What 13 Things Cost in the 1980s vs. Today

In 1985 a cellphone was the size of a brick, an eagle could perch on a woman's shoulder pads, and Bruce Springsteen's tour took in enough money to repave Highway 9. And though you might get nostalgic for your grocery bill of 35 years ago, not everything was a bargain at the midpoint of the 1980s, especially when you factor in inflation. Curious to know what things cost in the year that Back to the Future was the top-grossing movie? Strap in to our time machine and take a trip back to the decade of greed and excess.

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Cabbage Patch Kids

Brawls over Cabbage Patch Kids broke out during Christmas in 1983, and the fervor was still alive in 1985. Parents shelled out $25 in “adoption fees” for the individualized dolls from Coleco — an amount equal to nearly $60 today. But inflation has been mild in the cabbage patch for the past 35 years: You can pick up a new one for just $40.

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First-class stamp

At the start of 1985, you could send a letter across the country, courtesy of the U.S. Postal Service, for just 20 cents. (The price rose to 22 cents in February of that year.) A first-class stamp is 55 cents today — just a penny more than the price of one in 1985 after inflation.

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Movie ticket

The average price of seeing a flick was $3.55 in 1985, not including popcorn and soda. Today? It's $9.16, well above the inflation-adjusted 1985 price of $8.65. On the other hand, you can now get reclining leather seats, beer and more or less edible pizza in the theater, too.

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Record album

A weekend just wasn't one in 1985 without a trip to the record store, where you could pick up an LP for an average of $5.97, or $14.54 in today's money. In retrospect, you got a bargain, because vinyl is back in vogue. A copy of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon will set you back $26.33 at Amazon.com.

Sony Walkman

Invented in 1979, the Walkman allowed people to listen to music of their choice while walking, running or ignoring other people on the subway. In 1985 a Walkman cost between $69 and $99, which translates to between $168 and $241 in today's dollars. While Sony doesn't make the old-style cassette versions anymore, you can buy a digital version for $220.

Tom Petty performs onstage in 1980 concert at the Civic Auditorium in Santa Cruz, California.

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Concert ticket

Album sales were one of the main sources of income for performers in 1985, and concerts were relatively cheap — an average of $15.13, or $36.85 in today's cash. Today most bands get a pittance from streaming music and make their money on the road. The average concert ticket for a big-name act costs $91.86.