Original Prices for Gillettes?

[RichGem]

I did a quick search and couldn't find anything on this, still I hope I'm not repeating....

I was wondering if anyone knows the original MSRPs for some of our favorite razors from Gillette such as .... 40s & 50s Superspeeds, Slims & Fatboys.

Thanks & best to all,
Richard

[_JP_]

I know that in the '60's an adjustable was usually less than $2.00 each, typically $1.95.

[Straight Arrow]

A 1950's Superspeed was $1.29

[Hawkeye5]

Do you really want to know?? It will break your heart to think what the right razors cost in the 50's and 60's compared to today. What did a Wilkinson sticky retail for? Less than $5.00 I would guess, $7.50 at the most. Now they go for $300+ new in the box. I doubt there was a Gillette that was $5.00. Most were in the $1.29 to $3.00 range, but that is a guess on my part, and I came of shaving age in the 60's. Most people would not pay much for a razor back then. But take-home pay was a lot less and inflation didn't come along bad until the later 70's early 80's. I can remember Nixon's speech regarding price controls, the hyper-inflation during the Carter administration, and Ford's speech with the Whip Inflation Now (WIN) button.

[minstrel]

You will have to remember to relate the cost to the average wage back then. If you do, you will probably find that the razors weren't all that cheap. $1.29 might sound dirt cheap, but back then I bet it wasn't.

Just my 2 cents.

[Straight Arrow]

You will have to remember to relate the cost to the average wage back then. If you do, you will probably find that the razors weren't all that cheap. $1.29 might sound dirt cheap, but back then I bet it wasn't.

You are absolutely corect on this, minstrel. My Dad was making less than $2.00 an hour in the early 1950s. Good post!

[Graham]

A 1969 Christmas special Gillette adjustable in gold with a black handle was £1.11 shillings then, that's errrr ummm just over $2 now more like 4 dollars in 1969, I bought it for my Father that Christmas, I now have the pleasure of owning it.

[ari95]

They may not have been considered dirt cheap back in the day, but compared to the prices that people pay for replacement cartridges today they were probably at least a better value. Does anyone know the cost of replacement blades then?

[ari95]

http://cgi.ebay.com/1915-Gillette-Safety-Razor-Co-Ad_W0QQitemZ300008186175QQihZ020QQcategoryZ21141QQ rdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

I saw this ad on Ebay the other night. From 1915, toward the end it says Gillette razors $5-$50, Gillette blades 50c and $1 the packet.

[Antique Hoosier]

This kinda puts things in a little perspective on inflation from when you could walk into the drug store and get one of these for under $3.00:

As seen in the AARP Bulletin ( No Jokes I'm barely 46 )

In 1957 and Today
The $50 bill $6.58 (after inflation)
Gas, a gallon $0.23 $2.24
Coffee, a pound $0.69 $3.14
Milk, a gallon $0.97 $3.20
Eggs, a dozen $0.45 $1.26
Sugar, a pound $0.11 $0.51

[c white]

What would really break our hearts would be hearing what the various razors went for on Ebay, say 5 years ago.

Looking back at old posts from just a year ago is bad enough.... mint Aristocrats selling for less then $30, 195's getting snatched up for $40 with best offers because no wanted to pay $50 for one, etc..

If I knew then what I know now I would've made out like a bandit!

[180gVinyl]

A 1969 Christmas special Gillette adjustable in gold with a black handle was £1.11 shillings then, that's errrr ummm just over $2 now more like 4 dollars in 1969, I bought it for my Father that Christmas, I now have the pleasure of owning it.

That's $3 at current exchange rates

If someone was making $2 an hour when a superspeed cost $1.29.

It still looks cheap, if you were making $20 an hour, you'd be happy to pay $12.90 for a new one

[Juaquin]

I know that the Gold Aristocrats sold for $5 - a recent eBay auction showed the original packaging and the case had a rather stylish $5 tag/stick (doesn't make much sense, I know) thing.

[RichGem]

A 1969 Christmas special Gillette adjustable in gold with a black handle was £1.11 shillings then, that's errrr ummm just over $2 now more like 4 dollars in 1969, I bought it for my Father that Christmas, I now have the pleasure of owning it.

Great story Graham.

[ouch]

You will have to remember to relate the cost to the average wage back then. If you do, you will probably find that the razors weren't all that cheap. $1.29 might sound dirt cheap, but back then I bet it wasn't.

Just my 2 cents.

If you just bought a '59 fat boy on ebay for $50, and it originally cost $1.29, that's only an increase of 7.6% per year.

A '48 super speed originally going for $1.29 that's now worth $50 has only appreciated at the rate of 6.1% per year.

:thumbup: