This bit of information was included in the 1936 scorecard. Wouldn't you like to go to a ballgame and pay a dime for a draft beer? I find it amazing that you could get a beer, a hot dog, or the scorecard for the same price of 10¢. Peanuts and ice cream too.
Now lets take the 1936 prices and adjust them for inflation
Beer in bottles...$3.98
Beer in cans...$3.98
Draught Beer... $1.99
Hot Sandwiches... $2.99
Lemonade... $2.99
Cigarettes... $2.99
Photographs... $4.98
Miniature bat... $4.98
All Soft Drinks... $1.99
Peanuts.... $1.99
Popcorn ... $1.99
Red Hots ... $1.99
Coffee ... $1.99
Ice Cream ... $1.99
Cushions ... $1.99
Pencils ... $0..99
Candy and gum ... $0.99
These prices are not even close to what you're going to pay at a ballpark today. The only price I remember from my two trips to Wrigley this year is the price of beer - $12.00. I remember the price but I wasn't going to spend that much for a beer! The cost of a beer is triple the adjusted inflation price.
Let's try another comparison. The 2021 scorecard cost $1. We will use that to see what other concession items would cost using the 1936 price proportions between the scorecard and everything else:
Beer in bottles...$2
Beer in cans...$2
Draught Beer... $1
Hot Sandwiches... $1.50
Lemonade... $1.50
Cigarettes... $1.50
Photographs... $2.50
Miniature bat... $2.50
All Soft Drinks... $1
Peanuts.... $1.00
Popcorn ... $1.00
Red Hots ... $1.00
Coffee ... $1.00
Ice Cream ... $1.00
Cushions ... $1.00
Pencils ... $0.50
Candy and gum ... $0.50
I was wondering if the 1936 prices were low due to the depression. I looked up the prices in 1942 and found that they were unchanged. It was still a dime for a scorecard, hot dog, or draught beer. Bottled beer was still 20¢. I guess it was a simpler time, a time when the owners didn't feel then need to gouge the fans.
Not a big beer guy, but 10¢ drafts? I'd have to get in on that.
ReplyDeleteIt was definitely a simpler time back in the 30's. Back then, club owners didn't have corporate "hospitality" services handling food concessions for them and then take 50% of those sales as "rent".
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