Tobacco Selection in the 1901 Sears, Roebuck & co. Catalogue.

[jarit]

source: https://archive.org/stream/catalogueno11200sear#page/21/mode/1up
I took screenshots and sharpened up them a bit:

Jari

 

[darwin]

I checked an inflation calculator and it appears that these bulk tobaccos sold in range of ten dollars a pound in current dollars or just about half of what the cheapest bulk goes for today. As expected the tin prices in 1901 are far higher per pound than the bulk. What is unexpected is that the small 1 3/4 oz. tin of Golden Scepter sold for far more than today's tins. Almost 300% more in fact. Clearly small tins were affordable only for the well-to-do.

 

[conlejm]

I can't believe the pricing! 8O Cents per pound!

 

[ravkesef]

Thanks, Darwin, for the pricing update. Looking over the list, I'm guessing that the tobaccos were a good deal stronger than what we're smoking today, and I find myself particularly happy at today's selections, and am more than willing to pay the price.

 

[ruscho]

I'm not sure if this was targeting the consumer alone. Who the hell buys 24-30 pounds of pipe tobacco or 10-pound pails of chewing tobacco?
"Sweet Clippings" is naturally just 25c per pound That thing must've been poison

 

[mrjerke]

Very cool. Thanks for posting!

 

[cortezattic]

Great post! So that's what grandpa smoked.
My Gramps could roll his own Bull Durham from the cloth drawstring pouch while drunk!

 

[ruscho]

Ruscho, to answer your question look at the " what's in your cellar?" Thread. Many culprits.

Lol, I hear that! But that's a recent trend.

I want to meet the guy that was buying 16 pound butts of "Jolly Tar" and shake his hand! :worship:

 

[darwin]

It could very well be that since so many Sears & Roebuck customers were either rural or lived in very small towns that it was common practice for a bunch of local smokers to get together and pitch in for one of those big tubs o' tobacco. Two pounds each, about 70 cents, for a half dozen guys would have lasted them several months at least.

 

[rcstan]

Very interesting!

Not to start anything, but when comparing prices, the CPI inflation index is a poor tool. I did a bit of research and the average laborer in those days was earning $150 annually on a 6 day 9-10 hour ( if one was lucky ) work day, basically 5 cents per hour ..... so a dollar was a dollar and it took some time to earn by the sweat of one's brow, so to speak.

 

[darwin]

The sources I'm able to access indicate that the $150 a year wage was that of the lowest rung of the labor market and the average of workers in industry was in the range of three times that. Nevertheless a dollar was indeed a goodly sum but I'd be willing to bet that the average factory worker spent far more than that on alcohol in several months. Most working men back then would likely have considered both tobacco and booze more of a necessity than a luxury.

 

[dochudson]

would love a bucket of the Plantation Twist. for a lot of folks back then Sears catalog was about their only option for a lot of things. there are 2 houses in my little town that were bought from Sears and shipped in on railroad cars. $4.65 for at least a years worth of smoke and chew.

 

[thesmokingtexan]

Neat stuff it would be cool to have a framed print out to hang in a smoke room

 

[andrew]

Who the hell buys 24-30 pounds of pipe tobacco or 10-pound pails of chewing tobacco?

Real men.

 

[darwin]

Sears might have not been averse to selling to small local retailers at that time. They wouldn't have had much of a way of checking whether Sam Jones was a regular consumer or the owner of a store, if they even cared one way or the other.

 

[bwithers55]

Great job on the graphic upload, Jari. 'Very easy to read! -bw

 

[jarit]

I'm glad you liked it. As a Nordic pipe man all this awfully interesting to me. "Americana", that is.
This is a clip from my favorite documentary.The great writer Hearry Crews is talking about Sears Roebuck catalogue and shit.
"Stories was everything and everything was stories...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1LE1hyRgys
From the Brit docu "Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus" by Andrew Douglas. Good.

 

[admin]

I love this vintage stuff! Thanks for posting guys!

 

[lonestar]

Great post !

 

[stbruno70]

Great work Jarit. Thanks for improving and posting the images.