These numbers mean little as people still had the same percentage of disposable income back then as well..probably a little higher!
So while a NES might have been $200, a gallon of gas was only $0.93, yes Ninety-Three cents!
Here's some stats from 1986 (when NES was on sale for $200)
Median Household Income: $24,897.00 (2074 a month Pre Tax)
Cost of a new home: $89,430 or ($785 Month with interest)
Cost of a gallon of regular gas: $0.93
Cost of a dozen eggs: $0.87
Cost of a gallon of Milk: $2.22
Likewise, this is the data I could find for 2012
Median Household Income: $55,030 (4,585 a Month pre tax)
Cost of a new home: $236,000 or (1,154 Month with interest)
Cost of a gallon of regular gas: $3.50
Cost of a dozen eggs: $1.61
Cost of a Gallon of Milk: $3.36
Back in the late 80's is when dual incomes started to happen, as such other expenses are common now that offset that additional income. Instead of 1 vehicle, now their is 2; along with double the cost of insurance (that I can't even find reliable data on) and double the amount of gas consumed,
Also lets not forget the new costs we have today, Internet, Cellphones, Netflix/Hulu/Prime that didn't exist back then.
It might seem that with the cost of inflation consoles were expensive, this is just what people want you to believe. Fact is we still have the same percentage of income left after expenses as we did in the 80's, 90's etc etc.
2012 Monthly Expenses
Food $604
Cable/Sat/Internet = $145
Cellphone x 2 = $135
Car Payments 2 x $300 = 600
Car Insurance for 2 Vehicles $155
30 Gallons of Gas x 2 Vehicles per month = $210
Mortgage = $1,154
Total without heat, electric etc = $3,003 (income after = $1582) or (34% of income)
1986 Monthly Expenses
Food $326
Cable $36 (most still had OTA unlike now)
Cellphone replaced with land line = $15.25
Car Payment x 1 = $132
Car Insurance x 1 = $43
30 Gallons of Gas x 1 Vehicle per month = $26.10
Mortgage = $785
Total without heat, electric etc = $1363 (income after = $711) or (34% of income)
Different times back then, we think $200 for a console now is cheap because most of us spend more than that on Gas for our car a month. Yet, back then 1 months worth of gas couldn't buy you a single GAME! Now a months worth of gas can buy you 3!
The real kicker!! That $50k figure above for median income..well that is skewed because now more than any other time in our history a large gap exists between the super wealthy and the poor. So for every multi-millionaire their are 200-300 people only making about 15k-25k a year! Throw those figures into the mix and normal Norman doesn't have 34% of his income left..he's got less than 12%!
Probably more in depth then anyone cares to read..but whatever.
