Candy Prices Over The Years
I was wondering how candy bars prices and sizes changed over the years. I know that with inflation rates candy would continually go up and never down however I thought the size of the candy bars would waver up and down.
Why candy bar size wavers up and down I assume is based on just another way to counter act inflation rates. Instead of going up on the price, you can go down on its size, making your manufacturing costs cheaper by volume. Thus, making the candy bar cost the same to make and the manufacture doesn’t have to change their prices.
I did some research and came up with a chart that are estimates based on a standard size common/non-premium US candy bar. Premium candy bars haven’t been around a long time and can cost twice as much as a common candy bar. I charted it on a 5 year period instead of an even 10 years since that time span is to long and inflation rates fluctuate yearly. So the prices shown are the average price over the entire 5 year periods.
| Years | Candy Size (Ounces) | Candy Price (cents) | Cost Pre Ounce (cents) | Stamp Price (cents) | |
| 1900-1904 | .50 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1905-1909 | .75 | 2 | 2.6 | 2 | |
| 1910-1914 | .75 | 2 | 2.6 | 2 | |
| 1915-1919 | 1.00 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| 1920-1924 | 1.20 | 4 | 3.3 | 2 | |
| 1925-1929 | 1.50 | 5 | 3.3 | 3 | |
| 1930-1934 | 1.75 | 5 | 2.8 | 3 | The great depression |
| 1935-1939 | 1.50 | 5 | 3.3 | 3 | |
| 1940-1944 | 1.50 | 5 | 3.3 | 3 | |
| 1945-1949 | 1.25 | 5 | 4 | 3 | |
| 1950-1954 | 1.00 | 5 | 5 | 4 | |
| 1955-1959 | 1.00 | 5 | 5 | 4 | |
| 1960-1964 | 1.00 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |
| 1965-1969 | 1.00 | 5 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1970-1974 | 1.30 | 10 | 7.6 | 8 | US Inflation Rates Rise |
| 1975-1979 | 1.20 | 20 | 16.6 | 15 | |
| 1980-1984 | 1.40 | 30 | 21.4 | 20 | |
| 1985-1989 | 1.50 | 40 | 26.6 | 25 | |
| 1990-1994 | 1.50 | 50 | 33.3 | 30 | |
| 1995-1999 | 1.50 | 70 | 43.3 | 32 | |
| 2000-2004 | 1.60 | 85 | 46.8 | 34 | |
| 2005-2009 | 1.60 | 1.10 | 50 | 44 | |
| A look at the future price index at the current inclining inflation rate (2.6% rate), amounts are estimated | |||||
| 2015 | 1.30 | .48 | |||
| 2020 | 1.50 | .54 | |||
| 2050 | 3.25 | 1.17 | |||
| 2100 | 11.75 | 4.23 | |||
Exceptions to the rule
The retail price of candy must always rise with inflation, this is a given. However, you don’t always have to pay retail. You can always buy wholesale, in bulk, on sale or use coupons. In May of 2009 I bought my specially marked candy bars “2 for $1” (Butterfinger and Baby Ruth), it was nice because I was really paying the retail value of 14 years ago. I also remember in the mid 1990s buying candy on sale at 4 for $1, that’s also a retail value of about 15 year prior. You may not always be able to know 15 years or more off the price but its nice when you do.
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