The Power of a Dollar.

rsv1cox wrote:That's why I was buying the Space Bug Jr's for $2.95 and the Babe Bees for $3.95 back in the early 1950's instead of the more expensive engines. At the time I was earning fifty cents an hour, five dollars for a ten hour day. It took most of a day to earn enough to buy an engine. When you start correcting for time it doesn't seem like much of a bargain.

Bob, I guess value is all per personal perspective. It is odd how at the time, we didn't think much to spend such. We didn't accumulate stuff then as we do now, plus with no Internet, seems we always had time to do. (You are doing a lot of good by concentrating on getting stuff done.)

Speaking of inflation and similar wages, I was earning $1.25 per hour at Maile Poultry back in 1969 in high school. Then a year and half later, changed to Takahashi's in Waianae Valley for $1.40 per hour.

Then, the military hobby shops run by the Services Squadron (or Supply/Quartermasters Company) were basically selling engines IMO at wholesale plus a small surcharge, almost half that of retail. I bought a couple Babe Bee's, don't remember the cost now, probably a couple bucks, so long ago. It was the same for Scientific kits. Retail may be $7, but at the shops was around $4. (Later when I joined the Army in 1972, was earning $88 per month as a buck private.)

It was then in the late 1960's that I bought my prized Cox P-51B new parts RTF missing box, moveable elevator and rear fuselage bottom shell for less than $2 at Gemco's (similar to an early Walmart) outdoor tent sale in Waipahu. Finished missing parts in functional glued and cloth hinged in place sheet balsa, prepped and doped in OD to match. So proud of my work, still wished I had that model.