I can't see anything in the picture....what are the prices???

 

23 and 28 below the Texaco sign

 

My guess is 23 9/10 + tax and 28 9/10 + tax. Tax wasn't included in the posted prices in those days but tax was just another penny at most.

 

Just goes to show...

Even taking inflation and tax into account (so .30), that's $1.57 in today's dollars. I wish....

http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/rates/inflation_calc.html

Dang

 

Those prices are pre-Iran embargo (early '70's) after which gas prices jumped to about $1.00 in a matter of months. If you use that figure as your starting point we aren't in nearly as bad a situation today. Imagine gas going from $3.00 to about $9.00 by June today.

 

Gas inflation, has been significantly lower than most other daily purchases.
People spend far more on talking on phones, watching television, drinking coffee or water than they do on gas.
Gas has been one of the least expensive commodities for the last 40-50 years.
On top of that, fuel efficiency (cars getting double the mileage than they did 30 years ago) has reduced the effective cost of gas.
In the 60's a can of Coca Cola at the vending machine was 10 cents. It's now $1.00
So if gas was 28 cents in the 60s versus today's ~$3.00 gallon, we really can't complain.

 

If you think gas inflation has been significantly lower then you should really take a look at airline fares over the past 40 years.

There is an example of an industry that has to have brought in huge efficiencies in order to keep fares as low as they do.

Unfortunately some of those efficiencies include the Wal-Mart effect, poor wages for employees.

 

And computers, TV sets yada yada yada.

 

The 9/10 is correct, of course, but those prices did include tax. There was also a "gas war" in the area at the time so the prices were depressed.

 

If you think gas prices are high here, go to Europe and see how much it costs. We, Americans, have it good.