Historic Prices: 1931

Automobiles

New

  • Studebaker, President Eight, coup, 1,690.00-1,850.00
  • Buick, 26 models offered, 935.00-2,055.00
  • Chevrolet Six, 475.00

Used

  • 1930, Studebaker, Commander 8 Brougham, 800.00
  • 1928, Packard, sedan, 695.00
  • 1928, Chrysler, Roadster, 475.00

Clothing

  • Men's coat, overcoat, Saxon wave, 21.50/each
  • Men's necktie, .55/each
  • Men's shirt, Manhattan, dress, 1.00/each
  • Men's suit, Nottingham, wool, 22.50/each
  • Men's tuxedo, 25.00/each
  • Women's coat, 6.95/each
  • Women's dress, silk, 3.85-7.85/each
  • Women's gloves, 2.95/pair
  • Women's pajamas, silk, 5.95-17.50/pair
  • Women's skirt, wool, 1.98-4.98/each
  • Women's sweater, wool, 1.98-3.98/each

Food & beverages

  • Bacon, Asco, .12/half pound pkg
  • Bananas, .25/dozen
  • Beef, sirloin steak, .39/lb
  • Bread, Fischer's, .05/loaf
  • Butter, Louella, .37/lb
  • Candy, Lucille, chocolates, 1.09/5 lb box
  • Cereal, Kellogg's, Corn Flakes, .06/pkg
  • Cheese, New York "store" cheese, .23/lb
  • Cookies, Nabisco, Vanilla Wafers, .10/pkg
  • Coffee, Chase and Sandborn, .38/lb
  • Corn, Ideal brand, .10/can
  • Eggs, .25-.45/dozen
  • Fish, Alaska Red Salmon, .23/tall can
  • Flour, Gold Medal, .79/24.5 lb bag
  • Ham, Smoked, .39/lb
  • Lamb Chops, .23/lb
  • Lettuce, Iceberg, .25/2 heads
  • Mayonnaise, Regal Scarlet, .15/8 oz jar
  • Milk, Whitehouse, evaporated, .17/3 tall cans
  • Oats, Quaker, .25/3 pkgs
  • Oranges, Sunkist, .24/15 oranges
  • Pie, Mrs. Wagner's, .10-.25/each
  • Soda, Cliquot Club Pale Dry (ginger ale), .27/2 bottles
  • Spaghetti dinner, Chef Boy-Ar-Dee, .29/pkg
  • Sugar, granulated, .25.5 lb bag

Furniture

  • Bed, decorated metal, 5.00/each
  • Bedroom set, 3 piece, 125.00/set
  • Bridge set, steel table & folding chairs, 8.95-9.95/set
  • Chair, upholstered, 15.75-17.50/each
  • Livingroom suite, 3 pieces, 125.00/set
  • Magazine rack, 1.95/each
  • Mattress, coil spring, 5.00/each
  • Rug, thick pile, 9' X 12', 19.50/each

Household & seasonal goods

  • Christmas trees (real), 2' -6' tall, .75-2.50/each
  • Mop, "Handy Mandy," .49/each
  • Laundry soap, Octagon, .22/pkg
  • Window shades, first quality, .57/each

Personal care & health

  • Cod liver oil, .59/bottle
  • Cough syrup, Smith Brothers, .21/bottle
  • Hair tonic, Kreul, 1.89/bottle
  • Milk of Magnesia, Phillips, .29/bottle
  • Soap, Ivory, .23/6 cakes
  • Quinine, Bromo, .17/bottle
  • Toilet paper, .20/three 1,000 sheet rolls
  • Toothpaste, Pepsodent, .29/tube
  • Vicks nose drops, .34/bottle
  • Vicks Vapo Rub, .21/jar

Real estate

Houses for sale

  • Morristown, 5 rooms, new bungalow, garage, 6,000.00
  • Morristown, 5 rooms, near train station, 5,000.00
  • Morristown, 10 rooms, partial improvements, 3,000.00

Houses for rent

  • Morris Plains, 6 rooms, 40.00/month
  • Morristown, 4 rooms, 35.00/month
  • Morristown, 5 rooms, 30.00/month

Apartments & rooms

  • Morristown, 5 rooms, furnished, 55.00/month
  • Morristown, 5 rooms, 35.00/month

