon 450's for loading volume competition ammo but still load most of my hunting ammo on the old Herters. Real solid press, especially for the larger calibers.
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Regards,
hps
 
I have a Herters 3 x 9 scope from the 70s or thereabouts. It's a piece of crap. The crosshairs get larger as you turn up the power.
 
Yes I remember the good ol' days of mail order including Herters!
For you kids, say, 40 and younger. You rotary dialed the company, wait. Now, that's if no one else was on the phone line (look up party line). Order magazine, shipped to you via US Postal. Magazine arrives a week or so later.
Now the interesting part...

You looked through the magazine, found something. Pull out order form in center of magazine, fill it out & US Postal mailed it in, with your check $. 4-6 weeks later, it showed up. No text alerts, etc.

''Somehow we made it'' LoL

Now remember, being 40 or younger isn't meant as a slight. Just tell the lil lady of the house someone said she was still a kid. She'll appreciate you more:thumbup:
 
There are a few brands that were bought for the names and have no relation to the original.

One that springs to mind is Abercrombie & Fitch. They became just a clothing line, but they were originally “the” high end sporting, shooting, sailing, safari, etc. retailer, with a full block sized eight story store on Madison Ave. in Manhattan, and other upscale sites around the country.

Roosevelt and Hemingway were customers, they even helped outfit Byrd's polar expeditions. Sadly, they closed in 1977. I was there many times, as a looker. lol

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Abercrombie_&_Fitch
 
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