How Far Did The Dollar Go In The Old West?

[@markhatfield5621]

My father was born in 1912. One of his first jobs was farmhand. If you lived in the bunkhouse and took your meals, you were paid $200 a month, it was $300 if you lived on your own. Both systems allowed you to have off every other Sunday. One of my uncles, born 1903, farmed for 10 years then sold everything. After paying off his debts, he had left $2,000 for 10 years work. Think about it, that means he saved an average of 67 cents a day. He looked at that and thought he had done well, was pleased with it.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

That's great family history right there.

[@williamfreeman9356]

Sounds very high to high

[@Michael14634]

200 dollars a month around the 1920s is eqivalent to a salary of around 40-45k

[@MichaelGeoghegan]

Fun fact up until 1980 wages kept pace with productivity growth. If that had continued today's US worker would make about $200,000 a year on average instead they make only $40,000 a year. That's why in the 1950s 60s and 70s a a worker could afford to buy a house buy a car and raise a family on one income.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thanks for the info

[@dennislogan6781]

I always felt sorry for Nels Oleson on Little House on the Prairie. His wife and daughter were horrible people and he was just stuck with them.

[@JoeSpringer97]

I felt sorry for him too for the same reasons. His son started out kinda terrible, but as I recall, he turned around a bit.

[@clearcreek69]

Nellie was always a troublemaker

[@dennislogan6781]

I forgot he had a son.

[@markely7587]

@@dennislogan6781 the actor that played his son Willie is Melissa Gilbert’s brother.

[@Davofromdownunder65]

@@markely7587 Didn't the Olsens adopt another girl when their own kids grew up? I know that the Ingalls family adopted 1 or 2 more

[@tommywolfe2706]

In the 1870 catalogue ( 1:03 ) the Colt .45 peacemakers with pearl handles are listed for $100. "$100 in 1870 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $2,417.50 today, an increase of $2,317.50 over 154 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 2.09% per year between 1870 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 2,317.50%" And a "good saddle horse" was TWICE THAT PRICE! Aso, it says a 32'x40' HOUSE is $700..... "$700 in 1870 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $16,922.49 today, an increase of $16,222.49 over 154 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 2.09% per year between 1870 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 2,317.50%."

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

THAT catalog. Others may vary. Not diferent than today! Today we have people buying $4,000 collectibles. The person working at the gas station may not be able to afford it...but the lawyer and docotor probably can.

[@tommywolfe2706]

@@ArizonaGhostriders I live in North Central Indiana and you can buy some awesome guns for a fraction of the price (at 100% legality) that you cannot get in another state. I went to school for accounting, numbers have always been my thing and I have always been resentful of inflation. I was just so interested that I paused at the price shot for the 1870 catalogue and based what I was saying on that. No ill intent. I was actually shocked at the inflation rates. I can get an AK for $700 here or a Thompson for $900. The price of that peacemaker is almost used car prices! Crazy! The prices for a cow was equally crazy! I meant no harm, it was a great video! It made me look stuff up! You got me interested enough to want to learn more!

[@raymond19001]

My first job in 1971 paid $107 per week driving a delivery van. My apartment rent was $130 per month and my car payments for 36 months were $113 per month. That left me a lot of extra cash. Something that most young people have difficulty doing with the high cost of rents and cars these days.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yep.

[@rongendron8705]

I'm 77 & lived through that period! 1971-72, in my opinion, were the "last years of fiscal sanity" in America! After that, the first Arab Oil Embargo occurred in 1973 & 'runaway inflation' took off & never stopped! ps. In 1971, I made $150. a week & thought that I could easily buy a house & did in 1972!

[@johnchandler1687]

In 1971 I worked afor a RR. Made $10,560 that year. I was 19 and most men my father's age with wives, kids and houses didn't make much. A brand new VW beetle was $1495 and a Plymouth Roadrunnet was $3295. I've got an old newspaper with an add selling new Chevy Caprices with every option- $3495. Paid 35 cents a gallon for premium gas- 26 cents for regular. That America is Gone With The Wind. Only a full blown revolution could bring it back.

[@ericschneider8524]

The generation born after 1972 has no idea what their ancestors went through. I blame the public school system in America.

[@hawluchag7305]

This channel brings me immense joy, i love seeing dudes just being really interested and knowledgeable about a specific era of history, regardless of what era

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Good to hear.

