Power Tool Prices in 1951

D

d'Arsonval

Aluminum

Joined

Apr 26, 2008

Location

Michigan

• Mar 14, 2019

• #1

Power Tool Prices in 1951

Some of you may enjoy a look at power tool prices from a Fall 1951 Grainger catalog.
(The catalog measures about 3/16" in thickness at 101 pages including front and back cover.)

Sixty-eight-years later, it's fascinating to note the cost of a typical consumer grade power tool
found in any "big box" store can ring up at a similar price range today.

John

 

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M

Mebfab

Diamond

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Jun 7, 2003

Location

Mebane North Carolina USA

• Mar 14, 2019

• #2

Minimum wage was $.75 then.

Gas was $.20 gallon

 

D

DDoug

Diamond

Joined

Oct 18, 2005

Location

NW Pa

• Mar 14, 2019

• #3

Mebfab said:

Minimum wage was $.75 then.

Gas was $.20 gallon

Click to expand...

Been watching "Mayberry RFD" on t.v. lately.
Grocery store window, "potatoes 10 lbs $2.00"

They still are $2.00 for 10 lbs.

 

L

L Vanice

Diamond

Joined

Feb 8, 2006

Location

Fort Wayne, IN

• Mar 14, 2019

• #4

In 1974, I was loaned a Grainger catalog by a metalworking art teacher. He invited me to give him an order that he would place under his name because he wanted to keep his account active and he seldom ordered anything. The prices in the catalog were highly inflated and the "account holder" would get a huge discount. I wonder if they were pricing that way in the 1951 catalog.

I have a very realistic way of seeing old prices. I have a collection of Sears general and tool catalogs. I know those were the actual prices people paid, unless there was a sale on. I got my first Sears machine in 1949 and it was years before I switched over to industrial grade tools and machines, so I was very familiar with Sears.

Larry

 

C

Comatose

Titanium

Joined

Feb 25, 2005

Location

Akron, OH

• Mar 14, 2019

• #5

digger doug said:

Been watching "Mayberry RFD" on t.v. lately.
Grocery store window, "potatoes 10 lbs $2.00"

They still are $2.00 for 10 lbs.

Click to expand...

And the labor assembling them is still $.75 an hour!

 

D

d'Arsonval

Aluminum

Joined

Apr 26, 2008

Location

Michigan

• Mar 14, 2019

• #6

The resolution of the catalog pages posted could have been better.

The $18.29 3/8" SPEEDWAY DRILL shown on one of the posted photos has three prices.

List: $27.50

Each: $19.25

Lots 3: $18.29

Larry;

You're correct about the pricing being inflated. This particular catalog was labeled
a "Net Wholesale Prices For Dealers". So the prices published were likely what one paid.

At one time, I recall Grainger provided their catalog with a local contractor or business
name on the cover. By the 1980's sometime, they stopped offering that feature.

A funny memory I recall of a Grainger salesman stopping in on his monthly sales call...
is how he spotted a big McMaster-Carr catalog sitting on the front service counter next to "his" Grainger book .

He said he'd not thumbed through the competitor's catalog in a while and asked to see
if they still offered chrome plated ceremonial shovels. He seemed to envy that because Grainger
didn't offer such a thing.

John

 

true temper

Stainless

Joined

Jun 19, 2006

Location

Kansas

• Mar 15, 2019

• #7

I have a 1952 McMaster catalog that I paid a buck for it in 1991 at a flea market. I love looking through that thing.

 

D

d'Arsonval

Aluminum

Joined

Apr 26, 2008

Location

Michigan

• Mar 15, 2019

• #8

true temper,

That old McMaster-Carr catalog from '52 would indeed be a fun read.
If you happen to check in on this thread again, I'd be curious to know what
catalog number a 1952 book would be.

John

 

true temper

Stainless

Joined

Jun 19, 2006

Location

Kansas

• Mar 27, 2019

• #9

I finely remembered to look at my catalogue
I lied to you its a #49 copywriter 1942. Great old book.

 

A

atomarc

Diamond

Joined

Mar 16, 2009

Location

Eureka, CA

• Mar 27, 2019

• #10

digger doug said:

Been watching "Mayberry RFD" on t.v. lately.
Grocery store window, "potatoes 10 lbs $2.00"

They still are $2.00 for 10 lbs.

Click to expand...

Probably the same spuds..a hair past their shelf life by now.

Stuart

 

true temper

Stainless

Joined

Jun 19, 2006

Location

Kansas

• Mar 27, 2019

• #11

Some more photos of inside of catalog.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

true temper

Stainless

Joined

Jun 19, 2006

Location

Kansas

• Mar 27, 2019

• #12

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

O

old_dave

Stainless

Joined

Apr 15, 2002

Location

Central Mother Lode, California

• Mar 29, 2019

• #13

Thank you for the McMaster Carr images. Macarco vises (which I'd not heard of before), lots of Starrett. Anyone know when McMaster Carr stopped identifying brand names in their catalogue (or do they still do it in their print catalog)?
David

And I just looked at McMaster Carr on line for micrometers and saw they identify both Starrett and Mitutoyo. Well my general question still holds.

David

 

Last edited: Mar 29, 2019

B

Brian Smith

Aluminum

Joined

Nov 23, 2004

Location

Southern California

• Mar 29, 2019

• #14

That first 1942 McMaster catalog image shows a "Macarco Body Builder's Vise" in the lower left corner. There was an identical vise in the maintenance shop of my previous employer, a former Rockwell Aerospace plant. I had always wondered what the smooth, deep jaws were intended for, now I know.

 

true temper

Stainless

Joined

Jun 19, 2006

Location

Kansas

• Mar 29, 2019

• #15

Macarco is listed on the cover page under “cable address” maybe that was a house brand at the time? Anyone know?

 

W

wdTom

Aluminum

Joined

Jan 21, 2005

Location

Rhode Island

• Mar 30, 2019

• #16

Those prices look good now but remember if you brought home $50 in 1951 you probably had a good job.

 

wheels17

Stainless

Joined

May 10, 2012

Location

Pittsford, NY

• Mar 30, 2019

• #17

I like the "Cable Address" of Macarco on the cover of the catalog. That's something else that's gone away. Everything had code words to keep the number of characters/words in the message down. I'm not sure, but I think it was billed by words.

I have a No.45 Cleveland Twist Drill catalog(copyright 1947), and it has cable codes for all the products. A Mechanic's Drill Set No. 57 is PARLORTY. A Carbon Steel Set No.52 is PARLIGHT (for curiosity,it cost $16.20 for the case, drills, benchtop index, and metal case. A benchtop index alone sold for $99 on ebay recently). MoMax hss and cobalt tool bits were LURA, LURIAN, LURED, LURIB. A 1/2" double ended four flute HSS end mill with Weldon shank is LUKPEAR, and was $3.50.

There were a ton of other codes covering sizes, quantities, and questions.

Asafetida- Can you ship at once?
Ascetic- Ship all you can and advise delivery on balance before entering

So, here's a conversation between the company and a customer:

Assailable Baker Bard

Ascendent Loop Baker Bard

Translated

Do not understand your order 2465; compare with our Catalog and give list numbers.

List number 516 wanted for our Number 2465

Dates were made by combining fractional codes. 3 March is Ash Dorf

Please let me know if you need pricing on specific items....