# Prices - put them in perspective.



## swtour (Oct 8, 2001)

There's a thread about the cost of Postage from the USPS going up, there's a thread about the NATIONAL GAS OUT due to the high price of gasoline.

Have you guys (Especially those of us who are over 40) ever taken the time to put different prices in perspective?

When I was a kid, my father owned a Union 76 gas station. This was I believe around 1969 - 70. The price at his station I believe was about .32c per gallon at that time... A couple years later he took over another station and got out of the first one... the price at the second station was about .37c per gallon and I believe this was about 1972. Sometime during this period the UNION rep. came to him to let him know...SALES TAX was going to have to be added to a gallon of gas (*until this time there was no state sales tax on gasoline)...I believe the CA. State Sales tax at that time was 4%. When this happened, he (my father) refused to INCLUDE the tax in his pump price...instead if you asked for $5.00 worth of gas, he ask if that was total or before tax. Less than 1 month later he was ordered by the Oil Company rep. to INCLUDE the price because he was causing issues to be raised...Now that gas price has hit $3.55 here where I live and you think...wow 7.75% of that is State Sales Tax, you realize that over .25c per gallon is just SALES TAX, not to mention all the other taxes added to the gallon price.

But, back to the other perspectives...

35 years - GAS from about .35c per gallon to $3.50+
35 years - HOUSE from $20,000 to $375,000
35 years - CAR $2,500+/- to $25,000 depending on make/model of course.
35 years - USPS Stamp .08 - .10c to .41c
35 years - Sliced bread .30c loaf to $2.89

35 years - Average Wage $3.23 per hour to $16.75

So in crunching numbers...it would look like so many things in life have gone up at a similar increase...about 1000%, however the average hourly wage has only increased about 500%, but calculate the percentage increase of HOUSING (This are California numbers) the house has gone up close to 1900% if the $3.23 per hour average hourly wage had gone up equally...you'd be making $61.30+ per hour (These were not MINIMUM WAGES, these were national average)

The USPS Stamp increase is actually pretty close to being inline with the National Average wage increase.


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## OvalmanPA (Mar 21, 2000)

Take the minimum wage into effect there and see what things look like.


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## swtour (Oct 8, 2001)

Ovalman,

I don't know what the National Minimum Wage is, CA is a bit higher (I think we're $7.50 now), I remember working at a Gas Station when I was 16 (1979) for $2.95 per hour.

I think last time I looked there are currently only 2 states that don't have a minimum wage...but 2 or 3 states do have a minimum wage LOWER than the National (In which case the NATIONAL has to be used...but sometimes OTHER wages are in direct proportion to the STATE Minimum, so by those states having a lower minimum...the affected wages are lower)


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## pepe (Sep 29, 2001)

All I know is I was making $14/hr 17 years ago,straight out of college,and when I was job hunting 7 yrs ago some of the HR folks about had a heart attack when I replied to the question of what would I have to have for a salary and I said 16,17/$hr absolute minimum.I was given offers of $9- $12/hr,I had to laugh at them and reply "Your kiddin right,I'm a degreed electronics technician with 10 yrs experience.


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## IndyRC_Racer (Oct 11, 2004)

You'd have to pay me a lot to live in California. Regular gas is around 3.20 a gallon here in Indy and housing is way less. I watch a few home makeover shows and I'm shocked that a some 1000 sq. ft. houses in CA goes for over $500,000. I just looked at a 3000 sq. ft. house here in Indy a few months ago for less than $500,000.

As far as prices go, what was the price of a McDonalds regular hamburger 30 years ago vs today? I bet that it hasn't gone up 1000%.


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## 67-4-fun (Feb 23, 2004)

IndyRC_Racer said:


> You'd have to pay me a lot to live in California. Regular gas is around 3.20 a gallon here in Indy and housing is way less. I watch a few home makeover shows and I'm shocked that a some 1000 sq. ft. houses in CA goes for over $500,000. I just looked at a 3000 sq. ft. house here in Indy a few months ago for less than $500,000.
> 
> As far as prices go, what was the price of a McDonalds regular hamburger 30 years ago vs today? I bet that it hasn't gone up 1000%.


No, but the sandwiches got smaller!! or maybe they looked bigger as a kid LOL!!!


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## swtour (Oct 8, 2001)

> As far as prices go, what was the price of a McDonalds regular hamburger 30 years ago vs today? I bet that it hasn't gone up 1000%.


