Book Prices...

[Scribble]

Anyone good with economics/ inflation math?

Were the books back in the 1e/2e era pretty much the same cost as they are now (adjusted for inflation?)

 

[Treebore]

Well, according to this calculator a book costing $20 in 1979 would cost over $56 in 2007.

Calculator: Inflation Rate Calculator- from InflationData.com

So considering full color, more art, and increased page counts we are doing pretty good on RPG books in terms of inflation.

 

[doctorhook]

Well, according to this calculator a book costing $20 in 1979 would cost over $56 in 2007.

Calculator: Inflation Rate Calculator- from InflationData.com

So considering full color, more art, and increased page counts we are doing pretty good on RPG books in terms of inflation.

Isn't $56 today in the ballpark for an indie hardcover?

Back in the '70s wasn't TSR basically "indie"?

 

[Scribble]

Well, according to this calculator a book costing $20 in 1979 would cost over $56 in 2007.

Wow... So for those of you who bought books back in the 1e era... did they seem expensive?

I know when I got stuff in the 2e era things didn't seem overly expensive... They seemed right on the cusp... I guess that was because they hadn't really raised the prices to meet inflation though huh?

 

[Treebore]

I thought $20 was expensive back in 1979, I still do.

I think how much that $20 is valued depends on how much a person values the work they did to earn that $20.

People still work 5 hours to take $20 home. Maybe 6 hours, depending on taxes, medical, etc...

So to take a $40 book home they may have had to work 12 hours or more to afford it.

So I still think it costs a lot, even at $20.

 

[Daniel D. Fox]

20 bucks back then was a lot of money, considering I was a kid. 35 bucks now isn't all that expensive for me whatsoever.

 

[Lord Mhoram]

Using this inflation calculator:
The Inflation Calculator

12.95 in 77 (the price of the PH IIRC) would be 43.84 in 2007.
16.99 in 78 (DMG again IIRC) would be 53.45.

See what I get when posting without reading, someone already did this. *sigh*

 

[Treebore]

Using this inflation calculator:
The Inflation Calculator

12.95 in 77 (the price of the PH IIRC) would be 43.84 in 2007.
16.99 in 78 (DMG again IIRC) would be 53.45.

See what I get when posting without reading, someone already did this. *sigh*

Thats the exact same calculator I used for $20 from 1979 to 2007. Even so you gave a much more precise price and time range.

 

[Walt C]

I don't remember my 1e books costing that much.

IIRC (and admittedly my recollection is sketchy), I paid $12 for most of the books, with the DMG being an exception at $15. Most modules were priced around $5-6 at the time.

These were 1982 prices.

Walt C

 

[frankthedm]

People still work 5 hours to take $20 home. Maybe 6 hours, depending on taxes, medical, etc...

So to take a $40 book home they may have had to work 12 hours or more to afford it.

If someone is making that little in the states, IMHO they really need to rethink buying a gaming book.