Women in Vintage Ads Are Way Too Happy about Getting Appliances

New?

I've driven cars as cheap as $100 used... and they drove about as well as a trying to ride a $100 appliance like a stand mixer or washing machine down the street.

My car cost $750, so that seems about right.

Bah. Luxury! Without the burned hands, smoke-impaired vision, and threat of wolves and gators, there's no challenge. A man needs to EARN the right to enjoy toast. We've gone soft, we have.

Wow! That's a great find!

Household income can add another factor of two. One example I can find is median household income for rural homes in Iowa 1949 is $2500, and in 1999 is $40k. A $400 1950s refrigerator would then be about 16% of the household annual income, which comes out to about $6k using the more recent income. That is still short of a new car, although a major investment (assuming the household bought a top of the line unit, and not one of the cheaper $100-200 ones). The toaster and sewing machines (~$20-$30) and vacuums (<$100) fall much shorter than that, as it is the refrigerators and washer/dryer combos that see to be the far more expensive end of appliances.