PHOTOS: "Mad Men" era advertisements
What if we adjusted Draper's spending habits for inflation, or tried to buy the same sorts of things using 2012 dollars? The finance experts at Credit Sesame did just that, and it's a bit of an eye opener.
Draper's sleek Cadillac Coup de Ville would have cost about $5,385 in 1962. Looking to buy a Caddy today? It would cost anywhere from #38,715 to $55,030. Filling up the tank would have cost 31 cents per gallon in 1962, which is about $2.33 per gallon in today's dollars -- a bargain compared to the average price we pay now (about $3.81 per gallon).
Personalized pen sets were a quick way to achieve corporate chic back in the 1960s, and at only $4.98 it seems like a bargain -- until you adjust for inflation and find that, $4.98 in 1960 is equal to $76.58 today (a brand new, made-in-2012 set would set you back about $11). Having the secretary pick up the dry cleaning would set him back about $1.50 per suit. That's about $11.26 in today's dollars -- more expensive than what dry cleaning really costs nowadays (about $9.50 for a men's suit).
Bad habits cost money, too. Lucky Strikes (about 35 nets per pack) and hotel rooms for illicit activities ($10 per night) cost a lot less in 1962 than they do now. In 2012, a pack of Lucky Strikes costs about $11 in Manhattan, and a hotel room is $415 per night (if you're lucky).
What else has changed, price-wise, since the 1960s? Take a look at the rest of the stats in this cool graphic.
Copyright © 2012 Yahoo Inc.
Also on Shine:
"Mad Men" era advertisements
How to throw a 1960s-style "Mad Men" party
"Mad Men" in real life: Jane Maas on What Madison Avenue was like for a woman in the 1960s
