The "Way Back Machine" v cost of living?

[TigreST]

Just wondering,
I picked up a couple kits this morning that a former c/l flyer had been storing since the 1970's.  He at long last has gotten out of the hobby in total.  The motors went at a garage sale a year or more ago and the kits were his last hold outs.

Anyway, the penciled in price on both boxes show $17.95 (Midwest Magician) and $22.50 (Top Flight Green box/label Nobler).  I gave him his asking price which I believe was the sort of "going rate" for these classic kits and feel that I got a good deal, no tax, no shipping, Canadian funds (30% off right there I think). The kits are in excellent shape.  Can anyone put the actual "historical" prices to either of these?  How about some of the other classic kits...Sterlilng Ringmaster for instance.  Very vague memory of the Sr. Ringmaster going for geezee?  $9.95...or something like that in the 1970's. Most likely in error there but, just wondering.   This is not about what there worth now, just what were they selling for back then?  Maybe a page from AHC  catalog ad would tell the tail I guess.

[Fred Quedenfeld jr]

In 1975  at E.J. Korevetts Dept. store you could get a red head McCoy 35  for $3.95   and a Ringmaster S-1 for $5.95  but gas was $.50 per gallon
Fred Q

[TigreST]

Couple of AHC pages one states 1962 the other 1969.  Magician for 7.95?  Shoestring package  $8.99.  The times they are a changing and continue to change that's for sure.  Dollar went a long way back then.  The good ole bad ole days. 

[john e. holliday]

My first green box Nobler was listed at $9.95.   That was a Christmas present from Mom and Dad.  Yes the first Magician I had was $7.95.   Fox .35's were also $15.95.  This back in late 1959.  By the way I powered the Nobler with the McCoy .35 that sold for $10.00 even in a plastic box with clear lid.

[TigreST]

First time I ever saw the Nobler was in the 1973-1976 time frame, RAF Wethersfield, England (USAF base) when my flying buddy Ken House was starting to build one.  I remember we argued a bit about the name...I said "Noble-er" he said Knob-ler".  I never did see it fly as we rotated back to the USA before he finished it.  I think he purchased it out of the BX at RAF Lakenheath.  I now cost was always and issue.  Mom and Dad supported our hobby efforts for the most part until the base summer hire program started up.  The BX carried Fox motors and the even cheaper Testor/McCoy Series-21 .35 for very cheap.  The Testor/McCoy's looked nicer but were ba$tard to start at times. 

[John Rist]

Search eBay for these kits to get to get a current $

[TigreST]

Don’t need or want current price John.  It’s a “back in the day thing”!

[Andre Ming]

Mid-late 60s and I think I paid something like $13 for a new Fox 35st and $16 for a 36X at a local hobby shop?

Andre

[GERALD WIMMER]

Hello Things have changed a lot since about 1980 when I started flying C/L, my Cox Me 109 Super Stunter was $100 from North Shore Hobbies in Auckland New Zealand (Xmas gift my mother got me) and that was about a weeks wages then.
A Top Flite Nobler was $160 NZ then which was very expensive and well beyond my budget then (probably over a $1000 in today's money with inflation).

 Funny thing now is the second hand gear like a stunt 35 engine is cheaper then lunch at Wendy's for the 4 of us after Sunday flying at the Bruce McLaren field.   

Regards Gerald

[Terrence Durrill]

Just wondering,
I picked up a couple kits this morning that a former c/l flyer had been storing since the 1970's.  He at long last has gotten out of the hobby in total.  The motors went at a garage sale a year or more ago and the kits were his last hold outs.

Anyway, the penciled in price on both boxes show $17.95 (Midwest Magician) and $22.50 (Top Flight Green box/label Nobler).  I gave him his asking price which I believe was the sort of "going rate" for these classic kits and feel that I got a good deal, no tax, no shipping, Canadian funds (30% off right there I think). The kits are in excellent shape.  Can anyone put the actual "historical" prices to either of these?  How about some of the other classic kits...Sterlilng Ringmaster for instance.  Very vague memory of the Sr. Ringmaster going for geezee?  $9.95...or something like that in the 1970's. Most likely in error there but, just wondering.   This is not about what there worth now, just what were they selling for back then?  Maybe a page from AHC  catalog ad would tell the tail I guess.

                                When I purchased my first Sterling S-1 Ringmaster in 1955, it was priced at $2.95 + tax.  A new K&B .29 greenhead to power it was $15.95 (a much better engine than a McCoy Redhead, but you paid for it).  The Top Flite wood 10/6 propellers were .25 cents each.................ah, yes, those were the days.  ......     ...... 

[Serge_Krauss]

Unfortunately, I cannot unbox my old magazines right now to get the dates on these two advertisements, but I remember that generally we bought profile kits like Ringmasters and Yaks/Mustangs for $3.95 - $5.95 when I was buying as a kid. I remember Green-Box Noblers at less that ten dollars. I know I also scanned AHC ads too, including parts of a catalog, but those might not have survived my hard-drive disaster last year. Here though are a couple ads for my time or slightly previously for comparable kits. The Circus King was also a Matt Kania design that predated the Ringmaster.

[TigreST]

Serge,
That's some cool advertising.  Liked that Matt sort of kept with a theme when naming his designs.  Ring-master,...Circus-King. 

[TigreST]

Found this in a Fox .35 box.  I wonder is anybody can time stamp this info.  It may help me know what era the .35 came from...it has muffler ears.  I got it for 9.95 back around 1985 NIB.

[TigreST]

Front page of the manual, just because.

[TigreST]

Also in the same box found this bit of advertising on the back side of the Top Flight Prop Chart:

[TigreST]

And again the front side, just because.

[Walter Johnson]

The full page Fox add has the Fox 59 as a 1965 model.

[JoeJust]

In 1950 I wanted a  McCoy .60 Red Head. At $14.95 I couldn't afford it. Last year I saw one on ebey. At $540 I couldn't afford it. Nothing changes!
Joe

[John Park]

Back in 1963, whn the Pound Sterling was worth $2.80, my dream was to build and fly a Mercury Crusader with a Merco .35 in it.  The Crusader kit cost £3/9/6d., about $9.75, and the Merco was £5/19/6d., about $16.75.  What with dope, glues, lines, prop. etc. etc., the whole deal would have come to well over £10, say $30: I was in my last term at school before university, so a dream it had to stay until I graduated - by which time it cost rather a lot more!

John

[Gordon Van Tighem]

Growing up in Canada our pricing was very influenced by currency swings. With a strong Canadian Dollar a big $.98US tube of Ambroid sold for $.75Cdn. Then in 1963 our politicians devalued our currency to promote trade and that same tube of glue went to $1.13. Quite the swing when you were supporting your hobby from a paper route.
My wife points out that I still have too much of my hard gotten gains from that era (in her opinion).