DE blade inflation

[Shavely Manden]

I'd gotten to thinking about how cheap DE blades are these days, and started to wonder how that stacked up over time. Looking at this Gillette ad from 1939...

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...I noticed that the price for Blue Blades was 5 for $0.25 [ED: look in the bottom-right corner]. Pulling up the Bureau of Labor Statistics's Inflation Calculator, it seems that $0.25 in '39 is equivalent to $3.92 today--that's about $0.78 a blade! Considering that Feathers are $0.60 a blade if you buy the ten-packs, and most blades are much cheaper, it looks like we're coming out ahead.

However, compared to cartridge razors, at $2-3 or more per cart, it looks like mainstream shaving has outpaced inflation...Gillette's gotten even more evil over the years!

 

[AlanL]

Back then, Gillette had a virtual monopoly on blades. So they cost a lot. Today, plenty of companies make blades, we the consumer benefit from choice and low prices. Without a monopoly on DE blades, Gillette is trying to rake in from the 5-blade cartridge monopoly.

Same motivations, different products. Evil factor probably the same.

 

[Shavely Manden]

Back then, Gillette had a virtual monopoly on blades. So they cost a lot. Today, plenty of companies make blades, we the consumer benefit from choice and low prices. Without a monopoly on DE blades, Gillette is trying to rake in from the 5-blade cartridge monopoly.

Same motivations, different products. Evil factor probably the same.

I know, but I find it interesting that Gillette, still with a virtual monopoly, is reaming the average consumer for even more money these days--78 cents a cartridge would be almost (but not quite) reasonable. Plus, it makes me feel like we've actually come somewhere in the 20th century...maybe we're shaving like our grandfathers, but we're paying way less for (probably) better blades!

 

[Topgumby]

Back then, making blades last was a passion...had to be for a lot of people. Just look at all the stropping gizmos, and stories of guys going for months on one blade....

 

[AlanL]

I know, but I find it interesting that Gillette, still with a virtual monopoly, is reaming the average consumer for even more money these days--78 cents a cartridge would be almost (but not quite) reasonable.

You're right. Gillette, and most companies, act as if all their consumers are going to croak in the next week, so they have to squeeze every drop they can from us before then. Such myopia is destroying a lot of (what used to be good) companies.