I'm not sure about harmonicas in particular, but you might be able to reverse engineer it using current prices and one of those online inflation calculators.
Of course, who's to say how close to the general inflation rate harmonicas trend. According to this one and my admittedly unscientific method something that cost $5.25 in 1968 would cost $32.53 today.
1- In 1955, A "Hoosier Boy" deluxe harmonica (the one with the colored coverplates, not the plain ones) sold for $2.25. It's basically a Marine Band (made by Hohner) with different coverplates. Maybe a "real" Marine Band sold for a few cents more at the time?
2- There's a MadCat Ruth video around of an interview he did. In it he spoke about taking lessons from Big Walter Horton. I think he paid $10 per lesson (not sure) but I am sure he said that whatever it was he paid was equivalent to the cost of three Marine Band harmonicas at the time.
I hope that's helpful.
If we are taking bets, I wager that the correct answer is 1970. That's just off the top of my head for bragging rights if I am correct...
Edit: Here's the video. MadCat Ruth celebrated his 60th in 2011, so that would put this anecdote around 1968?
Ill be the dumb guy everyone laughs at during the bid... ahem...1969!!! ---------- Kyzer's Travels Kyzer's Artwork "Music in the soul can be heard by the universe." - Lao Tzu
I wonder if one of our Hohner insiders might have access to historical documents that might illuminate the subject. Actually, I know I've seen some old PopSci advertisements for harps. I wonder if some Googling of old harmonica adds would yield results.
Of course, now that I have an idea where I can find this information and this question in my head I'm going to have to Google it instead of going to bed.
"No Longer A Loner, He's Got a Hohner!"
---------- Nate Facebook Thread Organizer (A list of all sorts of useful threads)
Last Edited by on Sep 14, 2011 11:00 PM
@ eebadeeb They must have been just getting rid of there harps. Retail price was not $3.50 in the 70's. 1960 was about $3.50. It depends on where you buy it? I have some harps that were sold in Alaska in the 60's that were maked $4.75. Then marked $5.25 at a latter date. I think the 68' 70' range is very close.
I'd guess around 1978-79. I purchased about 15 back then because I knew someone who worked in a music store. I still have half of them, unused, in the original old hinged cardboard boxes they came in. I switched to special 20's about then.
Last Edited by on Sep 15, 2011 7:06 AM
First decent harp I bought was a MB1896 in C when I was a junior in high school. (ca. 2001) It cost me 20 bucks even. And that was in a retail store and not online. Now most of my local stores charge double that today for the same harp. Crazy what ten years will do. ---------- Hawkeye Kane
Whenever I went to NYC during the 70's, and went to Manny's on West 48th Street, including both NY state as well as NYC sales tax, the price was $3.54. The list price at the time was $5.95. My mom remembered buying them in stores for 25 cents apiece brand new back in the 30's and 40's. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
I have a MB that my dad gave me a few years back. Said he had bought it in the early to mid 70's, and just never took to playing it. Anyway... the price on the bottom of the box is 9.95. Don't know if this is helpful or not, but for what it's worth, that's all I know about it.
@pharpo I actually bought a blues harp in 73 and later marine bands I think your memory is right on I have a sp20 I bought in the 80s that still has the price sticker on it @13.25
