What did it cost in the 70s, 80s and 90s?

46 prices, each read on the scan and linked to its page, with today’s dollars beside it.

Page 444 of the 1979 Sears Christmas Wish Book. Guess what Sears asked for the Hot Pipes skates. The answer is under the picture.

A Hot Pipes skate in blue nylon, red laces and clear red wheels. The small box on the photo says “On this page . . . Sidewalk Skates”. Sears Christmas Wish Book, 1979, page 444.

The page sold them to boys or girls as “the new athletic-shoe look”, each plastic wheel on 24 loose ball bearings. Boys ordered their shoe size, and girls went by a chart on the page.

Show the answer

$19.⁹⁵

or 80 quarters with a nickel back.

In the 1979 Sears Christmas Wish Book, Hot Pipes Sport Skates were $19.95 (p. 444, scan linked). About $93 in September 2026 dollars.

The page’s own words for Hot Pipes Sport Skates, with the price. Sears Christmas Wish Book, 1979, page 444.

Each row is one price as its page printed it, read on the scan and linked. It’s what that page asked that year, not the only price anywhere.

1974

• 
  ZEE toilet tissue, 4-roll cartonAd: JRB, The Hamlin Herald, Hamlin, Texas, Jan 10, 1974, via Internet Archive
  39¢ about $2.67

1975

• 
  Bean bag chairScan: 1975 Sears Christmas Wish Book, p. 518, via Internet Archive
  $11.94 about $75
• 
  Bike speedometer, odometer and tachometerScan: 1975 Sears Christmas Wish Book, p. 424, via Internet Archive
  $8.99 about $56
• 
  Kenmore 550-watt microwave with cart and browning dishScan: 1975 Sears Christmas Wish Book, p. 282, via Internet Archive
  $299.95 about $1,880
• 
  Pachinko machineScan: 1975 Sears Christmas Wish Book, pp. 604-605, via Internet Archive
  $46.88 about $294

1976

• 
  Big Wheel by MarxAd: JCPenney, Progress Bulletin, Pomona, Calif., Nov 25, 1976, via Internet Archive
  $12.99 about $77
• 
  Clairol Kindness 3-Way HairsetterScan: Service Merchandise Spring and Summer Supplement, 1976, p. 86, via Internet ArchiveThe price is the last four digits of the catalog number. The $35.49 printed beside it is a reference price.
  $20.84 about $123
• 
  Corelle 20-piece set, Butterfly GoldScan: Service Merchandise Spring and Summer Supplement, 1976, p. 101, via Internet ArchiveThe price is the last four digits of the catalog number. The $34.95 printed beside it is a reference price.
  $23.86 about $141
• 
  Girls’ 20-inch Picnic bike, in cartonAd: JCPenney, Progress Bulletin, Pomona, Calif., Nov 25, 1976, via Internet Archive
  $49.99 about $296
• 
  Kenner Real Easy-Bake OvenAd: Belscot, The Herald-Palladium, Benton Harbor, Mich., Nov 24, 1976, via Internet Archive
  $12.88 about $76
• 
  Regal 4- to 8-cup Poly Perk percolatorScan: 1976 JCPenney Christmas Wishbook, p. 267, via Internet Archive
  $7.79 about $46

1977

• 
  Brut After Shave Crème Lotion, 3.2 oz.Scan: 1977 Sears Christmas Wish Book, pp. 278-279, via Internet Archive
  $5.00 about $28
• 
  Roller Derby Fireball shoe skatesScan: 1977 Sears Christmas Wish Book, p. 396, via Internet Archive
  $12.95 about $72
• Sears Tele-Games Video Arcade1977 Sears Christmas Wish Book, p. 2, via Internet Archive
  $178.95 about $995
• 
  Yellow “Secretary” toy typewriterScan: 1977 Sears Christmas Wish Book, p. 505, via Internet Archive
  $18.99 about $106

1979

• 
  Speak & SpellScan: 1979 Sears Christmas Wish Book, p. 657, via Internet Archive
  $58.99 about $274

1982

• Timex Sinclair 1000 computer, suggested retailAd: Creative Computing, December 1982, via Internet Archive
  $99.95 about $349

1983

• 
  Monogrammed leg warmers, one pair boxedScan: 1983 Sears Christmas Wish Book, p. 92, via Internet Archive
  $6.00 about $20
• 
  Smoke Trapper ash trayScan: 1983 Sears Christmas Wish Book, p. 9, via Internet Archive
  $16.99 about $57

1984

• Boys’ red jacket1984 Sears Christmas Wish Book, p. 236, via Internet Archive
  $34.99 about $113
• 
  Pretty Hair Care OrganizerScan: 1984 Sears Christmas Book, p. 132, via Internet Archive
  $12.99 about $42
• Tandy 2000 system, starting priceAd: Tandy Corporation, Byte, November 1984, via Internet Archive
  $2,999 about $9,730

1985

• Gone With the Wind on videoTV Guide, March 2-8, 1985, p. 23, via Internet Archive
  $89.95 about $282

1986

• 
  Nintendo Control Deck with Super Mario Bros.Scan: 1986 Sears Christmas Wish Book, p. 523, via Internet Archive
  $89.99 about $277
• R.O.B., the plug-in robot1986 Sears Christmas Wish Book, p. 523, via Internet Archive
  $44.99 about $138
• Teen Wolf on videoTV Guide, January 25-31, 1986, p. 31, via Internet Archive
  $79.95 about $246

1988

• Nintendo Action Set1988 Sears Christmas Wish Book, p. 441, via Internet Archive
  $99.99 about $285
• 
  Vidal Sassoon crimping ironScan: 1988 Sears Christmas Wish Book, p. 530, via Internet Archive
  $12.99 about $37

1989

• 
  Dustbuster Plus cordless vacScan: 1989 Sears Christmas Wish Book, p. 580, via Internet Archive
  $29.97 about $81
• 
  Kids’ plastic phonographScan: 1989 Sears Christmas Wish Book, pp. 388-389, via Internet Archive
  $54.77 about $149

1990

• Dick Tracy on videoTV Guide, December 22-28, 1990, p. 4, via Internet Archive
  $92.95 about $240
• 
  Game BoyScan: 1990 JCPenney Christmas Catalog, p. 450, via Internet Archive
  $89.99 about $232
• The New World of Teddy Ruxpin1990 JCPenney Christmas Wishbook, p. 408, via Internet Archive
  $39.99 about $103

1991

• 
  Super Nintendo with Super Mario WorldScan: 1991 Sears Christmas Wish Book, pp. 514-515, via Internet Archive
  $199.95 about $495
• 
  Zetra 303 in-line skates by RollerbladeScan: 1991 Sears Christmas Wish Book, p. 559, via Internet Archive
  $139.99 about $346

1994

• 
  BeDazzler Stud and Rhinestone Setting MachineScan: 1994 JCPenney Christmas Wishbook, p. 576, via Internet Archive
  $10.99 about $25
• 
  County Line wall phoneScan: 1994 JCPenney Christmas Wishbook, p. 475, via Internet Archive
  $79.99 about $182
• Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Accel coffee maker1994 JCPenney Christmas Wishbook, p. 422, via Internet Archive
  $49.99 about $114

1995

• 
  Caller ID System 40Scan: 1995 Radio Shack catalog, p. 13, via Internet Archive
  $39.99 about $88

1996

• “The Rudolph, Frosty & Friends Sing Along” on VHS, at the post officeBillboard, November 23, 1996, p. 6, via World Radio History
  $4.99 about $11
• 
  Candlestick phoneScan: 1996 JCPenney Christmas Catalog, p. 442, via Internet Archive
  $119.99 about $258
• 
  Kenner Easy-Bake oven and snack centerScan: 1996 JCPenney Christmas Wishbook, p. 518, via Internet Archive
  $19.99 about $43
• Tickle Me Elmo1996 JCPenney Christmas Wishbook, p. 514, via Internet Archive
  $27.99 about $60
• Toy Story on videoBillboard, November 23, 1996, p. 78, via World Radio History
  $26.99 about $58
• 
  Windmere soft bonnet hair dryerScan: 1996 JCPenney Christmas Wishbook, p. 404, via Internet Archive
  $29.99 about $64

Where the numbers came from

Today’s dollars are our calculation from BLS CPI-U, series CUUR0000SA0: the price as printed, times the index for the latest month, divided by that year’s annual average, rounded. September 2026 is the latest month on the page now, and every figure moves when BLS publishes a new one. Each price was read on the scan, and the link in its row goes to that page. The BLS series.

The page grows. Each week’s Price Tag lands here after its answer has run, so nothing on this page spoils a guess.

Today’s dollars: our calculation from BLS CPI-U, retrieved November 6, 2026. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.