Question for the ol' timers

[Smokey Joe]

What was the average cost for baccy in the good ol days- 1950’s 60’s and 70’s and do you think the overall quality in blends has improved since that period?

 

[stan41]

In 1970 I bought RLP-6 for $7.95 per pound. I think quality wise it is the same as it was.
Stan

 

[pipetongue1]

In the late 50's and early 60's Edgeworth slices $.21, Rum & Maple $.25, the tabacco of yesteryear was made with different crops of that time, loc., soil etc, can't be compared with today's, apples & oranges, Ken. :tongue: :santa:
Pacem en Puffing! :tongue: :rendeer:

 

[pipemaker]

In the 1960's, you could buy an 8 oz. can of Balkan Sobranie for
$ 3.15. Most Dunhill blends cost $2 for 4 oz. Three Nuns could be had for $1.35 for a 4 oz. tin, and a half pound can of Sail would set you back a whole $1.59.

Mike B

 

[ftrplt]

Prices in the 60's were mere pennies on the dollar compared to today's costs. The shop where I worked carried everything from PA to all the old beloved English/European blends. Pouch/box prices were well under a dollar for most blends. Domestic tins (of which there were very few, mostly pouchs/boxes) and tubs were under $2. The imported stuff might run into the $3 range, but that was for 8 ozs!! I had a 40% employee discount; smoked BS 759, DH Standard Full, Punchbowle, John Cotton #1&#2, etc. routinely. PA, CH, SWR, etc. were anywhere from $.15 to $.35 a pouch!! $5 was a big tobacco sale!! FTRPLT

 

[grumpy1]

I'd have to say that the quality of our money has deteriorated more that the quality of our tobacco but it is difficult for me to quantify the degree with the tobacco since my old favorites are no longer available.

 

[mark]

I remember my dad buying Top tobacco for 25 cents in the early 60s at the gas station,,,(27 cents a gallon)

 

[jlong]

I remember when they put out different jars of tobacco and you could load a bowl for free to sample it. Often times they had cobs sitting next to the jars for a buck. I made the mistake one day of asking a local B&M if he did that with his jars and he looked at me like I was some kind of moron. Ain't been back since.

 

[Smokey Joe]

FTRPLT, Looks like you had the perfect job back then and ya' can't beat a 40% discount. It's hard to believe an 8oz tin went for 3 bucks. Those WERE the good ol days!

 

[stoked]

I just bought a Peterson System 309 P-lip smooth for 139.00 (canada) and the old timer who sold it to me said the went for 12.50 when he was starting out. I think Grabows and the like were $5.

 

[ftrplt]

In the 60's, I could have sold you any number of different pipes for $5 and under!!! Checkout Chris Keene's pipepages.com for catalogs of that era. We carried Dr. Grabows, Dr. Plumb's, Digby's (among other seconds), Medico's, and Yellow Bowls all under $5!! I still have several of our "house pipes" which were GBD natural seconds. Still great smoking pipes. The aweful inflation in the mid-to-late 70's, early 80's really jacked a lot of prices up beyond all reason. FTRPLT

 

[puros_bran]

1969 Iwan Ries catalog has Sixtens for $375-500


The average salary according to http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade60.html was $4743.. So around a 10th of the average salary would snag you the very top o the line pipe...

Compare that to the 8-12k pipes his boy makes today and the average salary would need to be 80-120k.

 

[Al in Canada]

1960' smokers were complaining about overpriced cigarettes at 25 cents a pack, of which 17 cents i think was taxes. Bread was about the same price .25, draft beer was the same price for a glass, but 2 for $.25 during happy hour. Gas was $.25 to .30 a gallon, but might go below 20 cents during a "price war", lowest price I remember was about $.10. Bottled Cokes had climbed up from the 5 cents (plus deposit) to ten, and then 25 for the bigger bottle (12 ounce?).

a new car might set you back $3500, more of course for a Caddie. My first car was a used Fiat that set me back $75.00!!! When we moved in 1962, the house that had cost my parents $14,000 in 1947 sold for $35,000.

Everything is more expensive today, but tobacco is noticably so because so much of the price is taxes, and they keep raising the taxes.

Can't answer about comparisons of quality then and now, I wasn't smoking then. But it is my impression that the market is much wider now, and the ability to order tobacco and get it delivered to you is much easier today than then, or so it would seem.