[@bigblue6917]

Thanks, Santee. When we think of westerns it is usually good guys, bad guys and shootouts. Whereas the reality is that was very rare and most people lived their lives just like they would anywhere else. I found your mention of chopshops very interesting. These were common in Britain in the Victorian period to the extent that some areas were full of them. They were especially popular amongst young trainee lawyers who had yet to qualify or were on the lower rungs of their careers. What today were refer to as fast food is actually older that you think. In medieval London it was a small meat pie which could be bought cheaply. Though how much was meat and whether it was one you'd want to eat it if you knew was another matter. In Italy the fast food there was a slice of pizza, the size of which depended on how much money you had. So in Italy you would get up in the morning, find some work and use the money you earned from that and buy a slice of pizza. So pizza for breakfast is not new.

[@jmmartin7766]

(^^^) I think eating ACTUAL crow pie was a thing back then, wasn't it? Lol

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Pizza for breakfast can be amazing. BTW, England has that "Full Breakfast"....I'd do that.

[@biggusdickus5986]

​@@jmmartin7766 Magpie !!! 😂

[@biggusdickus5986]

​@@ArizonaGhostriders Yep but you would want the real thing not the bastardisations they have now. Fried Eggs Pork Sausages Streaky Bacon Slices Tomatoes Baked Beans in tomato sauce. Black Pudding ( a kind of pigs blood and fat sausage, sounds disgusting but tastes great ) Mushrooms A slice of bread fried Mug of tea Slices of bread cut in half to make sandwiches of eggs bacon etc and to mop up the bean and tomatoes sauce. Oh and a good newspaper to peruse while you eat. A lot of places have removed the black pudding because of wimps, and the fried slice because of the cholesterol, you might get a slice of toast instead and hash browns to replace the black pudding. If l dont see black pudding on the breakfast menu l dont indulge.

[@NGMonocrom]

$15.oo an hour here in NYC, and horrific inflation to go with it. Those golden arches are no longer fast, nor cheap. Dollar Menu might as well be made up of the condiments, only.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Uh, they charge for condiments. LOL!

[@hillbillydeluxe27]

In Europe, at the Mc Donald’s, they pay $25-30/hr, give six weeks vacation, have free healthcare, dental plans, sick pay and a retirement plan. Their burgers there are about $2-3 more.🤷‍♂

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Wow...

[@snappers_antique_firearms]

Its kind of fun to see average income and firearms prices. Back then compared to today. Seems to be around the same Percentage wise. Keep up the great work santee

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thank You! Yeah, it's pretty on-par with today

[@skydiverclassc2031]

Remember, everything you really want is 10% more than you can afford.

[@MomentsInTrading]

I’ll add that comparing prices and costs in the 1800s to today is a lot harder than it may seem. The costs to produce have changed as well, so one cannot say that something cost X then, and Y now, so prices have increased a certain amount. I’ve actually spent a bunch of time researching this, to the point that I have even gone through old news papers on the National Archive. To Illustrate how difficult it is, every time I see a history video that tells how much something costs then, and then claim how much that would be today, it is always wrong. Usually they- 1. Use the old standard of just saying there has been a 12x increase in prices from any time between 100 and 250 years ago. 2. Use 100x instead of 12x 3. Use an amount that is a total guess not based on any statistics or actual facts. 😂😂😂😂

[@snappers_antique_firearms]

@MomentsInTrading I understand that it's very difficult because many people also lived off the land and life has changed so much that money value from then until now is very difficult it put Into perspective

[@bob-g2h]

@MomentsInTrading yeah, it's cheaper now than ever for companies to produce everything. Back then, the price reflected the cost to produce. Today, the price for civilians is thousands of times more than it costs to produce

[@MomentsInTrading]

“How far did the dollar go in the old west” Some folks could throw one over 50 feet!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

LOL!!

[@wadejustanamerican1201]

Thanks Santee. With the time it takes to research, film, and do editing, I'm convinced you never sleep.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

HA!

[@scottlund4562]

Wow, you made that price list look so authentic! BUT the AZ Ghostridder mug on the bottom at 13$ may have kinda gave it away. 😂😂😂 Nicely done!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Snuck it in...!

[@vegasrider2246]

A little off topic, but. When i was around 13 or 14 years old in the the late 70’s. I was eating dinner at a place in Brian Head Utah. I was behind Michael Landon and his son in a salad bar. His son did not want salad. I remember his words to him till today. “You need to eat your salad, its good for you”. He seemed to be the most genuine person in life as he was in the movies. Ar

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

I bet he was a good fella.

