Prices (OWTD)

Entertainment and Outdoor Life

Entertainment

Banjo 12 lbs. $12.50

Bible 2 lbs. $5.00

Bordello, “boarding” (overnight stay) $30.00

Castanets negligible $.45

Circus, ticket $.50

Concertina 6 lbs. $8.00

Dance hall, one dance ticket $.50

Dance hall, “quick date” $5.00

Deck of marked cards, mail order (+2 to Gambling skill) negligible $1.25

Deck of regular cards negligible $.17

Dice negligible $.25

Fancy bordello, “boarding” (also needs letter of introduction) $50.00-$100.00

Guitar 10 lbs. $8.20

Harmonica negligible $.50

Jew’s harp negligible $.15

Musical production, ticket $.50

Newspaper negligible $.01

Novel, paperback negligible $.10

Piano, upright 800 lbs. $100.00

Poker chips, 1000 1 lb. $2.75

Stage play, ticket $1.00

Trombone 5 lbs. $9.00

Trumpet (cornet) 4 lbs. $11.00

Violin (fiddle) 4 lbs. $9.50

Wild West show, ticket $.50

Outdoor Life

(For weapons, see Weapon Table, Old West pp. 88-90.)

Ammunition, .22 metal cartridge (100) 2 lbs. $1.40

Ammunition, .32-.38 metal cart. (100) 4 lbs. $2.50

Ammunition, .41-.45 metal cart. (100) 6.5 lbs. $3.25

Ammunition, .59-.90 (100) 6.5 lbs. $4.75

Ammunition, lead balls 5 lbs. $.35

Ammunition, black powder 1 lbs. $.50

Bed roll 10 lbs. $4.00

Binoculars, 5´ (1850) 2.5 lbs. $15.00

Binoculars, 10´ (1850) 3 lbs. $25.00

Canteen 1 lbs. $0.50

Compass negligible $2.00

Gun cleaning kit 1 lbs. $1.50

Oil for lamps, etc. (1 gallon) 8 lbs. $.10

Oil lamp 4 lbs. $1.50

Percussion caps (100) negligible $.60

Scabbard, rifle 2 lbs. $2.50

Telescope, range 14 miles 3 lbs. $15.00

Tent, miner’s (for one) 30 lbs. $6.00

Tin plate, cup, fork, spoon set for one 1 lbs. $.30

Trail cook’s kit (fry pan, stew pot, coffee pot, etc.) 80 lbs. $3.00

Trap w/chain, 5” jaw (mink) 2.5 lbs. $.25

Trap w/chain, 6.5” jaw (beaver) 3 lbs. $.39

Trap w/chain, 8” jaw (wolf) 9 lbs. $1.85

Trap w/chain, 16” jaw (bear) 17 lbs. $11.75

Everyday Necessities

Clothing and Personal Items

Bandana negligible $.10

Boots, military or cowboy 3.5 lbs. $5.00

Boots, custom made 3.5 lbs. $25.00

Buckskin shirt 3 lbs. $2.00

Buckskin trousers 3 lbs. $1.75

Buffalo robe 40 lbs. $10.00

Candles, wax (1 dozen) 1 lbs. $.10

Cap, broadcloth negligible $.50

Cartridge belt (holds 50 rounds) 2 lbs. $1.00

Chaps 6.5 lbs. $4.50

Cigar, cheroot negligible $.05

Cigar, “the kind Buffalo Bill smokes” negligible 2 for $.25

Dress 4 lbs. $1.50

Hat, derby 0.5 lbs. $2.00

Hat, cowboy 1 lbs. $3.00

Hat, Stetson 1 lbs. $20.00

Hat, lady’s feathered 1 lb. $4.00

Hat, sombrero 0.5 lbs. $3.50

Holster 0.25 lbs. $1.00

Holster, Hollywood 0.25 lbs. $5.00

Holster, shoulder 0.5 lbs. $1.50

Holster, swivel 0.25 lbs. $3.75

Knife, pocket negligible $.50

Matches, safety (1855) (box of 240) negligible $.10

Mirror, brush, comb set 2 lbs. $3.00

