MKIV original price?

[Northern Eel]

Sorry if this has been answered or mentioned before, but I was wondering if anyone knew
How much the MKIV Carp rod sold for back in the fifties? & how much that was in real money?

Obviously there were a few versions, so in particular I was wondering what you would have paid for a 1956/57 model.

[TraditionalAngling]

Copy of a B.James & Son Price List of that era

[AshbyCut]

According to the Bank of England Inflation Calculator ... £10 in 1955 would be the equivalent of £222.18p today.

[Northern Eel]

Thanks

[StalkingLuke]

According to the Bank of England Inflation Calculator ... £10 in 1955 would be the equivalent of £222.18p today.

Imagine trying to hand build one nowadays to that price!

[Northern Eel]

Looking at average wages back then, £10 would be around a months wage in 1956
So that's the equivalent of paying about £2000 today based on average UK wage 2013

[AshbyCut]

Just out of interest ... the FT says that the average annual wage for 1955 was £729.31p., so as a percentage of that the rod would be 1.37%.

The Telegraph says that the average salary in 2011 was £26,871.00, so at 1.37% the rod would have cost £368.13 two years ago.

[Northern Eel]

Just out of interest ... the FT says that the average annual wage for 1955 was £729.31p., so as a percentage of that the rod would be 1.37%.

The Telegraph says that the average salary in 2011 was £26,871.00, so at 1.37% the rod would have cost £368.13 two years ago.

I was we'll out then. Lol

I read the average wage was just over £100 a year, must have misread it,
I stand corrected.

[Julian]

Just out of interest ... the FT says that the average annual wage for 1955 was £729.31p., so as a percentage of that the rod would be 1.37%.

The Telegraph says that the average salary in 2011 was £26,871.00, so at 1.37% the rod would have cost £368.13 two years ago.

I find it hard to believe that the 'average' wage in 1955 was £729 a year - or £14 per week. Problem is it depends on the definition of 'average' in the calculation at the time.
Based on when I started work in 1972 and knowing what my father was earning in the mid to late 1960's I would have expected the average wage in mid 50's to be somewhere between £5 and £10 per week at most, whereas now it is around £500 to £600 per week depending how it is calculated.
If my assumptions are correct that would mean a MKIV then cost typically between one and two weeks wages, and now one to two weeks wages would be around £1000 - which is roughly what you might expect to pay for a brand new MKIV made today.

[Julian]

The FT also quotes the average wage in 2009 as being £37500 ????
I think their 'average' is way too high -maybe its based on their readers salaries: