How Much Did Things Cost in 1924 ?
Prices in the 1920s were significantly less than they are today. Although data for 1924 is sparse, in 1925 shoppers paid 47 cents for a pound of bacon, 9 cents for a pound of bread, 55 cents for a pound of butter and 52 cents for a pound of coffee. For the most part, food prices were consistent between 1920 and 1929.
In 1924, the automobile industry was going strong in the United States. Ford dropped its prices on the new Runabout to $265, a new Chevrolet cost $525 and the luxury Buick Marquette sold for a hefty $965. At the same time, the ultra-luxury Hudson cost $1795.
Appliances were fairly inexpensive in the 1920s. A new electric washing machine cost $81.95, and a vacuum cleaner complete with a motor-driven brush was $28.95. A waffle iron could be purchased for $8.95, and an electric toaster sold for about $1.50. Audio electronics were fairly expensive during this era. The RCA Electric Radiola, for example, sold for $495, which is the equivalent of about $5,000 in modern times.
Do-it-yourself home building was popular in the 1920s. Self-build house kits included architectural plans, lumber, roofing shingles, doors, windows, hardwood flooring and even the paint and varnish to finish the house. One example, the Florence Cozy 5 Room Cottage, sold for $1,195, while the Sears Roebuck Gladstone, which featured three bedrooms, a living room, dining room, kitchen and bath, sold for $2,025.
