Picture Vernon: When Coffee Prices Were 'Down'

VERNON, CT — A bag of coffee for less than one buck? That's the subject of the latest entry in the Picture Vernon series.

The prices are reflected in a coffee collage from an old advertisement in the Vernon Historical Society archives. The good stuff went for less than a dollar for a 1-pound bag and a jar of instant was a mere 43 cents.

Large tubs of coffee around Vernon can go anywhere from $4.99 for discount store brands to about $10 for premium name brands.

Orange juice was popular in 6-ounce cans back then and a pair went for just more than a quarter. Oh, and something called a plum pie cost just 39 cents.

Check out the prices:

A pre-1970s grocery advertisement. (Vernon Historical Society)

The ad likely pre-dates the early 1970s, when First National became Finast. By 1993, Dutch owner Royal Ahold had converted all the Finast stores into the Edwards brand, according to a company history.

____

Picture Vernon is a periodic look at images of the town, past and present.