Cool Pic Archive Pages
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These images have been chosen for their uniqueness. Subject matter ranges from
historic events, to really cool phenomena in science and engineering, to relevant
place, to ingenious contraptions, to interesting products (which now has its own
dedicated Featured Product
category).
While searching for information on vintage
model airplanes and rockets, I ran across these pages from 1930s era Christmas catalogs
from the Spiegel and Sears Roebuck companies. I can remember as a kid in the 1960s
carefully leafing through the Christmas Wish Books when they came in the mail, being
sure not to miss a single control line airplane, slot car racing set, model train
setup, BB gun, chemistry set, GI Joe action figure (although they weren't called
that at the time), backyard tent and camping equipment, bicycle, mini bike, and
a host of other "guy" stuff.
According to the 1933 Spiegel Christmas catalog, a tabletop 5-tube AC-DC radio
from Philco plus an RCA Victor phonograph combo cost $49.95. It sure seems like
a heck of a deal until you consider that the BLS CPI*
inflation calculator says that price in 1933 is equivalent to
$885.19 in 2012 dollars. For $39.95 ($707.97 in 2012), you could add an RCA Victor
radio with "four mighty tubes" and a folding aerial to your horseless carriage!
The 1937 Sears Roebuck Christmas Wish Book offered a floor model Silvertone radio
with 11 tubes (the newly announced 1938 model) for a mere $51.85. That's $829.52
in 2012 money. So, for about the same expenditure you could get a tabletop radio
and phonograph combo or a furniture quality floor model radio. With three bands
to choose from - 5.8 to 18 M.C. (megahertz) foreign, 1.7 to 6 M.C. shortwave, and
545 to 1,800 K.C. (kilohertz) - you wouldn't even need to have the television set
turned on for continuous entertainment.
* Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index
Radio Advertisement from the 1933 Spiegel
Christmas Catalog
Radio Advertisement from the 1937 Sears Roebuck
Christmas Catalog
Posted September 22, 2012
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