Every price in this game comes from a dated source, like a government price survey, a maker’s launch price or a newspaper ad from the time. Tap below to see them all.
Where these prices come from
Each item links to the sources we checked. Today’s-money figures use the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index (CPI-U), adjusted to 2025 and rounded.
- 1945: Mailing a letter: one first-class stampUSPS Historian
- 1945: A bottle of Coca-ColaNPR Planet Money · Levy & Young · History Facts
- 1945: A new comic book, like Superman or BatmanBleeding Cool · Wikipedia
- 1948: The first Polaroid instant camera, the Model 95Harvard Business School Baker Library · History.com
- 1954: An RCA CT-100, one of the first color TV setsEarly Television Museum · CED Magic
- 1955: A hamburger at Ray Kroc's first McDonald'sMental Floss · Encyclopedia.com
- 1955: A grown-up's ticket into Disneyland, opening yearCNBC · Business Insider via Yahoo Finance · D23
- 1958: A Wham-O Hula HoopWikipedia · Smithsonian Magazine
- 1958: Mailing a letter: one first-class stampUSPS Historian
- 1959: The very first Barbie dollFox News · CBS News · Wikipedia
- 1959: A dozen large eggs (national average)BLS Bulletin 1301
- 1960: A one-pound loaf of white bread (national average)BLS Bulletin 1301
- 1963: Kenner's Easy-Bake OvenHasbro · University of Cincinnati Magazine
- 1964: A brand-new Ford Mustang (base price)Ford Motor Company
- 1965: A Hershey's milk chocolate barHershey Community Archives
- 1967: The best seat at the very first Super BowlSports Illustrated · CBS News
- 1969: A three-day ticket to Woodstock, bought in advanceBethel Woods Center for the Arts (Museum at Bethel Woods) · Wikipedia
- 1970: A one-pound loaf of white bread (national average)USDA ERS
- 1971: Mailing a letter: one first-class stampUSPS Historian
- 1974: A gallon of regular gas (national average)EIA Annual Energy Review
- 1975: A dozen large eggs (national average)USDA ERS
- 1975: A Pet RockMental Floss · Newsweek · Wikipedia
- 1977: An Apple II home computerComputer History Museum
- 1981: A gallon of unleaded gas (national average)EIA Annual Energy Review
- 1981: The original IBM Personal ComputerIBM · UPI Archives
- 1983: A Cabbage Patch Kids dollTIME · Wikipedia
- 1984: The original Apple MacintoshComputer History Museum · AppleInsider
- 1986: A brand-new Hyundai Excel (base price)TIME · Motor Authority
- 1989: A Nintendo Game Boy, Tetris includedPBS NewsHour
- 1995: A Sony PlayStationWikipedia · Wikipedia (2)
- 1995: Mailing a letter: one first-class stampUSPS Historian
- 1995: A movie ticket (national average)Illinois State Treasurer
- 1998: A gallon of unleaded gas (national average)EIA Annual Energy Review
- 2000: A gallon of whole milk (national average)BLS Average Price Data · Bureau of Labor Statistics data
- 2001: The very first iPodApple Newsroom
- 2001: A Microsoft XboxMicrosoft · Microsoft (2)
- 2002: Mailing a letter: one first-class stampUSPS Historian
- 2002: A movie ticket (national average)Illinois State Treasurer