Interesting find...but not really a kilt

[DougC]

Not sure if this belongs here or somewhere else...but, I was looking around the house for a chanter that my dad had bought when I was 13 so I could learn to play the bagpipes. Unfortunately, I didn't learn to play--but thought I'd give it a shot now. Unfortunately, when I found the box, I also found a reed that was no good. But I also found a Scottish & Irish Imports Ltd. catalogue from the sprign/summer of 1985.

Back in the day, a good kilt of 7 yards of 9 oz. Saxony wool cost $150. A better kilt was available made from 8 yards of 13 oz. worsted wool for $200. The best kilt offered at the time was 8 yards of 13 oz "House of Edgar" wool for $250...I didn;t add the quotation marks. And, at the time, there were only 140 tartans to choose from.

[Standard]

Wow, the prices sure have changed since then. Of course the price of everything has gone up as well.

[English Bloke]

If you can, it might be worth scanning a few of those pages for interest sake.

[auld argonian]

I see, though, by an inflation calculator, that $250/1985 = $494/2008...

...it's like the bit that I heard earlier today about George Frederick Handel being paid the equivalent of £800,000 to write one of his big cantata's...inflation is an amazing thing.

They also pointed out that Handel had to pay all of the musicians and singers out of his take...easy come, easy go.

Best

AA

[M. A. C. Newsome]

9 ox saxony! Yuck! I'm glad some fashions have changed. Though a good heavy weight saxony option would still be nice today.

[ChubRock]

1985 Prices from www.thepeoplehistory.com

Yearly Inflation Rate USA 3.55%
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 1546
Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 10.75%
Average Cost of new house $89,330.00
Average Income per year $22,100.00
Average Monthly Rent $375.00
Average Price for new car$9,005.00
1 gallon of gas $1.09
Movie Ticket $2.75
US Postage Stamp 22 cents
Bacon per pound $1.65

Below are some Prices for UK guides in Pounds Stirling
Average House Price 40,169
Gallon of Petrol 1.88
Yearly Inflation Rate UK 9.50%
Interest Rates Year End Bank of England 11.38%

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

2009 Prices from www.thepeoplehistory.com

Average Cost of new house ( 2008 ) $238,880
Average Cost for house rent( 2008 ) $800.00 per month
Average wages per year ( 2008 ) $40,523
Cost of a gallon of Gas ( August 2009 ) $2.51
Average Cost Cents per kilowatt hour Electricity ( April 2009 ) 11.59 cents
A 20 ounce loaf of Bread ( August 2009 ) $1.77
A LB of Bacon ( August 2009 ) $3.19
A LB of Russet Potatoes ( August 2009 ) $0.55
Dozen Eggs ( August 2009 ) $1.34
Movie Ticket ( 2009 ) $7,18
College Tuition State ( August 2009 ) $6,585 + Most States have raised tuition fees for 2009 - 2010 by between 5 and 15%
First Class Stamp ( August 2009 ) $0.42

Consumer Price Index ( July 1st 2009 ) 215.693

Money Matters
Current Fed Base Interest Rate ( August 1st 2009 ) 1%
Current Inflation Rate ( July 1st 2009 ) -1.43%
Dow Jones ( August 1st 2009 ) 9,171
Price Of Gold Per Ounce ( August 1st 2009 ) $953.00
Price Barrel Of Oil ( August 1st 2009 ) $69.45
US Dollar Exchange Rate Euro ( August 1st 2009 ) 1.426
US Dollar Exchange Rate Pound ( August 1st 2009 ) 1.672
Unemployment Rate ( July 1st 2009 ) 9.7%

[RockyR]

Chubrock... do you have the stats for all those things for 2008 or 2009 for a direct comparison?

[Galician]

I see, though, by an inflation calculator, that $250/1985 = $494/2008...

...it's like the bit that I heard earlier today about George Frederick Handel being paid the equivalent of £800,000 to write one of his big cantata's...inflation is an amazing thing.

They also pointed out that Handel had to pay all of the musicians and singers out of his take...easy come, easy go.

Best

AA

I saw the same story on PBS. It was also pointed out that this accounted for his switch from writing opera to oratorio. No need to import foreign singers for that "new" art form, and no fancy costumes. Hence low overheard and more profit..... and "Messiah" was born!

[ChubRock]

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