Recreation & amusements

  • Books, .49-.75/each
  • Dance, Pi Delta Sigma, Woman's Community Club [Morristown NJ], 2.00/ticket
  • Dinner, Twin Doors restaurant, .85-1.25/plate
  • Doll, "Flossie the Flirt," 4.98/each
  • Football tournament, 1.00/admission
  • Radio, Philco, console, 69.50/each
  • Skates, ice, 6.00-7.00/each
  • Sleds, steering, .98/each
  • Stuffed animals, 2.50/each
  • Tea set, toy, china, 9 pieces, .25/each
  • Toy airplane, 4.95/each
  • Train set, Lionel, electric, 5.95/set
  • Tricycles, 7.95/each
  • Victrola, RCA, model R-10, 86.75/each

Tobacco & alcohol

Prohibition in effect; no alcohol advertised Cigarettes, Marlboro, .17/pack

How much did it cost to stock Thanksgiving tables in 1931? These prices were advertised in The Daily Record [Morris County New Jersey], November 23-24, 1931 Meat, fowl & fish

  • Bacon, Sunnyfield, sliced, .25/two half lb pkgs
  • Chicken, .34/lb
  • Ducks, Long Island, .23/lb
  • Geese, .27/lb
  • Ham, Decker's, canned, .32/lb
  • Turkey, .39/lb

Vegetables

  • Asparagus, Del Monte, .25/can
  • Beans, string, .23/2 lbs
  • Carrots, .05/bunch
  • Cauliflower, .19/heard
  • Celery hearts, .23/2 bunches
  • Lettuce, iceberg, .10/large head
  • Olives, stuffed, .23/8 oz bottle
  • Onions, white boiling, .13/3 lbs
  • Peas, tender, .29/2lbs
  • Pickles, dill, .19/qt jar
  • Potatoes, sweet, .10/3lbs
  • Pumpkin, Raymal, .25/three no. 2 1/2 cans
  • Tomatoes, .29/2 lbs
  • Turnips, .10/4 lbs Fruits
  • Apples, Spitzenberg, .29/doz
  • Cocoanuts, large, .10/each
  • Cranberries, fresh, .19/2 lbs
  • Cranberry sauce, Ideal, .19/17 oz can
  • Dates, Dromedary, pitted, .19/pkg
  • Figs, Blue Ribbon, .10/8 oz pkg
  • Grapefruit, .25/5
  • Grapes, Emperor, .23/2 lbs
  • Lemons, Sunkist, .10/6
  • Orange peel, Dromedary, sliced, .13/pkg
  • Oranges, Sunkist, medium, .25/15
  • Peaches, Del Monte, sliced, .10/tall can
  • Pineapple, Del Monte, crushed, .25/2 medium cans
  • Raisins, Del Monte, .10/pkg
  • Tangerines, .20/12

Desserts

  • Chocolates, Primrose, assorted, .39/pkg
  • Fruit cake, Uneeda Bakers, 1.50/2 lb tin
  • Ice cream, Breyers, Ice Cream Turkey, 1.50/one & 1/2 qts
  • Nuts, Mixed, .23/lb
  • Pudding, Heinz, fig, .25/lb can
  • Pudding, Crosse & Blackwell, plum, .25/lb tin
  • Walnuts, Diamond, English, .29/lb

Dairy, eggs & cheese

  • Butter, Sunnyfield, .37/lb
  • Cheese, Swiss Gruyere, .29/box
  • Eggs, large, .27/doz

Baking, cereals, spices & condiments

  • Baking powder, Asco, .10/can
  • Crackers, Uneeda Biscuits, .04/pkg
  • Crisco, .10/lb can
  • Flour, Swansdown, cake, .23/pkg
  • Lard, .19/2lb tub
  • Mince Meat, None Such, .25/2 pkgs
  • Pie crust, Flako, .14/pkg
  • Poultry seasoning, Bell, .09/pkg
  • Sage, ground, .10/can
  • Sugar, granulated, .25/5 lb cotton sack
  • Thyme, leaf, .05/pkg
  • Vanilla, pure extract, .10/bottle

Beverages

  • Cider, sweet, .39/gal
  • Coffee, Ideal brand, .29/lb
  • Juice, A & P, grape, .27/qt bottle
  • Juice, Del Monte, tomato, .25/3 cans
  • Soda, Canada Dry, Ginger Ale, .40/3 bottles
  • Water, Perrier, sparkling, .25/2 bottles

Thanksgiving Dinner, Morris Restaurant Menu: Fruit Cup or Clam Cocktail, Chicken Broth or Vegetable Soup; Entree Turkey or Chicken; Four Vegetables, Alligator Pear or Waldorf Salad, Choice of Dessert, Tea, Coffee or Mlk, $1.25."---Display ad, Morris Restaurant, 147 Morris St. Morristown, Daily Record, November 25, 1931 (p. 3)

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