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)