"Big Mac Index" for Treasure Hunters

Welcome to the forum from Illinois. Like today, the value of money is constantly changing, though years back I think it was a little more stable. There are a lot of variables, such as when and where. Someone might be able to answer your question or point you in the right direction.

I also wonder about this, i have some idea but notthing rock solid, one way to get a general idea is to look up the oldest sears catalog you can find and kind of go from there.

This site will help calculate what a certain amount of money would be equivalent to between two years. It's not exactly what you are looking for, but it is a start.

How Much Did Things Cost The Year I was Born
1890s

* Baseball bat $0.35
* Guitar $3.00
* Edison phonograph $19.00
* Shirt $0.23
* Turkey dinner $0.20
* Electric light bulb $0.30
* Brass bed $3.00
* Bathtub $7.25
* Bike $10.50
* Bushel of corn $0.43
* One dozen eggs $0.12
* Necktie $0.18
* Dozen safety pins $0.02
* False teeth $5.00
* Sewing machine $12.60
* Shave and haircut $0.25
* Trombone $15.00

1900s

* Corn flakes $0.10
* Hershey bar $0.02
* First Model T $850.00
* Pound of butter $0.26
* Dozen eggs $0.23
* Pound of rice $0.07
* Washing machine $4.75
* Bicycle $16.75

1910s

* Fancy coffee $0.25
* Six-room cottage $2000
* Movie ticket (child) $0.10
* Movie ticket (adult) $0.20
* Pound of steak $0.18
* Pound of prime rib roast $0.16
* Underwear $0.20
* Shirt $0.95
* Work shirt $0.38
* Suit $35.00

1920s

* Pound of bacon $0.52
* Pound of cheese $0.39
* Pound of coffee $0.50
* Fancy lake trout $0.22
* Six lemons $0.15
* Six oranges $0.25
* 10 pounds of potatoes $0.63
* Pound of round steak $0.36
* Pound of watermelon $0.02

1930s

* House $7145
* Gallon of gas $0.10
* Glasses $3.85
* 10 piece bedroom set $79.85
* Chevrolet Master Deluxe $560
* Firestone Tire $3.60
* Pound of steak $0.20
* Emerson bedroom radio $9.95
* Shaefer pens $3.35
* Howard deluxe quality silk lined hat $2.85

1940s

* Car $800
* Gallon of gas $0.18
* House $6550
* Loaf of bread $0.08
* Gallon of milk $0.34
* Postage stamp $0.03
* 100 aspirin $0.76
* Daily newspaper $0.05
* Sunday newspaper $0.10

1950s

* Gallon of gas $0.25
* Electric shaver $28.50
* Pound of rib roast $0.29
* Cotton check dress $3.29
* One carat diamond ring $399
* Mechanical adding machine $3.98
* Wool suit $28.90
* New house $8450

1960s

* Pound of hamburger $0.66
* Pound of butter $0.85
* Six pack of beer $1.26
* Pound of potatoes $0.08
* Pound of sugar $0.12
* Gallon of gas $0.3
* Dozen eggs $0.63
* Ounce of silver $1.20
* New house $15500

1970s

* New home $26600
* First-class stamp $0.06
* Gallon of gas $0.36
* Dozen eggs $0.62
* Gallon of milk $1.15
* New car $3900
* King sized bean bag chair $19.99
* Porcelain kitchen sink $9.88
* Quartz alarm clock $12.97

1980s

* Gallon of milk $2.16
* Loaf of bread $0.50
* Skippy peanut butter $1.49
* Strawberry jam $1.39
* Nike Air Force basketball shoes $54.90
* Bunk bed with mattresses $148.00
* Laundry detergent $1.59
* Silk blouse $15.99

1990s

* Bicycle $60.00
* Dial up Internet $29.00
* 67-piece Chinaware set $79.99
* Pound of sirloin steak $3.19
* Pound of shrimp $10.99
* Pound of American cheese $2.79
* Three carrots $0.99
* 10 ounces of cheese balls $2.49

2000s

* Movie ticket (adult) $10.00
* Doctor's visit $60.00
* New car $21000
* Television set $175.00
* Pound of ground beef $2.00
* Daily newspaper $0.50
* Tennis shoes $40.00

What Did Things Cost in 1872?
http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/what-did-things-cost-in-1872/

In 1872, the U.S. population had grown to over 38 million people, and Ulysses S. Grant had just been re-elected for a second term as President. Luther Burbank developed the Idaho potato from a single seed ball, much of Boston burned during a three-day fire, and an American cargo ship called the Mary Celeste was found drifting in the Atlantic Ocean with no crew aboard. On average, horses cost $60, pigs $5, milking cows just over $20, and goats only $2. A farm worker earned $23 per month, a place to sleep, and meals.

More 1872 prices:

Wheat flour — $12.75/barrel
Corn meal — 1 cent/pound
Rice — 11 cents/pound
Beans — 9 cents/quart
Roasted coffee — 42 cents/pound
Brown sugar — 10 cents/pound
Granulated sugar — 10 cents/pound
Molasses — 70 cents/gallon
Soap — 8 cents/pound
Starch — 12 cents/pound
Roasting beef — 19 cents/pound
Soup beef — 7 cents/pound
Beef rump steak — 29 cents/pound
Corned beef — 10 cents/pound
Mutton chops — 15 cents/pound
Pork (fresh) — 12 cents/pound
Pork (salted) — 11 cents/pound
Smoked hams — 13 cents/pound
Sausage — 12 cents/pound
Lard — 13 cents/pound
Butter — 39 cents/pound
Cheese — 17 cents/pound
Potatoes — $1.02/bushel
Milk — 8 cents/quart
Eggs — 30 cents/dozen
Hard wood — $10.19/cord
Pine wood — $7.00/cord
Room and board for men — $5.69/month
Room and board for women — $3.75/month

I took these prices from my great great… grandfather’s almost-daily journal entries for the year 1872. As in all his journals, he wrote about things that were happening in the family, what was going on around the town, and always he kept a record of current prices and how much he had paid for everything. He kept track of incoming money too… his salary for delivering the mail by stagecoach, the money his wife brought in by selling eggs, butter, and cheese, and the money from cutting and selling firewood. There was money from crops and animals and from boarders too… there was always at least one hired man, and during the school year the teacher lived with them too. It’s interesting reading, and when I get to the end of every journal I always wish he had written even more!

Last link:
http://247wallst.com/2010/09/16/the-history-of-what-things-cost-in-america-1776-to-today/2/

Very interesting info Keith!

Great info. Worthy of a sticky.

Yay! First time I started a thread worthy of a sticky. Thank you NHKeith for making it so.

Imagine talking to kids about their finds and making heritage and history real for them. A shirt 25c, a quart of cowboy beans less than that 1900 dime you just found son.

Hershey bar 2c, now I really feel bad for the poor kids who lost those coins. How many kids got spanked because of these coins we are finding?

Every silver dollar is a days wages for a laborer. What a blasted loss!