[@c.w.johnsonjr6374]

Thank you for this video. I am working on a Western screenplay were a character is trying to make a hundred dollars stretch and I have been looking for Old West Prices.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Sounds great!

[@asymmetry9988]

A dollar definitely doesn't go as far as it used to. Prices keep going up and you get less for your money.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

That's right!

[@nagjrcjasonbower]

Another classic in the can! Keep it up!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thank You!

[@Dsdcain]

We tend to think of prices from the past as low, but when we're honest we made less as well. Thanks for the new video. Be safe out there, and take it easy man.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thanks, you too!

[@FC-qe1wl]

Its all in the percent of income needed to live on. Today even though we make more, the percent cost is way higher than many years ago

[@89128]

Hi, read somewhere that shopkeepers would discount paper money for several years, not trusting it. So, paying with gold or silver was cheaper at checkout.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Likely.

[@kakarroto007]

I'd laugh my butt off, if one day Santee was reading mailbag questions, and instead of saying "yeah, we can do that", he's all, "No way! What's wrong with you? Shut it down!"

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Hmmm....now that's an idea.

[@charlesmiller6826]

​@ArizonaGhostriders speaing which, have you received any ideas too "out there" to cover on this channel?

[@tedebear108]

Good morning Arizona Ghost Riders. I always look forward to seeing your episodes. I do love the old west and I enjoyed seeing you bring some of it to life. Man thank you

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

You're welcome!

[@chubbethsthunder]

Santee, Thank you very much for the best Old West content. You and your family have a beautiful and blessed week and a beautiful and blessed Happy Thanksgiving.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

You as well!

[@brucelovenite]

that was interesting how the value of things change so much,or the wages back then. another great job .thank you

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Our pleasure!

[@FirstnameLamename]

I remember people lost their minds when the price of a BigMac hit 99 cents (in the 70's). Today, it is what???

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

I don't like to think about it.

[@FirstnameLamename]

Thinking I'm gonna start site where people can upload their receipts, for anything, anytime, as documented proof of cost of things, like milk, eggs,...BigMacs.@@ArizonaGhostriders

[@ericschneider8524]

I stopped buying Big Macs when they hit four bucks.

[@terryschiller2625]

Great video Santee. Thanks for putting your two cents in!🤠🇺🇲

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

It was time for some...uh...change.

[@ponydiehl8775]

🤣

[@josephfahner6778]

My neighbor, who was born in 1906 in a small town in NE PA, said growing up they got by mostly on barter and trade.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Those smaller towns you would see that. Gold and silver spoke more, though.

[@michaelgalea5148]

Thank You Santee I wish some prices were like that today.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

You and me both!

[@davidfoster2006]

A dollar a day and free board and lodging was the pay for a range hand at the High Chaparral just outside of Tucson.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Sounds about right.

[@joshuabarnett3639]

Good video, santee. im going to a gun fair tomorrow with my dad. I hope i see some old West guns.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Have fun!

[@jason60chev]

In the Movie, "Five Card Stud" , "Miscellaneous" was $20! "Something you didn't ask for, but it sells well". Wonder what it could have been?

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

I'll have to watch it.

[@SmallCaliberArmsReview]

If I only had a time machine! Another fantastic episode, Santee!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Me too!

[@Number6_]

It's coming.

[@ChingChangWallah.]

Gonna need that time machine to nip back for Penicillin, buddy.

[@SmallCaliberArmsReview]

I'm just going to visit the local gun shops!@@ChingChangWallah.

[@dr.froghopper6711]

Another good ‘un Santee! To this day it pays to have skills and work with your hands!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yep

[@Hades8103]

Another great educational video about money. Since money = time, I’d like to see some material about clocks, watches and timekeeping in general during that time

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

I do have one on pocket watches, but will do more.

[@jmen4ever257]

there's an episode of the old rifleman show, set in the mid 1880s,where mark is offered 50 cents a day for hard work pulling stumps ,and he's overjoyed to be offered so much.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

I think I remember that.

[@MarSchlosser]

1913 is a good year to start when looking back. Prices didn't move much because gold was stable at 28/oz. Paper fluctuated enough that when stocks collapsed, it created a domino effect. Sears Roebuck catalog would be good to guess earlier prices, but they only go back to 1888. Beer was a nickel a stein! It was standard fare at most tables, even for kids, who had 'green' beer. Sugar, long sweetener was common, and that anyone could raise.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

I found the prices to be anywhere from five to ten cents. Oshkosh apparently had some for just a few pennies prior to the Civil War. It no doubt depended on the price per barrel, region, where it came from, etc.

