What could a dollar buy in 1939?

Answer 1

I don't suppose 1939 was very much different than any other Depression year. It's just that I remember it best because I was 11 years old that year and was allowed to go to 69th Street all by myself to Christmas shop.

I had five gifts to buy for my family and a grand total of $1.00 to spend on them. I smile now when I think of getting all my Christmas shopping done for $1.00 but in those Depression days it was possible.

So around the 15th of December when the season was in full swing and all the decorations were in place and the Christmas carols were being sung on the radio, I would set out on my journey to Woolworth's Five and Ten Cent Store at 69 Sreet.

It was usually cold and blustery as I crossed the bridge over the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks at Yeadon Station and continued over Baltimore Avenue past Fernwood Cemetery, then along Long Lane for a mile or so before reaching my destination at the Woolworths on 69th Street.

I must say, it was one of the better Woolworths and always had what I needed to buy. You see, almost every year I bought the very same gifts for my family, and the dollar was allocated in direct proportion to the importance of the family member receiving the gift.

My Mother's gift was always purchased last because it was the most important and the amount spent on it was determined by how much I could skimp on my brothers and sister.

Dad usually asked me to buy him some Violet Water After Shave. It cost 25 cents but Dad was well worth that expense. Funny about him liking that Violet Water because, as I recall, the label said things like "Do not apply near flame or while smoking. Avoid getting in eyes. Positively use only as directed." But he loved splashing it on and smelling wonderful so I always bought it for him and damn the expense. Dad deserved it.

So there was 25 cents gone and 75 cents to go. I could get my sister, Jed, a nice hair ribbon for 10 cents, which left me with 65 cents. If I could find a toy or baseball card for Bob and Jack for about 15 cents each, that would leave me 35 cents for Mother.

Now that was the crux of the problem. If I had only 25 cents I would have to buy Mother a jar of Pond's Cold Cream but if I could get my brothers something cheap and have 35 cents, I could go all out and buy Mother the expensive LADY ESTHER Cold Cream, and that was all the difference in the world to me.

To be able to wrap up a jar of real LADY ESTHER in beautiful paper and a bow was the height of the Christmas experience for me. I didn't care if I had to give my brothers and sister less as long as I could present my Mother with her very favorite face cream.

So the trick was to find something for the boys that cost 15 cents. I would spend an hour or more in that store wandering around the aisles looking at books and toy airplanes and water pistols and finally, with any luck, I would find just the right thing for them for 10 cents each and that left me an extra dime and a huge treat. I could go to the lunch counter and order a Hot Chocolate for five cents and proudly say "YES" when asked by the waitress if I wanted whipped cream (five cents extra but it included a big red cherry on top) Oh! the decadence. But, sitting there sipping my chocolate, sure now that I would be able to get the best for my Mother, I was the happiest girl in the World.

So over to the cosmetic counter I would go. The rows of face creams would be tempting me but their siren call went unnoticed as I spotted the white jar with the beautiful green lid with LADY ESTHER written on it. That was the height of elegance to me. It even came in a little green and white box. Oh, the joy it gave me to buy that splendid gift.

On Christmas morning my Mother would always exclaim, "Oh, look everybody, Nancy has given me LADY ESTHER face cream. This is the best. Thank you very much."

Then, Christmas would be over for another year but the LADY ESTHER face cream always sat on her bureau all year and every month or so I would open the cap and try to judge how much was left and hope it was enough to last until the next Christmas when I could again give her the most wonderful gift in the world.

Answer 2

it was 0.07 dollars