Overcoat, cloth 10 lbs. $8.00

Overcoat, fur 20 lbs. $15.00

Razor, straight negligible $1.25

Shirt negligible $.50

Shoes, men’s or women’s 2 lbs. $3.50

Slicker (yellow) 4.5 lbs. $4.00

Soap, cake negligible $.03

Socks, 1 pair negligible $.01

Suit, man’s or woman’s 6 lbs. $12.00

Tobacco (1 oz.) (smoking, snuff, or chewing) negligible $.10

Travel trunk 25 lbs. $5.00

Spurs, plain negligible $0.50

Spurs, fancy negligible $10.00

Trousers 3 lbs. $1.50

Watch, pocket with chain negligible $4.00

Union suit 1.5 lbs. $.75

Food

Bacon, side 40 lbs. $.10

Beer, glass $.05

Beer, small keg 10 lbs. $2.00

Chewing gum, 100 pieces 5 lbs. $.25

Chocolate, 8 oz. tin 0.5 lbs. $.10

Coffee, 2 lb. tin 2 lbs. $.50

Corned beef 100 lbs. $5.75

Crackers 25 lbs. $1.50

Flour, sack 50 lbs. $4.00

Meal, average $.25

Meal, good $.75

Meal, train $1.50

Oatmeal, sack 50 lbs. $4.00

Rations (salt meat, flour, beans for 1 week) 10 lbs. $1.00

Sugar, 1 lb. 1 lbs. $.10

Tea, 6 oz. tin 6 oz. $.50

Whiskey, shot $.10

Whiskey, bottle 3 lbs. $1.25

Housing and Services

Bath $.50

Bath (clean water) $1.00

Hotel, poor (per night) $.25

Hotel, average (per night) $.75

Hotel, good (per night) $2.00

Hotel, high falutin’ (per night) $6.00

Room (per week) $1.00

Room and board (per week) $2.50

Shave and haircut $0.25

Stable, overnight, for man or beast (per night) $.25

Homesteading

Household Items

Bedroom set 275 lbs. $21.00

Cook stove 300 lbs. $40.00

Cookware set 80 lbs. $3.00

Dining room set 400 lbs. $50.00

Dishes, setting for six 80 lbs. $12.00

Glassware, setting for six 40 lbs. $8.00

Oil lamp, fancy parlor type 10 lbs. $1.50

Parlor suite (couch, 4-5 chairs) 325 lbs. $40.00

Sewing machine (1851) 50 lbs. $25.00

Silverware, setting for six 4 lbs. $5.00

Land

Homestead (160 acres; land must be worked for five consecutive years) $10

Townsite (320 acres; could be subdivided into 450 lots, 125 ft. deep ´ 25 ft. wide) (Founders’ price) $400

Townsite, quarter (80 acres) (Founders’ price) $100

Town lot (poor location) $50

Town lot (Main Street location) $400

Town lot (choice location) $1,000

Tools and Professional Equipment

Business Supplies

Cash box with lock 2 lbs. $.60

Envelopes (1 dozen) negligible $.05

Paper (100 sheets) negligible $.25

Pen, fountain negligible $2.50

Pen, quill negligible $.05

Pencil (1 dozen) negligible $.10

Postcard negligible $.01

Printing press, small 50 lbs. $45.00

Steel safe (inside 12” ´ 8” ´ 9”; outside 24” ´ 15” ´ 15”) 300 lbs. $13.25

Steel safe (inside 28” ´ 21” ´ 18”; outside 47” ´ 32” ´ 30”) 2,100 lbs. $82.50

Typewriter (1867) 20 lbs. $34.00

Medical Equipment

Doctor’s bag with instruments 15 lbs. $25.00

Ether* (1844), anesthetic negligible $.25/dose (Flammable: when heated in closed container, an air/ether mixture, will explode for 1d damage.)