[@Tadicuslegion78]

"okay ma'am, it comes to 1.43" "Oh dear, let me count my gold dust out." the line behind her: *Groans*

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Then she spills some and everyone groans louder.

[@joelhurley2678]

Santee, another great episode is usual and a little side. Note next year will be 50 years,that Little House On The Prairie started. I appreciate the low price comparisons. It's really fun to see what they paid during the old West time. Thank you.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@Number6_]

There was a real Engles family, went from Michigan to Florida and back. Nothing like the cute tv show.

[@BogeyTheBear]

Thw way I see it, they used a silver dollar back then the same way we use a $20 bill from an ATM today. You plop a silver dollar down on the countertop of the general store for some notions, you'd expect to get back a few dimes the same way we expect some $5 bills back when we break a twenty.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Good way to see it!

[@charlesmiller6826]

Another fine episode you have provided us with.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thank You!

[@rhondaz356]

This was so interesting, AS ALWAYS.🎉 I love how you accompany the info with the perfect audio and visual clips, Santee. Yep, at least they didn't have all the taxes we do, way back then.🤠👏🏻 💰 🤑

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thanks, Rhonda.

[@chelseadanico877]

So Very awesome and interestingly informative video, I really loved and enjoyed it. I got a lot of inspiration for the old west inspired,dark sci-fi horror, weird paranormal horror and surreal retrofuturism short story series I’m writing. Great job and well done keep up the great work.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@chelseadanico877]

@@ArizonaGhostriders thanks and your welcome 💕🌟😎❤️

[@michaeldaltonsr8954]

I believe you undertook a gargantuan project!! Historically, economies fluctuate greatly from community to community, regardless of national or state averages." Sliding Scale" would be appropriate phrase. Also, the BARTER SYSTEM, often out-ranked legal tender. So, comparing "apples to oranges" is tough, and adding variables of other "fruits&veggies" compound the confusion. Add to that the "Hollywierd" version of what "the Old West" really wasn't, you end up doing lotsa research/finding little qualifying data. I.E., in a mining town, there may be 1,2, or possibly three "well-stocked dry-goods, implements, or hard-ware stores", + 1 or 2 saloons. Yet towns of convenience( near a creek/water-hole/travel cross-roads) would only survive by combining cash/barter. Yes, a tough act to follow!! Good seeing you, TY! And good luck!!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yeah, that's why I didn't really go down the rabbit hole. I just did an overview so viewers can having a jumping off point.

[@Terry-ow3wp]

I've often wondered about comparisons then and now his was helpful. Thanks.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Glad it was helpful!

[@anthonycalbillo9376]

My grandparents grew up in the Great Depression. Grandma Connie and Grandma Benny could both stretch out a pound of ground beef and potatoes!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Wow!

[@Tsoiugidali]

Another great story Santee! Thanks.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

You are welcome.

[@TracyLoop]

That video was well Woth it, I remember one Western I watched said the Sherif was paid 30 dollar a month.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thanks!! That's a cheap sheriff job. For putting your life on the line? Ugh!

[@CCM2361-]

Great video ! thanks Santee

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Glad you liked it!

[@robertwilliamson922]

I have twelve old Morgan silver dollars from my grandfather laying in a drawer. I guess they would have bought a good night on the town back around 1880 in the old west.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Absolutely.

[@KingsportMan]

I did find an inflation calculator for the year 1847. One U.S. dollar was supposed to have been worth $38.62. Anyone with $26,000 in the bank would have been like a millionaire in 1847. That is according to the inflation calculator I found online.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yeah, that's why we can't trust some of those.

[@KingsportMan]

That amount of $38.62 does seem greatly exaggerated. There are only 100 pennies in a U.S. dollar.

[@Rags2Itches]

I have saved two links to old prices. One is for 1870 and the other is a bit more helpful as that price chart is for 1860-1872-1878 -1882. Both charts carry a variety of items including various firearms, goods and fabrics and livestock. I have other articles for the cost of bath tubs and household goods. Eggs and butter were costly, a dozen oranges was fifty cents. Boots were expensive at up to 3,75 considering an average men's suit was ten dollars. The hardest thing to find was the cost of a train ticket or cost of a stagecoach to a destination point. I could find the cost for a train trip from NYC to California and that distance, figure out the mileage I needed, subtract from the original, add in meals and lay over costs, minus the train robbers ..well you get the picture :))

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Oh, there are many charts. Like the ones I showed and others. Funny thing, they all vary a little in prices (just like today). Stagecoach prices are found a lot in ads in newspapers. Look at Chronicling America at the Library of Congress.

[@Rags2Itches]

@@ArizonaGhostriders thanks Santee

[@sbcinema]

I like to see an episode about all the different films that you ghost riders have been in over the years 🤠

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Interesting idea!

[@ray.shoesmith]

I read somewhere that the best comparison is the cost of a good stock saddle then compared to now

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

No doubt

[@ray.shoesmith]

@@ArizonaGhostriders A few (30 odd maybe) years ago I read a good stock saddle in the 1880's was worth $8, in 2000 it was worth roughly $800. So I automatically multiply 1880's dollars times 10 to equate to 2000 dollars. I understand times change, but 2000 was when it was my time

[@Microtonal_Cats]

0:54 US Federal Gov inflation calculator only goes back to 2013...the year The Federal Reserve started and created inflation.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

🤠

[@scenicdriveways6708]

Good morning from Kentucky, Great episode Santee. Thanks for sharing it with us. JT

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@timheersma4708]

I found an old newspaper under a carpet in our house when we were fixing it up...1927, I think. There was an interesting article on it. The economists of the day were discussing whether the price of a barrel of oil was going to surpass $1.00 per barrel !

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Wow!! Great find.

[@mcmptn]

I finished the novel. You wouldn't remember my comments in the sea of others you get, but I was watching quite a few of your videos over the summer because I was writing a novel, and you have a lot of good information about tiny details that it's easy to overlook when researching history. I can't promise the thing is 100% historically accurate because one, these are fictional characters, and two, sometimes you need to take a few creative liberties so the plot can happen, but I tried to balance it out a little where I could. Anyway, thanks for the help, and I actually did manage to finish the thing.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

That's awesome and glad to help. Hope you have much success!

[@mcmptn]

@@ArizonaGhostriders Thanks

[@Jupiterbotz]

Hey, congratulations on finishing a novel. That is quite a feat. I just started writing again after many years and hoping to complete a solid story. Very nice!

[@mcmptn]

@@Jupiterbotz Best of luck to you! I hope you gain a lot of memorable experiences during the writing process as well. (We writers get to do some pretty fun stuff in the name of research, don't we?)

[@michaelpage4199]

That was an eye opener.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Good.

[@marcosaraiva9205]

Great subject! By comparison it was a tough life for sure back then! No wonder! Keep up amigo! Have a great weekend

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

I appreciate you, Marco!

[@TUCOtheratt]

This is a great subject. Even with no income tax and very little if any annual inflation people back then had a hard time making enough money. Stories Ive read from famous people in the old west are rife with ongoing poverty as a consistent challenge.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Great point!

[@jamesbromstead4949]

That Arizona Ghostrider's mug was a fortune at $13 back then.....

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Right? Quality mug, by God.

[@Chevrolet1994]

Thank you Santee! Always interesting content. I just watched The Legend Of Five Mile Cave great movie you played your parts very well!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Awww, thanks, Chad!

[@arthurpeterson246]

Always enjoy Santee, I think about the old saying follow the money, but the money always raised the price of everything !

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Viscious circle.

[@ScarletRebel96]

Great video Santee

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thank You!

[@robertbuckey6517]

Love this episode! My degree is in business and economics. In fact, calculating inflation is one of the few formulas I still remember from school. Basic rule of thumb, multiple prices you see from the old westian days by 25, and you'll get about the equivalent value today. It's not exact, and there are other factors to consider (especially the high demand/low supply you'll often see in boom towns), but it's close. I'm as big an econ nerd as I am an old west nerd! Keep'em coming!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Whoa! You got the calculatin' bug!

[@THEREALBONZO]

Yay, another video!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@TimKoehn44]

Great episode Santee! Always interesting to see what things cost back then. You and Mrs. Santee have a very Happy Thanksgiving! Cheers!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

You as well, Tim.

[@ponydiehl8775]

😀

[@mathewweeks9069]

Your awesome and awesome video be safe out there you rock

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thank You!

[@mathewweeks9069]

@@ArizonaGhostriders your very welcome have awesome day

[@donsumpter3379]

Howdy, from Sumpter Oregon.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Howdy.

[@petersack5074]

1:07 time. Left column, last item ? '' Arizona GhostRiders mug '' $ 13.00 OKAY,......is that todays' price ? or the Old West Price ?.......?....not Vincent price,either......

