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Old 03-26-2019, 09:31 AM
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Default Centuri 1969 Catalog question

Do any of you recall what time of year the first Centuri 1969 catalogs were first mailed?

Also would like to know about when the Centuri Saturn V started to ship.

Thanks,

Steve
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Old 03-26-2019, 12:37 PM
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Gus-

Not sure when exactly the catalogs first went out, but if I recall corrrectly the catalogs state that those catalog prices went into effect about mid-December, 1968. So, one would assume somewhere around that time.

On the shipping dates for the Saturn V, I did see once a cover letter that shipped with the first catalogs which listed expected shipping dates for 'new' products in that catalog. As I recall, the Saturn V and 1b both listed shipping dates of February 15, 1969.


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Old 03-26-2019, 02:33 PM
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Gus-

...and here's that cover letter insert I mentioned in the previous post.

This is from an eBay auction about a year ago. I did not need the 1969 catalog being offered, but I did note (and save) the photo that showed this letter.

In the letter, you can see the 'release dates' for a number of new items that year, including the Saturn V, Saturn 1b, 1/100 Little Joe II, Nike Smoke, Swift Boost Glider, SkyTrak, etc.

Several years back I had wondered and tried to research which company got their Saturn V to market first. At the time, data seemed to indicate that Centuri had released their's in early 1969, with Estes issuing their's (best I could find out) around Spring of 1969.

This letter indicates that the 'early 1969' release date for the Centuri kit was correct. I have enlarged and modified the photo file to make it a bit easier to read (the print in the original is kinda small).


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Old 03-26-2019, 07:34 PM
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Great work guys! This is just what I was looking for; many thanks!

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Old 03-26-2019, 10:05 PM
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Thank you for posting the 1968 catalog letter, Earl. I have the catalog, but the enclosures did not make the subsequent military career and civilian moves over the decades.

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Old 03-27-2019, 01:06 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gus
Do any of you recall what time of year the first Centuri 1969 catalogs were first mailed?

Also would like to know about when the Centuri Saturn V started to ship.

Thanks,

Steve


The catalog came out in late fall 1968. I got a couple of them, cut the back cover off of one and pinned it to my wall next to some graph paper where I started a funding thermometer to show how much I was saving up for a Saturn V.

I ordered it probably early January, and i'm going to say my Saturn V arrived in late February. I remember building it over the spring, and it was ready to go in May 1969, but I didn't try to fly it until July 16, 1969.

edit: I'll add that I ordered an Estes Saturn V as soon as it was announced, but it didn't arrive until well after the Apollo 11 flight (i remember starting to build it during an Ed Sullivan show, and it was dark or twilight outside, so I think it was getting to be September or so).
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