1953

Automobiles

New
  • Packard, Clipper, 2,679.00
  • others advertised, no prices
Used
  • 1950, Chevrolet, Deluxe, 1,295.00
  • 1948, Kaiser, sedan, 695.00
  • 1938, Dodge, 2 door, 75.00

Clothing

  • Boy's jeans, denim, 2.95/pair
  • Boy's shirt, polo style, 1.29/each
  • Girl's bathing suit, 2.98/each
  • Girl's pinafores, 1.98/each
  • Girl's shorts, denim, .88/pair
  • Men's coat, lightweight, sport, 5.95/each
  • Men's shirt, Manhattan, polo style, 1.98/each
  • Men's slacks, linen weave, 7.95/pair
  • Men's suit, Sir Ultra, 32.50/each
  • Men's swim trunks, boxer style, 1.98/pair
  • Sneakers, Keds, 2.49-3.25/pair
  • Women's bathing suit, 2.49/each
  • Women's blouse, 2.19-3.00/each
  • Women's dress, cotton pinafore, seersucker, 3.98/each
  • Women's shoes, Emma Jetticks, dress style, 3.98/pair
  • Women's suit, Handmacher, 18.98/each

Food & beverages

  • Bananas, golden ripe, .10/lb
  • Beef, porterhouse steak, .89/lb
  • Bread, rye, .29/loaf
  • Cake mix, Duncan Hines, .29/19 oz pkg
  • Cheese, Shop Rite, American, .49/lb
  • Cherries, Bing, .49/lb
  • Chocolate, Hershey's, Kisses, .25/6 oz
  • Cookies, Burry's, 1.00 three 14 oz boxes
  • Crackerjacks, .27/6 pkgs
  • Fish, flounder, .29/lb
  • Frankfurter rolls, .19/dozen
  • Frankfurters, .49/lb
  • Ham, boiled, .99/lb
  • Ice cream cones, Sweetheart, sugar, .19/pkg
  • Juice, Libby's, grape, .35/28 oz can
  • Lamb, leg, .65/lb
  • Lemonade, .29/two 6 oz cans
  • Lettuce, iceberg, .06/head
  • Margarine, Parkay, .29/4 oz carton
  • Marshmallows, Campfire, .22/lb
  • Mayonnaise, Hellman's, .59/quart
  • Milk, Louella, evaporated, .25/2 tall cans
  • Non-dairy creamer, Pream, .49/two 4 oz containers
  • Olives, .25/tall can
  • Oranges, California, Valencia, .55/5 lb bag
  • Peaches, Freestone, .17/lb
  • Peanut butter, .29/12 oz jar
  • Pickles, spears, Kosher, .25/quart
  • Potato chips, Herr's, .49/12 oz bag
  • Pretzels, NBC, .10/bag
  • Soda, Coca Cola, .29/six 6 oz bottles
  • Soup, A & P, .32/7 ounce can
  • SPAM, .45/12 oz can
  • Tea, Lipton, .56/48 count box
  • Watermelon, .06/lb

Furniture

  • Bedroom set, walnut, 3 piece, 148.00/set
  • Buffet, 54", Butternut finish, 99.50-159.50/each
  • Chair, platform rocker, 64.00-104.00/each
  • Chair upholstered, wing, 129.00-150.00/each
  • Dining room set, mahogany, 4 pieces, 5 chairs, 298.00/set
  • Mattress, twin size, 79.00/each
  • Rug, wool fibre, 9' X 12', 19.95/each
  • Sofa sleeper, 189.00/each
  • Tables, nested, 47.50-149.00/set

Garden & lawn equipment

  • Hammock, & stand, 10.95/set
  • Hose, garden, plastic, 50', 2.99/each
  • Ladder, extension, 28 ft, 20.95/each
  • Lawn mower, Power King, 17.5 inch cut, 84.95/each
  • Picnic table, metal, 17.95/set
  • Nozzle, brass, .79/each