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

HAAHAH! You get the award for spotting it. Gold star!

[@distlledbrewedreviewed]

Interesting topic, although they all are. I never thought about this.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Cool!!

[@double-eagle-dave]

Santee I have always wondered how much shooters costs cuase IV heard not many cowboys had them they would rather spend there earnings on things that would help them on there next drives or jobs like provisions and comfort items so glad you covered that !thanks !! All though some squandered them on whisky cards and um the lady's and I use that term loosely

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

My firearm videos mention costs.

[@justinweaver8107]

Have a good weekednd santee

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

You too

[@ponydiehl8775]

super info again😃😃

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thank You!

[@TonyYork-KB9RAO]

Well done Mr Santee

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thank you, Tony!

[@maxwellcrazycat9204]

I was wondering about this after watching an episode of Star Trek dealing with time travel. A bellhop in old San Fransico was excided over a one dollar tip.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Interesting.

[@Rick_King]

I have a lot of sympathy for old Bill Brazelton there in McDonald's. They want people ordering on kiosks, and it can be hard to find a live person to take your order. I like to interact with people, and I expect a live human being to take my order! Excellent video!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yeah, I get it. But we are in a world where it is more advantageous for employers to have self-checkouts. It's not going away...and we have to adapt...maybe.

[@Number6_]

​@@ArizonaGhostridersthey will be replaced with AI's that don't have to be paid. Capitalism is replaced with socialism and basic incomes as there are not enough jobs to go around. People will have to find other things to do.

[@majakian]

The probable reason that inflation trackers don't go beyond 1913 is that is when the Federal Reserve Act passed. All currency at that time was valued at a set amount of silver or gold.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Probably had something to do with it. Some do go back farther.

[@larry1824]

Hard work and for cowboys often thirteen a month. Even by our standards thats much. I think you made do and loved the work. Happy turkey day pard!!!!!!!!😅

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

You too, Larry!

[@larry1824]

@@ArizonaGhostriders butchers crossing is superb as is the book. Dark complex with Nic Cage doing the bizarre character touches that make him such an interesting if off the wall actor. Hiya t tex

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

@@larry1824 Great info!

[@sam2cents]

Great video. I find it's even hard to keep track today and the only thing that seems a useful index is the price of a loaf of sliced bread.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

It's rough right now. Hope it gets better.

[@1stminnsharpshooters341]

cool clip *LIKED* the video gang!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thank You!

[@seymourwrasse3321]

strange how the country could run without all the taxes we have today. The government taxes our money when we earn it, then they tax it when we spend it, a lot of what we buy with our taxed money is taxed every year, and if you are lucky enough to accumulate any wealth, it's taxed again when we die....and our government of today is $ trillions in debt

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Oh they did tax, but excise taxes were on alcohol, tobacco, etc. They made dough for sure!

[@kirkmorrison6131]

Most inflation calculators use Statistics from the Government. Which greatly under cuts the rate of inflation. Your average office work in 1956 earned 45- 50 a week. A dollar today is about 1¢ compared to then, when all prices are accounted for. Take for instance fuel 27.9 then, it is 2.79 here today. It is the same in purchasing power.

[@northrider8628]

Closer to $4.00 a gallon here 😢

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

It's hard to determine back then. During the Civil War, prices got wonky, too.

[@kirkmorrison6131]

@@northrider8628 I was just using the price point here in South Carolina, as it is a direct comparison to the average cost in 1956 and today.

[@northrider8628]

@kirkmorrison6131 I understand 👍 your minimum wage is less there then it is here. Funny how the gas prices are higher in states with higher minimum wages. 🙄🤔🫣🤫

[@OpieDogie]

Travel was pretty expensive. I saw a stagecoach ad of the late 1800’s that ran about 35/40 miles and it cost a whopping 9 bucks!! I would assume that would include an dinner, bed and breakfast, but not sure. Another awesome informative video. THANKS

[@JoeSpringer97]

I'm thinking that's just for a day's travel, no meals or rooms. Wiki says a horse walk is a little over 4 mph(wiki: horse gait) If a burdened walk (pulling a stagecoach) is about 3 mph, 10 hours of travel would be 30 miles. It's possible there was a stop for lunch and a horse team swap so they could have run the horses a bit faster? I will admit, this is all speculation.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yeah, they were not cheap, and the food was not great. But it was better than some other choices. Then the train came along. Woohoo!!