Eyeglasses negligible $2.00

Laudanum, for pain 4 oz. $.35

Nitrous oxide, “laughing gas” negligible $.25/dose

Quinine (1803), for malarial fever 4 oz. $.50

Veterinary bag with instruments 20 lbs. $22.00

Wondercure (pint) 1 lbs. $2.00

Tools

Anvil 80 lbs. $15.00

Axe 6 lbs. $1.00

Barbed wire (50 yds.) (1868) 20 lbs. $1.00

Blacksmith’s tool set (bellows, hammer, tongs, etc.) 100 lbs. $15.00

Blasting caps (1 dozen) negligible $.50

Carpenter’s tool set (level, plane, saw, square, etc.) 30 lbs. $21.00

Dynamite, black market (1866-1872) .5 lbs. $1.00/stick

Dynamite, legal (1872) .5 lbs. $.25/stick

Electronic detonator (1870) 1 lbs. $5.00

Fuse (per yard) negligible $.05

Handsaw 2 lbs. $1.50

Hammer 2 lbs. $.50

Lantern 2 lbs. $.80

Nitroglycerine (1846) 1 oz. $.50

Ore car 150 lbs. $15.00

Pan .5 lbs. $.10

Pick 6 lbs. $.75

Plow (horse-drawn) 80 lbs. $6.50

Rope (per yard) negligible $.05

Scales 10 lbs. $3.00

Shovel 6 lbs. $.50

Wirecutters 2 lbs. $2.50 (In some places, at some times, possession of wirecutters was considered proof of intent to cut fences…a hanging offense.)

Wheelbarrow, steel, for miners 80 lbs. $6.00

Transport, Travel, and Communications

Transportation

(For animals, see Critters, Old West pp. 117-121.)

Buggy (capacity 2 people, 500 lbs.) 380 lbs. $40.00

Surrey (capacity 4 people, 800 lbs.) 500 lbs. $90.00

Canoe 90 lbs. $10.00

Consolidation locomotive 57 tons $9,750.00

Flatboat 4 tons $1.50/ft

Harness (single) 15 lbs. $10.00

Harness (team, per 2 horses) 40 lbs. $25.00

Keelboat 6 tons $3.00/ft

Pullman car 20 tons $20,000.00

Quirt (Spanish riding whip) negligible $1.25

Saddle and bridle, fancy (cowboys) 25 lbs. $60.00

Saddle and bridle, plain 20 lbs. $27.50

Saddlebags and saddle blanket 10 lbs. $8.25

Stagecoach (not including six horses) 2,500 lbs. $1,500.00

Steamboat 60 tons $100,000.00

Wagon, light (capacity 1,200 lbs.) 500 lbs. $30.00

Wagon, heavy (capacity 4,500 lbs.) 1,085 lbs. $40.00

Travel Fares

Ship: N.Y. to San Francisco (1848), around Cape Horn (168 days) $80.00

Ship: N.Y. to San Francisco (1848), across Panama (70-90 days; scalper’s prices) $200.00

Stagecoach: Local (per mile) $.15

Stagecoach: Express (per 50 miles) $3.00

Stagecoach: St. Louis to San Francisco (25 days) $200

Steamboat: St. Louis to Fort Benton $300

Train: Omaha to Sacramento, 1st class, express $100

Train: Omaha to Sacramento, 2nd class, express $75

Mail

Letter, by mail (1861-1883) $.03/half oz.

Letter, by mail (1884) $.02/oz.

Letter, by Pony Express (1860; per half-ounce) $5.00

Letter, by Pony Express (1861; per half-ounce) $1.00

Package, by mail (1870) $.01/oz.

Package, Overland Express (1859; up to 20 lbs.) $.10/lb.

Package, rail freight (1870; over 100 lbs.) $.08/lb.

Telegram $.50/word

Bounties

Billy the Kid (1880) $500

James, Frank (1876) $15,000

James, Jesse (1870) $500

James, Jesse (1882) $10,000

Starr, Sam and Belle (1885) $10,000

Typical bank robber $100-$1,000

Typical stagecoach robber $50-$100

Typical train robber $100-$500

Army deserter $30 ($100 after 1885)

Scalp, male Indian $100

Scalp, female Indian $50

Scalp, Indian child $25