Next to the price ranges used in this article I have placed in parenthesis the inflation adjusted 2003 dollars. According to the web site "The Inflation Calculator," one dollar in 1938 equaled $12.25 in 2003. A product that cost one dollar in 2003 would have set you back 8 cents in 1938. The minimum hourly wage, first made law that year by the Fair Labor and Standards Act of 1938, was 25 cents. So the next time you see a movie from this era and someone leaves a quarter tip, don't think he's cheaper than Jack Benny.
Here are the choices of Pittsburgh's Christmas 1938 shoppers:
Men under $1 ($12.25) -- Socks, handkerchiefs, and ties in that order.
Woman under $1.00 ($12.25) -- Handkerchiefs led here too, followed by hosiery and cosmetics. Also listed: phonograph records, playing cards, and fresh flowers.
Men $1 to $2.50 ($12.25 to $30.63) -- Ties again, followed by shirts and initialed hankies. Other gifts include: fountain pens, cartons of cigarettes, slippers, flashlights, cigarette holders, and lighters.
Women $1 to $2.50 ($12.25 to $30.63) -- Stockings, underwear, cosmetics, candy, charm bracelets, bathroom towel sets, belts, scarfs, and a potted plant.
Men $2.50 to $5 ($30.63 to $61.26) -- Shirts came in first, followed by gloves, pajamas, umbrellas, good liquor, and a canary.
Women $2.50 to $5 ($30.63 to $61.26) -- gloves won out, with silk underwear, and handbags next. Other preferences: China, glassware, sporting goods, dresser sets, theatre tickets, and hand phones. This last item refers to the "new" telephones of the mid-to-late '30s that contained the speaker and listening piece all in one, rather than the old stand-up cradle phone that had a hook for hanging up the listening piece.
Men $5 to $10 ($61.26 to $122.51) -- Twenty percent asked for shoes. (Many shoe stores in this era had the measurements for regular customers.) Hats and sporting goods finished second and third. Also mentioned: leather wallets and new tires.
Women $5 to $10 ($61.26 - $122.51) -- Top choice was "smart" handbags (like those made of alligator); second favorite, silk housecoats. Also chosen: Angora sweaters, printed pottery, food delicacies, and a pair of roller skates.
Men $10 to $25 ($122.51 to $306.28) -- Most men picked lounging robes. Electric shavers placed second with older men, while
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