Author Topic: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook  (Read 674 times)

Fly320s

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MillCreek

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2021, 02:26:00 PM »
Oh my gosh, the vintage bicycles!
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Ben

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2021, 02:34:25 PM »
That brings back memories both pleasant and horrible (bell bottoms!).  :laugh:
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MillCreek

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2021, 03:03:33 PM »
^^^Corduroy bell bottoms, that made the swoosh swoosh sound as you walked!
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Quote from: Angel Eyes on August 09, 2018, 01:56:15 AM
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BobR

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #4 on: November 30, 2021, 03:13:33 PM »
I couldn't find the motorcycles they sold, maybe they were out of the motorcycle business by 1975. I remember looking at those and a Montgomery Wards motorcycle in the 60s. I ended up with British until 1968 and then was seduced by the Japanese motorcycles. :)

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MechAg94

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #5 on: November 30, 2021, 04:24:54 PM »
Is it just me or is nostalgia stuff really really popular these days?
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Perd Hapley

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #6 on: November 30, 2021, 05:13:06 PM »
"Zouave Rifle" - not a term one hears every day...
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Devonai

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #7 on: November 30, 2021, 05:51:24 PM »
I have a Montgomery Ward house...  =D
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K Frame

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #8 on: December 01, 2021, 07:42:56 AM »
Wow. Not much in the way of firearms. No handguns, no high powered rifles...

And now... no Sears.
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230RN

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #9 on: December 01, 2021, 08:05:07 AM »
I've got just about (and maybe is) the last printed Radio Shack catalog.

They were just starting to return to their roots: sale of electronic components instead of exclusively entertainment electronics.

Too late.

I used to go in there and test tubes (valves) and inevitably buy a bunch of other stuff, including FCC testing guides and I believe I bought many ARRL books there, too.  I also bought a lot of Forrest Mims books.

Terry, 230RN

REFs:
http://www.forrestmims.org/
http://www.arrl.org/

K Frame

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #10 on: December 01, 2021, 09:15:49 AM »
I have many fond memories of going into the local Radio Shack with my Dad...
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RocketMan

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #11 on: December 01, 2021, 09:19:48 AM »
I've got a bunch of the old Radio Shack catalogs, technical books, electronic component books, etc.  It sure is a shame how they could not keep up with the times.
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Pb

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #12 on: December 01, 2021, 10:07:32 AM »
I found a belt-fed machine gun for sale in a reproduction of an ancient Sears catalogue....

I think it was a M1895 Colt–Browning machine gun.

I think it was around $800.  Quite a lot for the time.

(edit: It may have been a Montgomery Ward catalogue, I can't recall)
« Last Edit: December 02, 2021, 09:05:57 AM by Pb »

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #13 on: December 01, 2021, 10:19:25 AM »
For replacing Ratshack, I look at Parts Express now... And their speakers and receivers/amps are better...
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WLJ

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #14 on: December 01, 2021, 10:29:36 AM »
I remember going through that very calalog

Ran the Ruger 10/22 price through a inflation calc
1973 $73.50 = 2021 $377.87
Current price on Buds for what appears to be the same model $291.25
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230RN

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #15 on: December 01, 2021, 01:35:57 PM »
^ "Ran the Ruger 10/22 price through a inflation calc
1973 $73.50 = 2021 $377.87
Current price on Buds for what appears to be the same model $291.25"

For comparing a 3% inflation rate with a 3.5% inflation rate, the method is simple:

48 years (periods)

3% = 1.03^48 = 4.132...
X 73.50 = $303.72

3.5% =1.035^48 = 5.214...
x 73.50 = $383.20

Your inflation calculator seems to be applying too high an inflation rate for this particular sample. In general, I've noticed this before with on-line calculators.

Whoever does it for Wikipedia seems to like the 3.5% rate.

I usually do best by assuming a 3% constant rate for almost any number of periods (years).  Of course this doesn't take into account shorter periods of high or low inflation embedded in the reality, but still seems to reflect the long-term average pretty well.

