 | Faye Graves, a native Wichitan, attended school at Friends and Wichita State, concluding at Midwestern Theological Seminary. He has been active in media for many years with Channel 12, KIRL, KFDI, KOOO AM & FM (Omaha), KFRM & KICT 95, as an owner, manager, producer, director and announcer. He has served as President of the Haysville Board of Education. He has also served on several national boards of the Southern Baptist Convention. Faye currently serves as Executive Pastor and Director of Administration and Education at Immanuel Baptist Church, 1415 S. Topeka, Wichita. You may contact Faye by e-mail fmgraves@amenibc.org, or by phone at (316) 262-1452. |
Nostalgia
2007-07-01 12:34:00
Remember...
Do you ever go back and think about the prices you used to pay for things, and the advertising slogans for some of these items?
I sure do. I was reminded of it the other day when I was paying my bill at a Wichita restaurant. The cashier returned my change. It was two cents. A man who was waiting to pay his ticket reminded me that quite some time ago I could have bought some candy with that amount of money. I remarked, “Yes, a lot of things have changed. Everything now seems sky-high compared to the way it used to be.” I can remember when my Dad bought a brand new Hudson and drove it off the floor of the Mosbbacher Hudson dealership for a complete total price of 700 dollars. That was 1940. In 1952 he bought a brand new Hudson Commodore 8. The price was 4,000 dollars.
Wow...that much increase in only 12 years. Now, the same quality of car would be 30,000 dollars plus.
New cars and trucks aren’t alone. Remember the commercial for Pepsi? “Pepsi cola hits the spot...nickel a bottle, that’s a lot.” A package of gum was just a nickel. All bottles
of pop were only a nickel. How about this slogan? Dr. Pepper at 10...2 and 4. Does anyone know why those times? If I knew then, I can’t remember now. Some products are totally gone: Rinso...called Rinso blue. Duz...”Duz does it” was their slogan. There was Hadacol, “The tonic that would make you feel good.” The old joke was why did they call it that?
I guess they had to call it something.
Have you tried to buy a pump fly sprayer? You know, one of the big ones that you filled. They are very scarce today. Many of the medicines for colds and other ailments have been changed or have disappeared off the shelf.
How about nickel candy bars? Don’t see any of these today. Custom service in gas stations is almost totally gone. No windshield cleaning, checking the oil, air in the tires, pumping the gas. These words are not heard in most service stations anymore. If they are, you’re paying a pretty good premium over the already high price of gas.
Have you been to a movie lately? Remember how an usher always used to seat you? You don’t see this anymore, nor do you see the 55 cent movie ticket.
Before television, I remember on movie change night, folks lining up around the block to see the new flick. Movie stars were giants then. I can hardly remember the names of the ones today.
Prices are way up almost everywhere on everything, but I guess so are wages.
I’ve never figured out for myself whether or not it’s all the same, counting the inflation on all of these items and the higher wages. I guess it has to be.
I do know I would not want to go back to the ‘primitive living’ we endured in those times. There was no air conditioning, inside plumbing or even electricity in the older homes. We had coal or wood heat and blocks of ice, delivered by trucks.
The good old days were not always good, but sometimes it is fun to remember back when you still could buy something for two cents.
