Things were better in the old days

NelsonP

  Found these....1988 Guitar gear pricelists https://imgur.com/a/xajog99

guitargeek62

Are these all in GBP?

If so, then my Cu24‘s list price would have been ~£1400, or £3850 in today’s money - which isn’t far off current prices!

Those Marshall cabs seem expensive though? And the Mesa’s look pretty comparable to recent times (pre-latest increases at least).

NelsonP

Yes, all GBP. I found them while having a clear out...

Marshall Superlead and JEM777 were the hot buys

slacker

I was on 8k a year with two small children and one large mortgage so couldn't afford any of those.

thegummy

People often forget about (or underestimate) inflation when looking at prices from the past.

Adjusted for inflation, £329 is equivalent to between £900 and £1300 today, depending how it's measured.

So looking at the prices of Charvels now, those prices aren't actually good.

thegummy

P.S. I think that's the main reason it's so common for old people to express shock and disdain at the price of things - their reference for how much things generally cost is from years ago and they don't consider inflation.

hollywoodrox

What would a decent jap strat copy like a tokai cost around 1979 in uk£ anyone have ideas 
  

Musicwolf

hollywoodrox said:

What would a decent jap strat copy like a tokai cost around 1979 in uk£ anyone have ideas 
  

I still have a Tokai Jazz bass which I bought second hand in c1985 for £175 which is almost £600 in today’s money.  My mate bought a Tokai Strat new in c1984, which he still has, for which I think he paid around £200?

hollywoodrox

Musicwolf said:

hollywoodrox said:

What would a decent jap strat copy like a tokai cost around 1979 in uk£ anyone have ideas 
  

I still have a Tokai Jazz bass which I bought second hand in c1985 for £175 which is almost £600 in today’s money.  My mate bought a Tokai Strat new in c1984, which he still has, for which I think he paid around £200?

Cool thanks , I’m guessing in the late 70s they would have been a bit cheaper then , still a significant purchase though , early to mid 80s does seem a sweet spot for quality like tokai , it’s amazing what is available to us now for such reasonable prices , 

GuyR

Musicwolf said:

hollywoodrox said:

What would a decent jap strat copy like a tokai cost around 1979 in uk£ anyone have ideas 
  

I still have a Tokai Jazz bass which I bought second hand in c1985 for £175 which is almost £600 in today’s money.  My mate bought a Tokai Strat new in c1984, which he still has, for which I think he paid around £200?

I Have a jv squier I bought new in 1984 for £220 for context.

liamon

Inflation aside, the 2nd hand market has gotten so out of control in the past few years that I’m thinking of getting out of the game for good. Probably down to a combination of eBay fees, PayPal fees, and the buy it now feature. I know that asking price is rarely the actual price, but still...  

Grampa

thegummy said:

P.S. I think that's the main reason it's so common for old people to express shock and disdain at the price of things - their reference for how much things generally cost is from years ago and they don't consider inflation.

Plus the fact that I started work on £17 per week and that paid for all my outgoings plus a night out at the weekend!

Funkfingers

“Carter Brandon. I served all through t’First World War for the likes of you.”

Kittyfrisk

^  Aaaah, I didn't know you cared.

hollywoodrox

Flipping 1983 £25 a week YTS although with £15 left ,saving a tenner a week would provide ample kit after 3/4 of a year , plus being 16 my older friends in 18 to 20s could be relied on for the odd drink . Bus fare from Spaulding to Peterborough to see friends probably would t be more than £1.20 I can’t really remember probably cheaper . Actually my friends in Peterborough had a CB radio and it was ace for buying and selling on , bit like Facebook marketplace 

TheMarlin

A pint of beer in a trendy town centre pub was about £1 then. 

hollywoodrox

Or about 79p in a fenland backwater market town 

pjf

Haven’t seen £1 a pint since uni days - 2007. Usually €7-8 here in Paris (and never full to the top!). Think I’ve paid €14 for a Hoegaarden

GuyBoden

The 1970's were grim.

PhilKing

My first full time job as a computer programmer was at £1,200 a year in 1972.  I went out and ordered a new Gibson Les Paul 55 Special (not knowing what it was and thinking it would be better than the standard!).  I was able to get it on a loan form Lombard based on my new job, but I think it was still a lot of money (I also traded in a 1967 Strat, which had all the CBS issues!).  When I first went to the pub, it was 1/10 for a pint (one shilling and ten pence in old money).

guitargeek62

thegummy said:

People often forget about (or underestimate) inflation when looking at prices from the past.

Adjusted for inflation, £329 is equivalent to between £900 and £1300 today, depending how it's measured.

So looking at the prices of Charvels now, those prices aren't actually good.

Generally I use this one! 

https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator