I came across this 1903 Sears and Roebuck catalog and thought I'd share. I sure wish these things were still this cheap:
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Vintage Catalog Shaving Ads
- Thread starter Holyhabanero
- Start date
Cool!
Thanks for posting.
"A man well lathered is half shaved"
Thanks for posting.
"A man well lathered is half shaved"
Wow, those Star razors are actually quite expensive compared to the straights... I don't know what the dollar conversion is from then to now - but those cheaper straights might still represent more than a days work for the avg man.
Funny how the safety razors are more expensive than the straights. I would have thought it would be the other way around.
Just did the conversion. Looks like 12 dollars in 1903 is around $302 dollars today based on the CPI. If you looked at the relative unskilled labor rate it's more like $1,200. That's one expensive safety razor.
The average wage for a factory worker in 1900 was $400/year or about $1.50/day. So a better straight razor from Sears was about a day's pay.
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Well, if you think about it, it makes sense...the saftey razor was still new(ish) at the time, and was a replacement for men that used straights...it's all newfangled and stuff...
I'm struck by how similar that catalogue seems in comparison to, say, what you'd read on a classic shaving supplies website. It's all there: brief guide to getting "the perfect shave", variety of razors to suit different pockets. There's even what you could call their version of a "shavette" - that "shavezy" device to make a straight a little less hazardous to use.
The wording is also remarkably clear and easy to read. I'm used to stuff from a hundred years ago or more being terribly long-winded. Perhaps the US-style introduced brevity.
I think the advertisers would be amazed that there are people in 2009 still using the same sort of implements.
The wording is also remarkably clear and easy to read. I'm used to stuff from a hundred years ago or more being terribly long-winded. Perhaps the US-style introduced brevity.
I think the advertisers would be amazed that there are people in 2009 still using the same sort of implements.
Great post. Thanks for sharing. 
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