Thread: McPherson's Catalogue Covers by Date.

P3250445.jpg
1910

Wow thanks that is quite the collection, old & rare!!




So is it generally accepted that there was one catalog per year coinciding catalog number with year produced?

$_57.jpg
Poster 1936

Far as I can work out catalogue frequency of publication varied a bit.

Some years in the 30s seemed to coincide with catalogue number, otherwise there seemed to be a few (2/3) years between, which got further apart. Seems to be quite often published during the depression years when prices varied a lot; then quite a break post the 1937 cat and during WW2 / 1940s til about the 49 catalogue.

As for catalogue types, they published separate catalogues, one more for Engineers/ foundaries etc, and one more for Farm and Home. There are also the little home handyman helpful hint booklets.

Cheers

Originally Posted by Zsteve

Attachment 308454

Different series of catalogue M9 just on Machine tools - April 1915

I Have one of these or similar within a year or so but haven't sighted it in the junk for years?
H.

Hi all,
The one in the first picture 1970? is definitely right I remember that one from my apprenticeship day's early 70's.
Regards Rod.

Construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge had commenced and McPherson’s supplied the six million bolts and rivets that hold the bridge together.

The breadth of its range can be seen in catalogues held at the University of Melbourne Archives covering the period 1899 to 1978.
Much can be gleaned from the catalogue1 about the effect of modern industrial innovation on 20th-century life. Catalogues featuring tools for the home are an illustrative source that document the period when the modern appliance was gradually freeing up the family from labour intensive chores and making ‘do it-yourself’ home repairs achievable.
1899
Thomas McPherson & Son’s2 earliest surviving catalogue from 1899

McPherson's.pdf

Originally Posted by Zsteve

Attachment 308453
1923

I have a Adelaide edition. I photo copied some pages out of a Sydney ed in the NSW state Library years ago before I bought this one and they are certainly collated differently, whether they stocked or just promoted differently I don't know yet!. What state is yours Steve, it looks like Melbourne ?
Graeme

PS Duh enlarged your picture, Melbourne it is !

How many pages in those early editions??

Originally Posted by DSEL74

How many pages in those early editions??

It varied greatly sort of correlates with the economy!? These are the early ones I have.
1912 512 pages
1923 432 "
1926 416 "
1929 384 "
1934 272 "
1937M354 "
1937S356 "
1949 448 "
1951 544 "
These are all the For Engineers Founders Manufacturers, the Farmers and Home Workshop ones around the 30s are smaller. The two I have are No33 240 and 192? 270 pgs
Graeme

Originally Posted by anglesmith

1937M354 "
1937S356 "

Graeme, What does the M & S stand for after the year?


I have only seen the 1949 -1970s for sale. What sort of price do those really early ones sell for??

Originally Posted by DSEL74

Graeme, What does the M & S stand for after the year?


I have only seen the 1949 -1970s for sale. What sort of price do those really early ones sell for??

Sorry Melbourne and Sydney. From the 20s till 1937 most state branches seem to collate and print their own catalogues!? I have only seen one Perth cat.. 1937 and it was the same as the Sydney one ,(so I didn't buy it!) except of course for the order of the state branch on the front cover !
Prices vary greatly !?? it is a matter of biding your time. A 1912 sold for $60 or so recently a LOT less than I payed for mine! Some buy it now sellers "are dreaming" so just wait till some one starts at a reasonable price, then the Buyers on the day set the price.
Graeme

Case in point, there are two 1951 McPhersons cat..s on eBay at moment one starting at a reasonable $10.50 the other at a bin of $70 My guess is that the auction will end somewhere between $40 and $60.
How do we get this thread turn into a sticky?
Graeme

I saw one advertised for $165 for a 1929..

I have never paid more than $10-15 for the few I have.