'Old-time' prices
 

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Needed to look thru our sewing 'stuff' this morning. Came upon a package of needles, pics below. Much of the 'stuff' is from my late Mother-in-law. The package of 45 needles was...40 cents. AND, made in England.
I'd think this needle pack was purchased by her in the 1950's or so... Nowadays, would be Made in China and about $10???
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I used to get those sewing kits for free at hotels. I don't know if they still give them away.

But, your estimated current price is too high. Amazon has several much larger kits for about 5 dollars.

These things are always out of context. In the 1950's my dad was supporting a family of four on $100 a week. As far as needles, I will bet you can buy them for a dollar at dollar tree. Sewing machines? Singer did not invent the sewing machine, what they invented was selling them on the installment plan, so much per month. Today they are far less in real dollars.

Home heating oil, essentially diesel fuel. One of the few times I heard my mother swear when it hit thirteen cents a gallon. I think it is now about $3.50. Then there is a POUND of coffee. I have cans from I think the 1960's and they are marked ninety-nine cents. Today it is like 3.50 and it is ten to thirteen ounces. Talk about HOME, you could buy a Levitt home on Long Island with the lot for under 8,000. We lived on Long Island we sold our 1200 sq foot home on a 50x100 lot and the real estate taxes were 10,000.

Just crossed my mind. Pocket books were twenty-five and thirty-five cents. First class postage was three cents.

70 years ago

1964
 

Welcome to 1964. My brand new VW, w/sunroof, blaupunkt radio, and the "special" hubcaps. Less than $2k out the door. Gas 19 cents per gal. McDonald's burger 15 cents. Candy bars (larger than today) 5 or 10 cents. Remember the Three Musketeers bar, broke into 3 pieces so three kids could share one bar. Bottle of Coke a dime. Chewing gum (does anyone still chew gum?) was a nickel for a pack of 5 sticks individually wrapped. I believe it was Sizzler had steak and loaded baked potato for $1.99.
Remember also that the place you bought you 19 cent gas was a Service Station and would not only fill your tank for you, but would check water/coolant, oil, and wash your windshield for no extra charge.

Oh my god!!! I just realized that I'm a dinosaur. Noooo

Remember the old Volkswagen commercials on TV? One that I recall showed a beetle being driven into the surf at a beach, and showing that it floated! The price would then pop up on the screen...$1895.00.

You mean like last year? :1rotfl:

Old time prices are delightful to see; however, one would not like the old time wages of the time that went with them. In 1955 minimum wage was increased to $1.00 per hour which I was earning in 1960 as an 18 year old working in a bank and supporting my widowed mother.

100 years ago a Twenty Dollar bill and a Twenty Dollar gold piece were interchangeable. Either one would buy a new suit, new shoes and a night on the town. The Twenty Dollar gold piece will still do that.

The picture is not of a sewing kit. It’s a package of needles.

Yep!

I remember that. Dam, you pay more in taxes on a new car now than you paid for the actual car back in the day.

In 1954 I was in Vietnam with the French Foreign Legion First Parachute Battalion earning each month around $50 in American money , in 1961 I was back in Vietnam in American army and with base pay, combat pay and parachute pay I was getting $220 a month that’s about 2 dinner and dates for me now lol

I had a 1970 VW that I paid less than $2000 for brand new. Paid $50 in pennies as a down payment.
:bigbow::bigbow: