Prices in old newspaper ads make mouth water
Posted on:
Wednesday, July 1, 2009 - 11:41am
When I run across prices in old ads in local and area newspapers, I have to chuckle, some seem so impossible.
I thought I’d share some with you.
At the “Palace of Sweets,” Chris was offering “homemade ice cream $.35 a quart, all sundaes $.10 each” in July 1934.
At “Mary’s Bake Shop” next to the Strand Theatre “jelly donuts (sic) two for $.25, rolls $.10 a dozen, raisin bread $.89 and Vienna and Italian bread $.05.” No date on this one.
In 1935, “refrigerated beer — all kinds New England Ale three for $.25” Plainville Package Store, West Main Street.
In June of 1938, the Whiting Restaurant offered a special weekday lunch for $.45 and a full-course Sunday dinner for $.65.
In September 1940, at Edmand’s Restaurant (now Grumpy’s) on East Street you have a lobster dinner for $1 and/or a chicken pot pie dinner for $.50.
1939: Plainville Shoe Repair special: ladies soles and heels $.85.
1943: “Not Rationed Boston-style baked beans $.19 a pound” at Keney Park Store at Whiting and Broad.
“Broilers and roasting chickens $.20 alive and $.25 dressed (is this a pound or a whole bird?) A.J. Higgins Route 10.
September 1942: All restaurants raised coffee to $.10 a cup due to the shortage.
Riccio’s Shoe Store (Plainville?) offered footwear for boys $1.79 and girls $1.19, August 1938, both school specials.
And now some briefs about folks and events you may know or remember.
In February 1940, government Works Progress Administration workers and 50 town employees shoveled snow from sidewalks and gutters.
Nov. 28, 1939: “Another supply of apples has been received by the welfare bureau and will be distributed to those eligible who must bring their own containers.”
July 15, 1939: Fred Tolli was named Linden Street Intermediate Ping Pong champion following a close battle with Eno Auidi.
A gold New Year’s Eve celebration in 1939 with favors and noise makers cost $2 a person at Bricks Restaurant, Whiting Street.
Jan. 21, 1935: “9-year-old Walter Majsak of Broad Street injured his head yesterday when he fell on the ice on the canal. He was treated by Dr. Frost and taken to Bristol Hospital.”
October 1935: A “black Spanish radish” weighing 7-1/2 pounds was raised by 10-year-old Lewis Wunsch of Unionville Avenue.
I hope you enjoyed these historical tidbits. They certainly bring others to mind, don’t they? I’d love to hear from you if you can add to the list!
Ruth S. Hummel is Plainville town historian and former president of the historical society. Her column, “History by Hummel,” appears several times a month in The Plainville Citizen.
Comments
Prices in Old Ads
Submitted by Hank Roehnert (not verified) on Fri, 07/03/2009 - 3:56pm.I enjoyed Ms. Hummel's article listing old prices. Most were a bit before my time. I grew up in Plainville in the fifties and sixties. However, the Palace of Sweets was still there run by a man who was generally referred to as "Pete the Greek." My friends and I wasted many a pleasant afternoon playing his nickle pin-ball machines and drinking vanilla cokes or cherry cokes. He mixed these by hand and charged .05 for a small and .10 for a large. Ice cream sodas were .25 and milkshakes were .30. He must have worked 18 hours a day because he was always in there no matter when we went in.
The Plainville Strand charged .35 for a kid to get in for what was usually a double feature. Popcorn was .10 for a small and .15 for a large. As I only got $1.00 a week as an allowance, I usually blew half of it at the Strand each week. Sometimes I'd use my dollar to go bowling instead of to the movies. This was in the days before Laurel Lanes opened and we usually bowled at Walko's Dine and Bowl. It was a duck-pin bowling alley with six lanes and I think the price was .35 a line with shoe rental .15.
It's been some years since I thought about any of this. Thanks for your article and keep them coming.