Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Inflation

When I was a kid, I used to listen to my parents and grandparents whinge and moan about inflation.

"I can't believe what a loaf of bread costs these days."

"Why, when I was young, you could have a big day at the movies on a quarter."

"We used to buy nickel hot dogs and dime hamburgers."

Yeah, right. I figured they were having senile fantasies.

Today I needed six buttons, so I went through my button stash. I
have several styles still on cards that I'd bought over the years as well as about lebenty-billion loose buttons, but none that were precisely what I wanted. No problem. A quick trip to JoAnn's and a couple bucks should solve my dilemma.

NOT!

Do you know how much buttons cost?!?!? Buttons that are little pieces of plastic?
I just spent $10.29, before taxes, on buttons for two projects. That's obscene!

That's inflation.

5 comments:

Iron Needles said...

Yep. And if I want really cool, fancy schmancy buttons...well...just get out of town. It is only emphasized when I check my button stash, that dates back to the dark ages before I go shopping. I find the cards from TG&Y with the prices on them. Gasp! 19 cents?

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

I'd happily pay $2.29 for daisy buttons! :D

Wunx~ said...

Aren't those daisy buttons the absolute cutest? They're for a doll cardigan -- I don't usually do cute, but sometimes it's mandatory.

bioephemera said...

Back when my mom was still making craft projects, I scoured thrift stores for button jars accumulated by thrifty grandmothers. Even if I had to pay $10 to $15, they were well worth it because new buttons would have cost more! These old jars were full of real shell, glass, and leather buttons, plus the occasional crazy 1960s psychedelic swirls and spirals. Too much fun to go through them, and too bizarre that they were cheaper than new plastic ones. . .

bioephemera said...

PS! Just found this for you:

http://tinyurl.com/d29tr6