USD Catalogs from '58 & '59

[Scuba Cowboy]

Yesterday a friend dropped off a package at the shop, she left a note saying she thought I'd like it. It contained a mint condition USD Catalog from 1958 & 59, a 1959 dealers price list, and manuals included with Pico Blvd. regs. Also a page from Sears catalog showing Voit gear for sale, date unknown. Very cool! Not sure how she got this, but the package was sent to someone in Tuscon, AZ as a new dealer, even has a letter in it from Roy Homer Wallack, USD's export manager. It was sent to Rudolph Higuera Co., according to the letter he was trying to set up a dealership in Mexico. Very interesting stuff, everything has Pico Blvd. letterhead. Even has a flyer to dealers explaining about backorders due to big demand for product in 1959. As a dive shop owner and owner of USD regs from this time period, I was exstatic to receive this, what a cool piece of history! Don't know if this paperwork can fill in any missing info anyone might need, but if you think it might, I'll be happy to share.

[simonbeans]

What would be great would be to scan to a CD and send it to Bryan here at VDH.com and he might make it available to others like the 1961-1970 USD catalogs.
Allan

[21]

What a great gift! And thank goodness it fell in to the hands of some one that appreciated it--other wise into the trash.

I never met nor have I heard of Roy Homer Wallack the then US Divers Export Manager. I was very close to John Martinez who assumed the position of Export Manager in 1960 after the move to Santa Ana Calilifornia. John was in that position until he retired after being with the company between 35 & 40 years--I recall he retired when USD moved to San Diego area.

It was John and his persistance that established diving in the Spanish speaking countries. I recall that in 1960 he had 2-3 dealers (perhaps more) in Mexico, the Arnold brothers in Alapulco & Deportes del Tigre in Vera Cruz--my how 47 years makes a difference!

A side bar--Mario Valenzuala (spelling-Luis help me!) was his assistant for a number of years. He was hired while still in college and remained in that position for a number of years. He was one you could tell even as a young man right out of college was going places and he did-- he became very high in DEMA and is a VP or higher in one of the current diving companies.

It is interesting how the sport was expanded into the hinterlands of America via Sears (&Roebuck) (Montgomery) Wards and (JC) Pennys in the 1950s and 1960s. For a number of years every spring and summer catalog carried representative items of diving equipment; Voit, US Divers, Healthways and even Dragger and Cressi.

You gift was certainly a windfall of information!

21

[luis]

Valenzuela

[Scuba Cowboy]

Yes, a special gift indeed! I'm going to get ahold of her and see if I can get more info as to where this came from. I will also see about copying this and getting it to Bryan. There is info in here you will all appreciate.
One thing I found interesting was how the dealer network worked. There was what they called a Jobber, who got the best prices from the factory. Then a Dealer, who could order from the Jobber or the factory at a little higher prices. A DA Aquamaster retailed for $90.00 in 1959! A Mistral was $65.00.

[JES]

What would be great would be to scan to a CD and send it to Bryan here at VDH.com and he might make it available to others like the 1961-1970 USD catalogs.
Allan

I agree with Allan. This is an excellent find and his suggestion would make it available to many other appreciative Vintage Equipment Divers.

[Scuba Cowboy]

I started scanning yesterday and I'll get a copy sent off as soon as I can. Another interesting thing is these two catalogs show exactly when the yellow hoses appeared. The '58 catalog is fairly colorless, while the '59 shows the introduction of safety yellow throughout.