<editorial note> We'll see what happens after the government is done printing all that valueless money to "pay" for our outrageous spending.</editorial note>

<back to topic>

Terry, 230RN

« Last Edit: December 01, 2021, 03:03:24 PM by 230RN »

WLJ

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #16 on: December 01, 2021, 01:42:20 PM »
The one I used https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

This one returns $390.20 https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm
This one returns $359.12 but only to 2020 https://westegg.com/inflation/
$377.87 https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1975?amount=73.50
$370.57 https://www.minneapolisfed.org/about-us/monetary-policy/inflation-calculator

We had a pretty big inflation bump around the time this catalog was printed and  during the Carter years afterwards

Edit: How the ____ did I screw up the links that bad? Give me a moment.
Edit: fixed
« Last Edit: December 01, 2021, 02:29:00 PM by WLJ »
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WLJ

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #17 on: December 01, 2021, 02:02:17 PM »
From https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1975?amount=73.50

Inflation from 1975 to 2021 Cumulative price change    414.11%
Average inflation rate    3.62%
Converted amount ($73.50 base)    $377.87
Price difference ($73.50 base)    $304.37
CPI in 1975    53.800
CPI in 2021    276.589
Inflation in 1975    9.13%
Inflation in 2021    6.22%
$73.50 in 1975    $377.87 in 2021
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230RN

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #18 on: December 02, 2021, 06:05:22 AM »
"CPI in 1975    53.800
CPI in 2021    276.589"
Periods = 46 (years)
To find the inflation rate from that data set is a little more complicated because the equation involves an exponent.

One can use logs to get real numbers,

future value = past value x (1+inflation rate) ^ number of periods

FV/PV = (1+inflation rate) ^ periods

276.589 / 53.800 = (1+inflation rate) ^ periods

5.14106 = (1+inflation rate) ^ periods

log (5.141060) / periods = log (1+inflation rate)

0.711052628 / 46 = log (1+ inflation rate)
(this finds the log of the 46th root)

0.015457665 = log (1+ inflation rate)

log^-1 (0.015457665) = (1+ inflation rate)
(log^-1 is the notation for finding the

number)

(1+ inflation rate) =1.03623359

Inflation rate is therefore 3.62% for this sample.

Yeah, I may have to upward revise my "long-term"  standard inflation rate of 3% for rough estimates.

Terry, 230RN
(Edited for housekeeping.
« Last Edit: December 02, 2021, 11:07:29 AM by 230RN »

WLJ

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #19 on: December 02, 2021, 08:16:56 AM »
Like I said we had a pretty big inflation bump around the time this catalog was printed and during the Carter years afterwards.
2021 is heading that way and we're not done with 2021 yet.

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230RN

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #20 on: December 02, 2021, 10:42:44 AM »
Yes, but I am  looking for a single long-term descriptive number for two dates and two amounts.  This automatically takes care of short-term ups and downs.

This usually takes the form of "So-and-so died in 19XX and left an estate of $past value ($future value in today's dollars.)"

As I said, historically I used 3% but I am going to have to up that as a general descriptor nowadays.

Terry, 230RN




WLJ

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #21 on: December 02, 2021, 10:50:25 AM »
Yes, but I am  looking for a single long-term descriptive number for two dates and two amounts.  This automatically takes care of short-term ups and downs.

This usually takes the form of "So-and-so died in 19XX and left an estate of $past value ($future value in today's dollars.)"

As I said, historically I used 3% but I am going to have to up that as a general descriptor nowadays.

Terry, 230RN

Depending on your starting and ending years you have to account for the bumps and valleys within that range so a single fixed do it all % won't always work.
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230RN

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #22 on: December 02, 2021, 11:10:09 AM »
Depending on your starting and ending years you have to account for the bumps and valleys within that range so a single fixed do it all % won't always work.

We're looking at two different goals here.  As I said,

Quote
Yes, but I am  looking for a single long-term descriptive number for two dates and two amounts.  This automatically takes care of short-term ups and downs.

If one wants to examine short-terms ups and downs, fine, but I'm looking at things like "What would So-and-so's estate look like today" and "What would the cost of a pound of butter from back then be like today?"  If I wanted to know what a pound of butter cost at some point between then and now, your graphs would give the answer for that point in time.

Terry

WLJ

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #23 on: December 02, 2021, 11:13:09 AM »
Perhaps.
Just my point was for 1990-2021 you're going to have to us one % while 1970-2021 is going to be a different %.
Is that what you meant? If so we're in agreement.
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230RN

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Re: 1975 Sears Christmas Wishbook
« Reply #24 on: December 02, 2021, 11:20:59 AM »
Yes, agreed.

And thanks for your input.  I had to make a few typographical changes in the logarithmic method above because of transferrance from my scribbled worksheeet to the post.  That's what "housekeeping" means.

Cordially,
Terry