Popularity is rooted in two factors.. the first of which is probably the "want" factor.
You want a truck like you had when you were 16.. or you want a truck like your father or grandfather used to drive.
Others may just want a particular year truck just because they saw one at a show or in a magazine and thought, "Hey! I want one like that!"
Which leads us into the availability factor..
I dig the Deco trucks.. I really wanted a 1/2 ton to match my 2 ton.. something about that body style and look really speaks to me.
In my pursuit of a '42 thru '46 1/2 ton I ended up with a '50 1/2 ton. The price was right, I had a blast getting her running, and I really enjoyed driving it around.. and yes, the early AD body style really grew on me.
As a result, i'm a fan of the early AD trucks ('47 thru '50) far more so than I was before I owned one.. heck, even the '67 Custom started to grow on me a bit.. a simple matter of what I wanted vs. what was available at the time.
I'd be willing to bet there are many guys out there with classic Stovebolts who can say, "What I really was looking for was a (insert model here) but what I ended up with is this.. and it's really grown on me"
The '67-'72 trucks have really started to become popular.. is it because of a new batch of younger rodders and truck guys are recapturing their youth, or looking for a truck like Dad used to drive? Partly, yes.
Another large segment of '67 - '72 fans are probably guys who would prefer to own a Deco, Advance Design, or Task Force truck, but availability of those trucks is getting slimmer with each passing day (and as a result the price increases) so they go for a little later model truck that still has a cool look, but far more accesable and better suited for their budget. (both for initial investment and cost of parts)
As far as one model year being worth $3,000 more than the following model year.. that seems like a bit of a stretch.
