For an idea of how much groceries cost during the Depression, this ad appeared 85 years ago today in the August 11, 1936, issue of the Pittsburgh Press.

The prices look like bargains, but for many, cash was scarce, and there’s been a lot of inflation since then. According to this inflation calculator, a dollar in 1936 is the equivalent of $19.55 today. So a pound of coffee or a pound of wieners sounds like a bargain for a quarter, but that’s almost $5 per pound in today’s money.

The ham patties sound good, and I’d probably be convinced to hand over a silver quarter and a silver dime to get a pound. And they were appropriate for breakfast, luncheon, or dinner, so you can’t really go wrong. But if that was too expensive, the fresh sea trout was only a dime a pound. As with anything, it “would be priced higher if it were not as plentiful as it is.”