Household goods

  • Air conditioner, Coldspot, 3/4HP, 289.95/each
  • Dinnerware, 20 pieces, 3.98-5.29/set
  • Clothes washer, 99.50/each
  • Flatware, stainless steel, 24 pieces, 5.99-8.95/set
  • Laundry detergent, Tide, .29/large; .69/giant
  • Napkins, paper, Marcal, .21/2 packs of 80
  • Paint, hose, 28.75/5 gallon can
  • Pressure cooker, 4 quart size, 9.75/each
  • Range, Bengal, gas, 30", 149.95-239.95/each
  • Refrigerator, 11 cu ft, 299.95-509.95/each
  • Rug, cotton, 12' X 9', 54.00-78.00/each
  • Sheets, percale, twin, 2.69-3.09/each
  • Starch, Thrifty, liquid, .21/quart bottle
  • Toaster, 14.95-23.50/each
  • Venetian blinds, 3.35/each

Personal care & health

  • Deodorant, Revlon, spray or lotion, 1.10/container
  • Soap, Ivory, .19/4 cakes
  • Sunglasses, 2.49/pair
  • Suntan lotion, Lanolin Plus, 1.00/4 oz bottle

Real estate

Houses for sale
  • Denville, 2 bedrooms, summer bungalow, 5,500.00
  • Morristown, 4 bedrooms, 12,800.00
  • Morris Twp., 3 bedrooms, split level, 21,000.00
Houses for rent
  • Lake Hopatcong, 5 rooms, 100.00/month
  • Morristown, 7 rooms, 175.00/month
Apartments & rooms
  • Morris Plains, 4 rooms with porch, 85.00/month

Recreation & amusements

  • Airline trip, Morristown Airport-Atlantic City, 13.50/ticket
  • Barbeque grill, 2.98/each
  • Beach floats, canvas, 20" X 34", 8.99/each
  • Bicycle, 3 speed, 39.99/each
  • Charcoal briquettes, Kingsford, .95/10 lb bag
  • Horse races, Monmouth Park, 1.80/general admission
  • Luggage, Samsonite, scuff-resistant, 17.50/each
  • Movie, drive-in, Ledgewood, 1.00/carful
  • Picnic basket, metal, 1.29/each
  • Piano, mahogany finish, upright, 495.00/each
  • Radio, RCA Victor, Globetrotter, 49.95/each
  • Sand box, 7.95/each
  • Stock car races, admission 1.25/adult; .60/children
  • Swimming pool, inflatable, 40" X 48" X 6", 3.95/each
  • wing set, metal, 19.95-29.95/set
  • Television, Westinghouse, console, 199.95/each
  • Tent, jungle, 9' X 9', 14.95/each
  • Umbrella, beach, 5', 7.95/each
How much did it cost to stock Thanksgiving tables in 1953? These prices were advertised in The Daily Record [Morris County, New Jersey], November 23-25, 1953.  
  • Meat, fowl & fish
  • Bacon, 73 cents/lb
  • Beef, Ground, 39 cents/lb
  • Chicken, 51 cents/lb
  • Duck, Long Island, 43 cents/lb
  • Ham, 79 cents/lb
  • Lamb, leg, 59 cents/lb
  • Oysters, 55 cents/7 oz can
  • Sausage, 45 cents/lb
  • Turkey, 45 cents/lb

Vegetables

  • Beans, Sno Cap, green, 23 cents/10 oz pkg
  • Broccoli, Seabrook Farms, frozen, 45 cents/two 10 oz pkgs
  • Celery, Pascal, 19 cents/bunch
  • Corn, Birdseye, frozen, 20 cents/10 oz pkg
  • Olives, stuffed, 39 cents/4 oz jar
  • Onions, white, small, 15 cents/2 lbs
  • Peas, Sno Cap, frozen, 35 cents/two 10 oz pkgs
  • Potatoes, 29 cents/10 lb bag
  • Squash, acorn, 5 cents/lb
  • Succotash, Seabrook Farms, frozen, 25 cents, 10 oz pkg
  • Sweet potatoes, 19 cents/2 lbs