[@utej.k.bemsel4777]

​@@ArizonaGhostriderswhat were the prices for a train ride? And for a horse transport by train? And how fast did the trains go? Asking, because i write fanfiction about that time?

[@thomashenebry8269]

Last I heard, the stage between Phoenix and Payson is still running. It's a king cab pickup truck, but it's still called a stage coach.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

@@thomashenebry8269 That's true. I've been on it.

[@JKent-ry9yg]

In 1931, my father worked, in West Texas, manual maize harvest, dark to dark, $1 a day. Before 1941, start of America in WWII, land could be bought there was $1 an acre. In 1963 I worked for 75 cents per hour hoeing weeds in cotton crops, 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, age 10. Get ready for 25% + inflation per year, for a very long time - all economic indicators point to that devistation of the nation.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

WOW!

[@JKent-ry9yg]

@@ArizonaGhostriders Old man tells the story of him working, the mid 30's, on an oil pipeline near Odessa Texas, must have been about 17. He was the rope man, pipe stuck in another pipe on the ground, rope man spins it in as much as possible, and quick as possible, said he was about to drop, gang pusher said - you like it boy, don't you, old man said, yes sir, I do, knowing if he did not, 50 more men waiting to have that job - old man was a pure working machine, when I was a boy, when he was 50. Got arrested in AZ at 14, hopping freight trains, looking for work, police man says what is your name, boy? He says GH Crutcher. Police man says - I did not ask for your GD initials boy, what is your name (GH was his name), so he thought fast and said George Henry, knowing he was about to get the holy dodo beat out of him if he did not answer properly. Different times Mr. Ghostrider. If my MBA in economics (1978) is worth anything - Difficult times ahead for all of us, will test all of us. I am 70 and can still get it, not like I was at 14, but close enough. Old Man was a good teacher in such things.

[@silverjohn6037]

For comparison in his book about travelling west to California during the Gold Rush Mark Twain mentioned a newspaper or shoeshine cost a nickel on the east coast, a dime by the time you got to the Mississippi and 25 cents in California. Prior to the Civil War a farm worker on the east coast might earn $7.00 dollars a month but that would usually include room and board. Salaries went up following the War as a lot of people started moving west so there were labor shortages. Following the Civil War a cowboy doing the trail drives from Texas to the railheads in Kansas earned about $40.00 a month which would be a bit like modern day oil rig workers in remote areas like Alaska earning well over a $100.000.00 a year. As mentioned the cost of housing would have been much lower as land was relatively cheap and houses would have been much smaller and, as they lacked indoor plumbing or electrical wiring, much cheaper to build. The biggest cash expenses would have been the glass windows and a cast iron stove for the kitchen. For an idea of what other prices were involved maybe do a search for pdf's of the Sears Roebuck Catalog. Those can give you a idea of of the prices for clothing and other sundries and even larger ticket items like buggies.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

So many sources to find info. Remember, ranch hands had room & board for free. Many ranches had resources that didn't require you to go into town. So, you could make a living for sure.

[@tomyunker3368]

I find it funny in the old movies or shows that someone would order a shot of whiskey and be charged a dollar for it.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yeah, that's way too much.

[@tomyunker3368]

@@ArizonaGhostriders I agree. Probably closer to a dime

[@bheckner]

What's sad is today,we Americans make less than the folks during the depression,if you go by inflation rates. The old west days wasn't so bad $ wise at all.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

It was a simpler time in that department.

[@victorwaddell6530]

Thanks again Santee & Co. I reckon I'm getting old , but fast food chain grub doesn" t cut for me anymore . I often grab a hot dog at Costco for a buck and a half or pay less than ten bucks for a lunch special from my favorite Chinese spot . Yesterday I paid about the same price for a fresh burger and fries at Fuddruckers as the golden arch chain demands for a lesser quality meal . Do you have Fuddruckers inArizona ?

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Nice! We used to have a Fuddruckers in Tucson, but it closed. I loved their food!

[@torreyjones9324]

If youre looking for episode ideas and/or taking requests I'd love to learn more about vaquero saddle swords. I've seen some antique examples from the southwest that looked really neat. Imagine they would be very handy to have against a native raid. Using a sword in one hand and a revolver in the other was popular with officers for a long time and was used to great affect in things like the zulu and afghan wars i.e. against numerically superior but technologically inferior enemies with a cultural inclination for close ranged cultural exchanges. Can't see the conditions out west back in the day being different enough to not make it just as good of an idea. Not to mention use as a tool in the manner of a machete etc.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Interesting. I'll look into it.

