Prices (OWTD)
Contents
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, 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 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
- Flammable: when heated in closed container, an air/ether mixture
will explode for 1d damage.
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 Wheelbarrow, steel, for miners 80 lbs. $6.00
- In some places, at some times, possession of wirecutters was considered proof of intent to cut fences…a hanging offense.
Transport, Travel, and Communications
Transportation
(For animals, see Critters, 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
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
