Buying power in 1932 ..how would you spend $35.00?

[Carey Williams]

Hello O scalers ... 1932 ...smack dab in the middle of the depression .... average annual income (if you had a job) $1650.00 ...or $31.00 weekly ...

You save up $35.00 ..to buy a new addition for your home empire .....you can purchase two complete Lionel O gauge sets complete with engine , cars and track......or one dinner from American Model Railroad Co. ( Alexander) ........I'm very grateful someone made the decision to go for the dinner ....
all hand lettered and stripped ..two arch springs in each truck .... castings for some undercarriage details , doors ...
Cheers Carey

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[bob turner]

I do like that finish. I have a K4 with the same alligator pattern. A real antique touch.

[up148]

Hello O scalers ... 1932 ...smack dab in the middle of the depression .... average annual income (if you had a job) $1650.00 ...or $31.00 weekly ...

You save up $35.00 ..to buy a new addition for your home empire .....you can purchase two complete Lionel O gauge sets complete with engine , cars and track......or one dinner from American Model Railroad Co. ( Alexander) ........I'm very grateful someone made the decision to go for the dinner ....
all hand lettered and stripped ..two arch springs in each truck .... castings for some undercarriage details , doors ...
Cheers Carey

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What always amazes me is how did the company selling those train sets at $18 to $21 make any money. Even considering the wages of the day there is lot of work went into those sets for that kind of money.

BH

[Carey Williams]

Hello Bob

Do you have a photo of your crackle finish steamer ?

$15-17 were premium priced O gauge sets ... base price for an electric O gauge set was 5.95 (#248 two passenger cars and a loop of track)... mass production .... mass distribution... to mass sellers ... as long as you make a few nickles on each sale ...they add up with quantity sales . The tinplate world had huge sales numbers on it's side to drive down the price .... ..Lionel also provided for those with money ..top end set Brown State set ..97.50 ( double motor engine , 4 passenger cars with complete interiors large loop of track , 107" long, standard gauge) " For those who want the best and know the best when they see it" ..... or you could buy an Alexander K4 for $90.00 ...
1932 Lionel knows they are producing soup cans on wheels and tries to add a touch of realism to the design of the standard gauge steamers ..with the introduction of the 392 ...a bit lower and longer appearance ..compared to the more boxy 384, 390 and 400 design . It would still be 2 years before Lionel introduced the City of Portland first closest O "scale" (at 17/64ths) piece a favorite found on many early O scale layouts with outside 3rd rail pickups . Lionel would slowly convert it's whole line during the 30's ...to more closely resemble "real" trains.... in hopes to attract some of the "scale " crowd. Of course the 700E was Lionel's key piece to swoop in and grab the "huge" scale market ....but at 75.00 they had to offer a stripped down model at half price to boost sales . The 700 E enters the market just in time for Christmas 1937 .... but customers would have to wait till late summer of 1940 to be able to buy Lionel scale freight cars to pull with it ...
Cheers Carey

[Nortonville Phil]

That same 35.00$ in todays money is worth $578.78 according to the Dollar Times online calculator. That is one expensive passenger car. I hope it has a full interior. I don't think most folks realize how much inflation we have had since the 1930s'.

[MYmoo]

That same 35.00$ in todays money is worth $578.78 according to the Dollar Times online calculator. ...
I don't think most folks realize how much inflation we have had since the 1930s'.

MY thoughts exactly.

'Dinner' was more important to most in 1932 than toy trains.

Same holds true for some today(2017).

[bob turner]

Carey - I think so:

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[sleepmac]

Bob, simply beautiful.

Dan Weinhold

[bob turner]

In a doorstop way. I should try for a shot of the alligator finish.

[Carey Williams]

Nice K4 Bob
Thank you for posting the photo of your nice Scalecraft
K4's were the back bone of the early O scale world
Cheers Carey

[rogruth]

That same 35.00$ in todays money is worth $578.78 according to the Dollar Times online calculator. That is one expensive passenger car. I hope it has a full interior. I don't think most folks realize how much inflation we have had since the 1930s'.

At the usual hourly rates of 1932 it would take@ 175 hours to earn the $35.00.
Today the equivalent can be earned in@ 70 hours of minimum wage.