1935 sales prices.....wow

[villagenut]

I just bought this Hobbies Magazine from 1935 for an article it featured but was blown away by the prices of some of the artifacts/collectibles it had in a few ads. I would guess that the prices are based on the value of a dollar then, but can you just imagine being able to buy these for those prices....

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Diving for Pleasure and Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[Duckshot]

Those were the prices in lawful money- gold or silver coin.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Maybe silver but not gold. Gold was withdrawn in '33. Gary

 

[Trezurehunter]

That's a neat old find.

 

[Argentium]

There was a St. Gaudens $20. Gold Piece offered near the bottom of the second page (for $36.) Even though the gold grab of 1933 prevented lawful ownership of circulating U.S. gold coins , there was a stipulation allowing citizens to hold numismatic rarity in such coins - the aforementioned $20. piece is described as the "wire rim " variety - and as such may have been covered by the numismatic exemption.

 

[Mackaydon]

Then consider the average annual salary in 1935 was just over $1,600.
And the weekly minimum wage was $12 to $15.
Not much left for collectables.
Don...

 

[villagenut]

Then consider the average annual salary in 1935 was just over $1,600.
And the weekly minimum wage was $12 to $15.
Not much left for collectables.
Don...

Yea, I can picture it ....honey,darlin....can I buy an 1877 Penny and an 1814 dime from this advertisement I only need a $1.40 .....no way we can't afford that, we got six mouths to feed and a cow that needs milkin....now get back to work.

 

[Clay Diggins]

The 1933 Act did not prevent lawful ownership of gold. The gold order allowed each citizen to keep $100 face value in gold coins or certificates. For a family of four that would be the equivalent today to $36,000 dollars in gold.

How many people today have $9,000 in gold coin just sitting around? Most people in 1933 had never owned $100 in gold. The gold anti hoarding laws didn't really have any effect on the average working person. In the long run it created the downfall of the dollar but in 1933 it had little effect on most citizens.

 

[ARC]

Yea, I can picture it ....honey,darlin....can I buy an 1877 Penny and an 1814 dime from this advertisement I only need a $1.40 .....no way we can't afford that, we got six mouths to feed and a cow that needs milkin....now get back to work.

***ARC says in a grumpy grampa scratchy voice***

"when we was kids we dint have no money for no stinkin coins... so we collected used bottle caps instead".

"the only coins we had... we had to eat".

:P