Bannerman, the Father of Gun Collecting: Tales from the Golden Age of Surplus (Ad-free)
Added 2026-02-11 12:00:04 +0000 UTC
Comments
I am kind of jealous about the mans childhood! heck I'd have liked to see that NYC store.
Guido Schriewer
2026-02-14 12:33:30 +0000 UTCAs a high school kid around 1958-59 I got busted in Algebra class peeking at a Bannerman catalog instead of paying attention. I still love surplus stuff and don't do well at math. As a misguided youth, I hung around with a surplus gun/militaria dealer who had ticked off Jim Hogan, who was owner or Bannermans at the time, and he wanted to get some of their Span Am War canteens, so I became a straw purchaser. Retail was $1.00 each, but wholesale was 85 cents for 50 or more. The shady dealer wanted 50, so I saved up a few bucks from cutting lawns and orders 100 of them, and kept the best for myself and he got the rest. All but one or two have been sold off in the following decades, but it was my start into dealing collectibles to subsidize my own addiction to them.
John Spangler
2026-02-11 21:58:30 +0000 UTCGreat video! Very interesting history and what people did to make a buck.
Drew Holmes
2026-02-11 17:55:34 +0000 UTCGreat video! I remember hearing about Bannerman in when I was a kid. Probably from some magazine article. About 20 years ago I found an essay in the back of a Dixie Gun Works catalog about a trip Turner Kirkland took to the castle when it was being cleaned out. It was a very interesting first hand Account of what was there at the time. Last fall I ran across an old copy of that DGW catalog at a used book store and bought it just for that essay!
Sonny Hughes
2026-02-11 17:34:25 +0000 UTCThank you. Yes, keep presenting this story.
Dana Arbeit
2026-02-11 17:00:22 +0000 UTCMy mind boggles trying to conceive the awesomeness of "clearing the island".
Wayne S.
2026-02-11 16:58:33 +0000 UTCAwesome discussion about an amazing man and his even more amazing life! Looking forward to hearing about clearing Bannerman Island!
Cleo45
2026-02-11 16:49:24 +0000 UTCThanks very much for giving us this content, very cool to hear about the golden age of surplus.
Greg Bishop
2026-02-11 15:28:38 +0000 UTCFascinating story, and I'll look forward to more.
Glenn Miller
2026-02-11 14:05:29 +0000 UTCThat sample catalog is incredible.
Terry
2026-02-11 12:51:23 +0000 UTC