In the mid 70's I believe a McDonalds hamburger was around .30c and it's roughly what .90c now. So that would only be a 300% increase, but THEY have a burger war competition that helps keep that price low....at least here in Calif. you can still get a BIG 1/4 lb size burger at most fast food places for .99c but a lot of them don't show it on the menu, and a normal size burger they want anywhere from $2.50 to $3.95

On the Gasoline issue compared to the FAST FOOD issue, IF we could come up with a fuel source to compete w/ the Gas Stations, they would have to FIGHT for your business...instead of having a Monopoly and you'd probably see prices drop dramatically.

Look at the price of Gasoline in Venezuela..but NOBODY drives anywhere so there isn't a huge gasoline market. Global Gasoline Price List

You want to go into weird pricing w/ competition...look at the price of a six pack of Coke/Pepsi/Dr. Pepper/7Up, etc

We had a 4th of July sale in the summer of 1987 where you could buy a 6 pack for .88c a 6 pack (limited 2 cases per customer) I bought 50 cases...to have for our concession stand at our R/C Races. 

Just recently I bought a couple 6 packs on sale for .99c a six pack.

But, 20 years ago if you walked into a 7-11 and bought a single it was .25c, now it's $.89 - .99 or more which is still only a 400% or so increase...but IF you are willing to work for it..and look you can get a bargain...which you can't do w/ a house, or a car, or a gallon of gasoline.


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## pepe (Sep 29, 2001)

swtour said:


> In the mid 70's I believe a McDonalds hamburger was you are willing to work for it..and look you can get a bargain...which you can't do w/ a house, or a car, or a gallon of gasoline.


If you know where to look you can get a really good deal on a house,there is really only one way to buy a house, it's CASH,I recently did it and it is now on the market,$$$$$$$$$$!!!!!!! beats $9-$12/HR all day long.


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## swtour (Oct 8, 2001)

Pepe, I've always figured if you are in the real estate type market you may be able to find great deals on houses and properties...just like a guy like me who's a mechanic can find great deals on cars...(When your not looking) 

I know nothing about the real estate game, except to say watching a 20,000 house here now selling for 375,000 - 425,000 (3bdrm TRACT house) is crazy


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## pepe (Sep 29, 2001)

swtour said:


> Pepe, I've always figured if you are in the real estate type market you may be able to find great deals on houses and properties...just like a guy like me who's a mechanic can find great deals on cars...(When your not looking)
> 
> I know nothing about the real estate game, except to say watching a 20,000 house here now selling for 375,000 - 425,000 (3bdrm TRACT house) is crazy


The whole money thing is crazy in this country,I figure if you can't beat'em might as well join 'em.I got tired of being the sucker and decided to do something about it,that's all.That's one thing about this country that I love,at least you can make changes if you really decide too.It's hard sometimes but I try to remain positive and not let the small things, and it's all small really, get me down.I've learned not to worry about the things I can't change.


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## The Stig (Sep 25, 2005)

On a more positive note, as RCer's, what we should be happy about is the relative LACK of inflation in our hobby. I left the hobby about 15 years ago and got back into in about 2 years ago. Funny enough, I found that technology had certainly moved forward while prices really hadn't. My Losi MF1 kit cost about the same that my gold tub RC10 did back in the day. Back then mid-level radios were $125 - just like when I got my Losi. Motors - same thing. Mid-level motors were still $35. A good ESC was $100, just like back in the day (and with better options, features, power handling, etc). All in all I spent about $550 getting my Losi up and running - pretty much the same I had spent on my RC10 years ago. Of course as a grown up, the $550 wasn't nearly as painful as when I was a teenager.

Now, I can get some of the more upper level items (M11, Ice, etc...) but not spend much more on parts and kits than I did many moons ago. As prices of gas, energy, adulthood, and family life have shot up, my RC expenditures haven't changed significantly and I can still enjoy this hobby. That, to me, is amazing.


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## Ohio_Norm (Dec 29, 2005)

Look guys prices change some what from area to area, don't get hung up on one or two items and lose focus, the whole point the gentleman was trying to make.The more you make the more the other guy wants to make because it costs him more to buy the stuff you are paid to make, It's called progress. Like it or not we are moving to a world economy. My Father had a fit when I bought a 1964 1/2 Mustang when they first came out, he said "No d___m little car is worth $ 3,179".. It would be worth about 40K now... If you want to keep your sanity, quit listening to the talking heads on TV, read between the lines of whats in print, and follow what you know in your heart to be right. The only one that has your best interest at heart and isn't trying to "Sell" you something even if it's just an idea is your self...


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## gezer2u (Sep 25, 2001)

I think I have posted this before. Interesting reading. 

http://www.wtrg.com/prices.htm


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