[@indigowolf556]

This was a really interesting video to see what prices were back in the day. In Washington state the state minimum wage will be $16 and some change. But cities like Seattle will be making $19 and some change and another city Sea-Tac will be almost $20 an hour . Always look forward to your videos on Saturday morning. I hope you and Mrs Santee and your family and friends and colleagues have a wonderful Thanksgiving 🦃🦃🤠

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thank You!

[@kenneth9874]

And the prices of everything will go up accordingly, the ones that will suffer are the elderly on fixed income. Keep it up and they'll be emulating Zimbabwe

[@jtoland2333]

I'm trying to do some research for my first novel, set in 1890 Seattle. Can you tell me the name of the resource you used in the video, which lists what various professions earned? Thank you. 😊

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

I don't seem to have it, but this is one I also looked at: libraryguides.missouri.edu/pricesandwages/1880-1889

[@JeffDeWitt]

This is actually an important subject, and it can also get complicated. Comparing today's minimum wage to wages back then isn't really useful... and if all you are making is minimum wage you probably shouldn't be eating at a steak house. I did a little bit of digging, there are some statistics out there for what people were making in the 1880's, doing some work with those, along with the prices of goods common to then and today should make it possible to come up with a good feel of how prices... costs, are today as compared to then. How long did the average worker have to work to earn enough to buy that steak in the 1880's compared to today? (the average worker, not someone at the bottom of the economic ladder). I doubt a green farm or ranch hand was going out for steak any more often then the guy pushing a broom for minimum wage does now, in fact I suspect a lot less often. It really is an interesting subject and deserves a lot more study... of course this is the kind of thing people working on a Master's thesis would be doing, Keep up the good work, you are doing a great job and I hope to get to Old Tucson one of these days!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

The trouble is, some hard labor jobs didn't have an exact quitting time. The good thing about working for low wages on a ranch is that your food and rent were paid by the employer. Even your equine's maintenance. Chances are most cowboys didn't save all their hard earned money anyway.

[@JeffDeWitt]

@@ArizonaGhostriders True enough, maybe better example might be someone working in a livery stable or a clerk in a store. As I said, it's a really interesting and complex subject!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

@@JeffDeWitt Goes deep! We aren't even figuring in regions, either.

[@SOENJAY]

My buddies and I have been playing Red Dead Redemption Online again these past few nights and we just had a conversation about how much money our characters had. I know not all the prices in that game are accurate (50 cents for 1 beer at the saloon). My character currently has about $44,000, so the daily fee of $5.25 that I pay to the stable to house my 7 horses is menial.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yeah, the game's economics is pretty interesting.

[@ABBY-p1b6h]

VERY GOOD CHANNEL 🤠❤

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thank you very much.

[@GeorgiaRidgerunner]

seems like prices vs a mans wages back then were just as bad as they are now but folks back then were more resourceful and didnt have to spend as much as we do today no auto insurance no electric no water no phone

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Correct

[@ralphperez4862]

Wow! Talk about inflation, right? Well, I bought my first home in Idaho Falls in 1985 for the whopping total of $32000. I paid monthly on an 11.75% note. I now pay more than that to the feds for my federal taxes alone. Some days, it might be nice to go back in time for a visit. Wait! I can do that watching Arizona Ghostriders and visiting Old Tucson. Ahhhh, so nice to just think about this.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

C'mon back and visit!

[@marcsewell7275]

Does anyone else hit like before starting the videos.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Awww, thanks!

[@ponydiehl8775]

me

[@44thTNBanana]

Santee, can you do a video on Tucson historian Paul L. Allen? He worked in Tucson and even wrote a book on Arizona history called “Baptism in Blood: Arizona Territory”. He helped build the statues of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday in Tucson also. But more importantly than all that he was my grandfather. I’d appreciate it.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

I'll try. Gotta find that book (out of print) first!

[@donaldcurtis9229]

My grandfather to American citizen eskip, Mussolini and their corrupt regime.1924 came to America.He made 3 to $6.30.A week took him 3 months to save up for a pillow.He was my best friend and I miss him very much

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Great history in your family.

[@onmilo]

In 1883 a $20 Gold Piece would buy one a brand new Colt Single Action Army. In 2023 A brand New Colt Single Action Army revolver will still cost one a $20 gold piece. Inflation defined in the not gold standard "Future".

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Give or take a few bucks.