I bought a copy of Model Railroader magazine from August of 1974. The issue has an article by Jim Hediger on AMTRAK passenger cars. Since this is what I model it was perfect. I forgot how many different advertisers there were that are no longer in business. It was not unusual to find locomotives by many companies for under $10 and some under $7. I saw Athearn cars for $1. News stand cost of the magazine in 1974??? 75 cents.
In 1974 I had to work hard for my allowance and save for that 75 cent copy!
Yeah but also remember that wages were much different then to. I worked on a dairy farm for a dollar an hour then during the summer. Sixty dollars a week. Thought it was great money for kid in High School. Got to drive tractors, pull wagons , get in shape (looked good for the girls [:P] ) sun tan .
Value of a dollar then vs now
They say hide sight is 20/20 but I think when looking at prices we get a bit near sighted… Prices were a lot less but the amount of hours of work to equal the buying power is about the same. Sure some things a little bit more (gas) and some a little less (that $10 Athearn is about $45 in today’s dollars). Take the 1965 Mustang. They were about $3500 new… WOW, I should have but a dozen of them… but wait… in today’s dollars that is about $22,500, still a little less than new Mustang but am sure the new one will go a lot longer without any major work. For the most part, just change the oil.
Something that seems always to be overlooked when these discussions arise is the fact that probably 90% of those who post were juveniles, teens, or very young, struggling, adults in the year cited. Yet they persist in comparing their purchasing power now as middle aged adults with days of yore, as if this were a valid approach. Overlooked is the fact that most folks that were long since on their own in 1974 (me included) had far more disposable income than they did. As such, in no way did we find the prices for hobby items then anything like the soaring one’s of today. Similarly, there were absolutely none of the endless silly gadgets that everyone seems to find absolute necessities these days to waste one’s hard earned disposable income dollars on…and which are only to be replaced in 3-4 months by more expensive upgraded versions.
Any adult visiting a model railroad hobby shop in 1974 was likely to walk out with a bag containing an engine, several cars and perhaps some structure kits, plus maybe scenicking materials, almost as a rule. There was none of this scrimping, saving, and desperately searching for some on-line deals you might actually be able to afford.
These days if I purchase more than two locomotives in a single year it is beyond exceptional and that’s only after some soul searching. Likewise, probably for 75% of hobbyists I know these days, impulse or indiscriminant purchases are a long lost concept, in spite of the fact that we are by no means hurting in today’s economy. I think something changed. [;)]
Let’s try to keep things in their true perspective this time through.
CNJ831
I think you may have overlooked something here, back when “we” used to go to the hobby store back “when” we usually pulled “real money” out of our pockets to pay for our trains, today all
1975 saw my first purchase of a brass steamer, a Westside HOn3 D&RGW T-12. It cost $ 100 plus duty and shipping, making it about $ 140 “landed” price in Germany. At that time, this meant about a quarter of my father´s spendable income, after mortgage and other regular household bills had been paid. An awful lot of money! It took me over two years to save up this kind of cash.
The process of ordering that loco is a story of its own. It started by writing a letter to the mail order house in the US, ordering the loco. After about 4 weeks, I received a letter with a proforma invoice, stating the amount of $ including shipping and handling. I had to go to our local post office to buy an international money order to that amount and send it back. After about 4 months, I received a notification from Customs, that the shipment had arrived and was ready for clearance. I had to go there, present the proforma invoice, pay the duty and collect the loco. The whole process took more than 6 months! My last purchase in Japan took 4 days from placing the order through the internet until having it delivered to my door step.
I agree with CNJ831’s latest posting. Something has changed. But what it is I have no idea. It probably does have a lot to do with what was once considered discretionary spending, has morphed into *non-*discretionary needs. Cell phone for instance. I recall saying I don’t need one of those. Waste of money for me. Wife changed my mind so to speak.
But never the less, something has changed and it may or may not have to do with perception. Here’s my case. I consider these cost comparisons and the inflation adjusters as just nifty little tidbits of trivia created to hold up for the argument that the actual cost of things, or even living, has not really increased over the years. They actually mean nothing more as proof we should have the same spending money now as in 19- whatever, as me offering proof Bigfoot exists by presenting to you a drawing made by someone who “actually” saw him. Her. It. Here’s reality standing against the “proof”. You see, I made more when I was forty five than I did when I was 25. Yes I had more expenses, but according to the “inflationary numbers“ so often thrown around, I actually lived a bargain. You see, by using those indexes with raises and advancements over those years, I made proportionally way more than the bills I acquired. Yes taking into consideration the house, cars, insurances, utilities, food, the whole shebang. Using their numbers, not mine remember, I should have been sitting pretty. But yet, it seems, I had less free money. WAY less. I could buy at LEAST 1 AHM loco a month and a couple cars and some track etc plus movies and much more back then. But today, all things are looking good, still make proportionally the same, but a loco a month is, well, a dream. You know what that means don’t you? Yup, must be just throwing money out some window, cause I make more and some things cost less.
Now, am I saying these companies should not rais
This is a commonly held misconception which I see posted here time and again.
As I pointed out in another thread recently, back in say 1974 the equipment you were purchasing was then essentially state-of-the-art for the period in model railroading. Similarly, what you are buying now is simply state-of-the-art for today. Technology marches on at a steady pace and products improve relative to those of the past and so do their prices. So, in spite of the fact that today’s items may look and run better than those of 40 years ago, you aren’t getting any more for your money now than you were then. This is true of just about any product. Thus, today’s model railroad products are no bigger “bargain” for the price than were those of yesteryear. In fact, much of today’s hobby items cost more today relative to personal income than ever before.
CNJ831
I agree. I guess my statement was based more on my feeling of getting a better product for my dollar than reality. But you are correct. The state of the art loco in the '70’s to now is like comparing a $70 LifeLike or basic Bachmann to a $250 to $300 loco. Sort of like apples and oranges. If fact, I do believe the cheapo’s are actually better in many ways today than they were back then. Gotta admit, even the noisy ones are quieter and are less picky about frogs. As you said, technology. They do cost more, but for a modeler willing to expend some time and a few extra dollars, you can make many of these cheapo’s, so to speak, into very fine looking and running models. Just depends on how much time and effort you are willing to put in to it for whatever reason. Make the modelling buck go farther, or just for the personal enjoyment or satisfaction.
That’s the beauty of this hobby. Granted somethings you must buy. Or at least a foundation to build on. Never heard of a person, for example, making their own rail…, yet. But for the most part, a person can really set his costs based on what or how far he is willing to go to achieve his goal. Don’t necessarily have to go new and you have to admit, like em or not, the online auctions sure fill a gap for accessabilty to those used items. Plus there are many ways to build a structure or add scenery without purchasing a kit or ready built. This forum alone is just chock full of ways. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad they are there, just saying this hobby is plumb full of options the Model Railroader can choose from. None, in my opinion, are wrong.
Kind of difficult to compare this:
!(http://www.bahnorama.ch/catalog/images/3397 003.JPG)
with that:
The upper one was about $ 19.75 at the time of release, the lower one is $ 560 nowadays.
What’s your point? My first issue of MR was the August, 1957, issue. It had a cover price of $0.50. My parents bought a brand new car the next year for around $3,000. The same year, they bought a house for $17,000 and my mom was paying $0.25/lb for hamburger.
Andre