OT...Remember when

Botch said:

If it weren't for the mosquitoes, and the lack of mountains, I'd move back to Sioux Falls for retirement.  

My single biggest requirement for a retirement location, is one such as you have described.  Old school small city.

Theophan said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

When gas was 25cents and you made $3.75/hr it took 4 minutes to earn 1 gallon of gas.

When gas is 2.80 and you make $15/hr it takes you 11 minutes to earn 1 gallon of gas.

Good point that I hadn't actually calculated it out, so maybe it's less comparable than I had thought, but I wasn't making $3.75 an hour when gas was 25¢.  I was a young boy when gas was that cheap.  I don't know what gas cost when I was 17 or 18, when I was working in that GM factory, but I'm sure it was considerably more expensive than 25¢.

Anyway, the main thing I wanted to point out was that we can't compare prices of other times without also taking into account the purchasing power of the dollar in that era.  It's not like we were making the amount of dollars we make today back when prices were much lower.  When prices were much lower, wages were also much lower.  Maybe overall people lived better then, but maybe not.  It's harder to compare than just looking at the prices.

 Your point was well taken.  Purchasing power is key, so is poverty limit and social safety nets.  I think in general everyone's life has greatly improved, but the the wealth gap has also expanded greatly.

I remember when Coke was still cola, and a joint was a bad place to be.

Skiddymarker said:

First VCR, a Sony with a tethered remote was $700, can't find one now except at garage sales for $5 or $10. Watched those VHF movies on a $450 19" Zenith colour TV....as we had a St Bernard, brought home two movies; Cujo and the Shining - Cujo scared the hell out of the kids. 

Beta was better!

Carolina Q said:

So I'm the only one here who remembers 15¢ gasoline?

As for color TV, our first was a Zenith on July 4, 1976 so we could watch the Tall Ships.

We got drinking glasses from the attendant when we bought gas for 15¢ a gallon, which he pumped. He also checked the tire pressures, oil level, and cleaned the windshield, and made change. 

I have yet to wash my Tacoma since taking ownership in 2011. 
  

@pgprescott no question Sony beta was better, perhaps the biggest mistake ever made by Sony, the way i understand it they developed both formats, sold the VHS format keeping the better beta for themselves. JVC unleashed worldwide distribution of VHS making beta material scarcer than hen’s teeth. 
@gdenby during ‘64 got a job packing groceries at local grocery store, paid $0.80 per hour. Thought I was rich! During the summer, worked full time, 6 days a week, 8 hour days, take home was $35.71 for 48 hours. Parents encouraged savings and after a couple of years when I turned 16 bought a car. Life was good, simple, but good. 

As long as you can still see the tip of your Johnson there's still hope... 

@Skiddymarker,
There were lots of factory jobs, all unionized, where I lived, although they were already starting to fade. Generally several times above minimum, good to great benefits, but often harder than hell. Last place I worked, management understood there was a strike likely at the next round of negotiations, so they were running the plant 24/7. Lots of overtime, but everything and everyone was breaking down. Whole lines would sit idle for 6 hours why the mechanics tried to get things running. Then the next shift would get worked to make up. One day, instead of having to lift an 80 lb sheet of steel over my head 600 times, they cranked up the tempo to 900. I still have a scar on my thigh where the sheet of steel grazed it cause I couldn't turn fast enough to heave it up. One line did 1200 pieces a day, tho' the weight was only about 15 lbs.

There was one good thing. There was a tavern just cross the street. I'd sprint the 1000' from where I worked to it for lunch, get a bowl of the best goulash for .35, down it, and make the dash back. And at the end of my shift, there was a guy playin' one hell of a blues guitar in a house down the block.

@gdenby we had a cafe across the street, used to be able to get steak and potato with veggies lunch for about $1, which included tip. No blues guitarist, I envy you. 

Two things I remember was that bread was 10 for $1 and so was Zip dog food.I stacked mountains of Zip.