Thread: Sears Catalog HONES

I happened upon a replica of the 1908 Sears catalog Saturday and started crying as soon as I found a 5 x 2 1/2 Belgian hone @ $1.65 and an 8x2 Swaty @ $.72

Also, the average price of razors in 1908 was around $2.00

Times have changed. I thought this would interest you guys.............

Back then, that was a lot of a lot of money, considering that the average daily wage was probably only about $1.50.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Back then, that was a lot of a lot of money, considering that the average daily wage was probably only about $1.50.

probably closer to a dollar, if you had a wage.

Looking at the money:

Inflation adjustment:
1908.....Today
$1.65.....$36.41
$0.72.....$15.89
$2.00.....$44.14

Interesting is to look at it in terms of the amount of work required to obtain the hones. Average wage in 1908 was $0.22/hour. That makes the Belgian hone worth 7.5 hours of work, and the Swaty worth 3.27 hours of work.
Comparing that to today's average wage of 19.51/hour, the Belgian is worth $146.33 and the Swaty is worth $63.80.

As long as we're talking inflation and work, here's some fun for ya':
1908.....Today
$0.22.....$4.85

So, the next time someone complains about inflation, remember that historically wages have gone up more than the inflationary rate.

(note: all calculations based upon numbers from United States Bureau of Labor Statistics)

HNSB

Good job on the stats. A check on history never hurt anyone......