Quote:
Originally Posted by rca2000
How did people afford these sets then--unless people were MUCH better off then--than now? Was the economy in the 60's to mid-70's THAT much better than now??
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To some degree, YES. Without trying to get into politics here, most "average" jobs paid a whole lot more then, relative to the general cost of living, than they do now. I mean, things like car repair, store clerk, or, umm, TV repair
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But, a nice TV set was the "big family purchase for the year", or even after waiting two or three years, too.
Two other things made life then quite different from typical situations now: Housing cost a lot less then, again relative to the general cost of living, in most places, than it does now. And, people relatively rarely went to restaurants for dinner (much less any equivalent of Starbucks). Two years of NOT having $40-60 meals twice a month or more will pay for a really nice piece of furniture, today, and the same equivalent was true then.