Heroes, Heroines, and History

 

 

Now and Then: The Prices of Everyday Items – Part Three

by Penny Zeller

Thank you for joining me for the third installment of prices of everyday items.

Everyone loves a sale. When my daughters were toddlers, I especially appreciated finding cereal on sale for $1.99 a box. Those days are in the distant past, but I’m still on the hunt for a bargain, especially in the grocery store.

Speaking of which, at my local grocery store, a ten-pound bag of granulated sugar is $8.94. In 1883, ten pounds were sold for $1 at Reid & Company in Cheboygan, Michigan.

Also at my local grocery store, one can of corn is currently $1.48. At Reid & Company, the price was 25 cents for three cans.

While researching for Beyond the Horizon, I stumbled across a fantastic “First Grand Fall Sale” in 1894. While in today’s marketing, it’s common to see that an item was this amount (or the regular price is this amount) but is now (or the sale price is) this amount, in the 1800s, I noticed many advertisements stating something is worth this amount but is on sale for this amount.

Case in point, at the People’s Furniture & Carpet Company in Omaha, Nebraska, the smart shopper in need of household items could walk away with much of their hard-earned dollars remaining in their pockets with the fantastic sales listed below:

Solid oak rocking chair, worth $7.50, but on sale for $3.25.

 

A “plush divan” is on sale for $4.90, but worth $12.

Have a new baby on the way? Now’s the time to purchase that baby carriage and save nearly 50 percent when the $15 carriage is offered for $7.85.

Are you an avid reader? This company offers $2 bookshelves for only 90 cents.

A 16x28-inch mottled rug sells for 34 cents but is worth $1, and a 6x9 Japanese rug is on sale for $9.40, but worth $15.

A Peninsular Range is on sale for $22.65 (original price is $45).

The company even offers payment plans. For instance, according to their advertisement, if you purchase "$10 worth of goods", you can pay $1 a week or $4 per month.

 

 

Even as recent as a couple of years ago, our local grocery store had a promotion where you received “stamps” for every dollar spent. You could then cash in these stamps for a cooking pan. Such marketing ploys were used even in the 1800s, as is evidenced by the People’s Furniture & Carpet Company offering a, “set of silver plated tea spoons” when a customer spends $10. Or “a handsome picture” when purchasing “$50 worth of goods”.

Of the prices listed above, which one was the most interesting (or shocking!) to you?

Until next time, thank you for joining me. Have a wonderful week!

 

She's desperate to keep her job.
He's desperate for solitude.
What is God's plan in this complicated situation?

Ruby Shepherdson has worked hard to secure her job as a reporter for The Horizon Herald. After a costly mistake, Ruby’s unforgiving boss gives her an ultimatum to either interview the handsome and reclusive Jake Lynton—or lose her job. But each time Ruby has attempted to obtain an interview, Jake has refused. Why would anyone who has saved the lives of four people deny recognition? And why does she find herself drawn to the man?

 

 

PENNY ZELLER is known for her heartfelt stories of faith, love, and humor and her passion to impact lives for Christ through fiction. While she has had a love for writing since childhood, she began her adult writing career penning articles for national and regional publications on a wide variety of topics. Today, Penny is a multi-published author of over two dozen books. She is also a fitness instructor, loves the outdoors, and is a flower gardening addict. She resides with her husband and two daughters in small-town America and loves to connect with her readers at www.pennyzeller.com.