Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante
When a candy bar cost $.50
When penny candy stores existed.
As a kid, candy bars and "chewing gum" were a nickle, bubble gum and lots of candy was a penny.
Originally posted by: dquan97
- when I filled up my car for $20
- when a cell phone came in a bag
- only having 60 channels to choose from
We used to fill up the car for less than $5, and it was a FULL-SIZED tank with a large (20-30 gallons) tank.
Cell phones? Is that what they call from in jail? Out and about and need to make a call? There were payphones on almost every corner...they cost a nickle. People screamed when they went to a dime!
We got 3 regular channels; ABC, CBS, & NBC, plus we got PBS, but the picture usually sucked.
Originally posted by: joesmoke
-when mileage wasn't something to consider when choosing a car
-when a pack of cigs were a little less that 2 bucks
-when the freeway was still useful during the day
No kidding. We kept track of mileage in my step-dad's 59 Buick Electra 225 because the fuel gauge didn' work well, and it was the easiest way to know how far we could go before filling it up.
I used to buy cigarettes in the base commisary for $1.90 per carton. (yes, that's 19 cents per pack.)
Freeway? WTF is that?
I grew up in Mass where they had turnpikes, but in the early 60's, most of the interstate highway system was either still in the planning stages, or under construction. The majority of auto travel was on 2 lane US highways.
Originally posted by: jjones
... gas was under 30 cents on sale and candy bars were a nickel.
... most families had one TV and it was black and white.
... electronics all had tubes.
... kids went outside and played without adult supervision not long after they learned to walk.
... we were taught to duck and cover to protect ourselves from a nuclear blast.
... JFK was shot and killed.
... Neil Armstrong took the first step on the moon.
If you remember all that, you're an OLD muthafucka! (maybe almost as old as me!)
I remember the "gas wars" as a kid. Prices would drop quickly as stations competed for your business, and the plethora of "gifts" from the gas stations, ("with a minimum 8 gallon purcase") was pretty good. Hell, they used to pump it for you, check your oil, (and often, short-stick you to sell you a quart you didn't need), and wash your windshield for you...and do a good job of it too!
I only vaguely remember the Sputnik launch, but I do remember all the fuss made about it. I remember launching the chimps, then the Mercury flights, Gemini, then Apollo.
I was in the 3rd grade when JFK was killed.
As a teenager, beer could be had for less than $1 per 6 pack, milk was 50 cents/gallon, hamburger was 3 lbs/$1, and you could have a burger, fries, and soda for about 50 cents.
Movies were 25 cents for me as a kid, then 35 cents, and 50 cents. That's when I quit going to the movies regularly. Why a movie with popcorn and soda might cost a whole buck!
It's a bitch gettin old. I still remember the prices from my childhood, and looking at the current prices, I feel like I'm getting fucked everytime I buy stuff.
Of course, wages have changed slightly too. When I started working, IIRC, minimum wage was $1.25, and if you made $500/month, you were really had it made. My in-laws bought their house, 3 bedroom rancher with a full basement in 1964 for 18,000, and people thought they were nuts. When they died, (him in 86, her in 91) the house sold for $350,000.