Fruits & nuts

  • Apples, Red Western, 19 cents/lb
  • Cherries, Maraschino, 29 cents/8 oz jar
  • Cranberries, 19 cents/lb
  • Cranberry sauce, Ocean Spray, 35 cents/2 No. 300 cans
  • Chestnuts, 19 cents/lb
  • Dates, Dromedary, 23 cents/7.25 oz pkg
  • Grapefruit, Florida, 25 cents/4
  • Grapes, Emperor, 19 cents/lb
  • Oranges, Florida, 35 cents/5 lb bag
  • Peanuts, roasted, 29 cents/11 oz pkg
  • Pumpkin, 19 cents/two No. 300 cans
  • Raisins, Freshbrook, seedless, 17 cents/15 oz pkg
  • Walnuts, Diamond, 49 cents/lb
  • Dairy, eggs & cheese
  • Cheese, blue, 69 cents/lb
  • Cheese, cheddar, 79 cents/lb
  • Cheese, Kraft, Cheese Whiz, 49 cents/large jar
  • Eggs, 85 cents/doz
  • Margarine, Parkay, 31 cents/lb
  • Milk, evaporated, Louella, 25 cents/2 tall cans
  • Whipped cream, Reddi-Wip, 49 cents/7-oz can

Desserts

  • Cake, layer, 69 cents/each
  • Cake, Stollen, Nancy Lynn, 65 cents/each
  • Candy, M&Ms, 25 cents/7 oz pkg
  • Date and nut roll, 29 cents/8 oz pkg
  • Mince Pie, Virginia Lee, 59 cents/each
  • Plum pudding, Cross & Balckwell, 19 cents/16 oz can
  • Pop corn, TNT, 19 cents/10 oz pkg
  • Pudding, Jell-O, 25 cents/3 pkgs
  • Baking, cereals, spices & condiments
  • Bell's Poultry Seasoning, 12 cents/1 oz pkg
  • Cake mix, Dromedary, fruit cake, 69 cents/17.5 oz pkg
  • Extract, vanilla, Grand Union, 52 cents/4 oz
  • Flour, Gold Medal, 51 cents/5 lb bag
  • Karo syrup, blue label, 23 cents/24 oz bottle
  • Mince meat, Freshpak, 19 cents/9 oz can
  • Oil, Mazola, 65 cents/qt
  • Pie crust mix, Flako, 33 cents/two 9 oz pkgs
  • Shortening, Crisco, 79 cents/3 lb can
  • Stuffing, Stickneys, 17 cents/6 oz pkg
  • Stuffing bread, 15 cents/lb
  • Sugar, confectioner's, 23 cents/2 one lb pkgs
  • Pie crust mix, Pillsbury, 33 cents/two 9 oz pkgs

Beverages

  • Champagne, Monseigneur, 3.49/fifth bottle
  • Cider, 79 cents/gal
  • Coffee, Freshpak, instant, 82 cents/4 oz jar
  • Coffee, Ideal, 91 cents/can
  • Juice, orange, frozen, 29 cents/two 6 oz cans
  • Juice, pineapple, Dole, concentrated, 39 cents/two 6 oz cans
  • Tea, 79 cents/1000 ct box
"On the produce markets this week" Practically all the Thanksgiving Day specialties in the fruit and vegetable line are available at Northeast produce markets at reasonable to low prices. According to the USDA market newsmen in key cities, the root vegetables are particularly plentiful. Cabbage, various greens, potatoes, and onions are good buys throughout the Northeast. In fine supply at nearly all centers are cranberries, spinach, turnips, rutabagas, parsnips, sweet potatoes and pears. Most markets offer apples, oranges, carrots, cauliflower, celery, peppers, squash and lettuce. Best Buys:--Cabbage, spinach, lettuce, potatoes and apples. Good Buys--Sweet potatoes, green Pascal celery, onions, parsley, winter squash, cranberries, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, turnips, parsnips, beets, avocados, greens, pears and Red Emperor grapes." ---"Food Comments," by Miss Helen Mahrle, Morris County Cooperative Extension Service County Home Agent," Daily Record [Morristown, N.J.], November 25, 1953 (p. 7)  
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