While it’s been a bit more than a few years… I can still remember that old Coke machine. On a hot summer day we made it a regular routine to walk around and pick up soda bottles. For everyone not old enough to know, or too old to remember, all soda bottles where heavy glass bottles and were reused over and over again… thus the deposit. Each bottle had a 2¢ deposit on it when the soda was bought. Times were a bit different then… okay… a lot different then. Most adults weren’t worried about the 2¢ deposit, especially when riding around in their car… so they just would just throw out the bottle to the side of the road. The social conscience was different then too… but they also knew that someone would pick up those bottle and return them for the deposit. Now 2¢ doesn’t seem like a lot of money… but it was summertime, we were out of school… and this was a good way to get what you wanted since the weekly allowance didn’t go very far… plus collecting bottles in the wagon was easier than doing the chores around the house for the allowance. So off we went. It usually didn’t take long and we would find the six bottles needed to get the 12¢ we wanted. You see 12¢ … at least back then, could get you a Coke and a candy bar! The Cokes came in a 6½ ounce bottle and only cost 5¢… the candy bars were only a nickel too. The extra 2¢ of the 12 … well that was for the deposit on the Coke we bought so we could leave with the bottle we were drinking… along with a favorite candy bar. Yep… 12¢ back than was like finding a little bit of treasure just lying on the ground… or should I say a little bit of pleasure… Coke and Candy… it’s what summer vacation was made of. By today’s standard and costs, it would be the equivalent of picking up $2 off the ground ( or if you are at Disney, about $5 off the ground) … and who wouldn’t do that. So here’s a picture of my old favorite buddy… just pit in a nickel, push down on the lever, open the door, and pull out a ice cold Coke… ahhh!
Life was simple…
Life was sweet…
Yep… lots of things have changed.
Cokes are now $1… not 5¢
Candy Bars are $1 … not 5¢
A loaf of bread was 12¢
A gallon of gas was 28¢
and you could get a whole house and furnish it
for less than the price of a cheep car today.
