Monday, April 13, 2009


Letter N Monday





N is For Nickel



Yes, the infamous nickel coke! Here's a little gem from my past.

I used to split a nickel coke with my girlfriend on the way to confession at St. Anne's in Cranston RI, every Saturday morning. One Saturday we decided to go to confession at St. Mary's, which was next door to St. Anne's. They were both Catholic churches, but St. Mary's was so much more ornate.... so what could be the harm? How about the fact that the priests at St. Mary's spoke Italian only. Yeah, that was a fun experience for two seven year old kids. St. Mary's was a beautiful church, but it served the predominantly Italian community.



Of course there was cup of coffee for a nickel. I remember my Aunt from MA visiting us in CA. She was amazed that you got free refills on your coffee. I guess in the '50s you didn't get free refills in MA.


I remember these Sambo's wooden nickels! Each location had their cities name on them. The original Sambo's open in 1957 in Santa Barbara CA.


An ice cream cone for a nickel. Thrifty Drugs Stores sold their own brand for a nickel a scoop until the early 80's. The ice cream is the only thing left from Thrifty's, and it's available at Rite Aid stores in CA.




In 1964 the USPS honored JFK with a stamp for a nickel.



Looks like you could get a nice cold brewski for a nickel at Camp's Place!


I couldn't find a picture of the typical Mounds bar but I do remember them costing a nickel.


This deal isn't a nickel, but come on, you get a hot dog thrown in for the extra dime!


Not for a nickel, but by gosh, in 1961 a couple could spend an evening at Disneyland for $5. That's right, two admissions and two ticket books. If I recall correctly, you only got two E tickets in that book. But still, today an adult admission to Disneyland is $69. A one day Hopper Ticket (good for both parks) is $94.
The best deal is for Southern CA residents.....an annual pass for $134. It is only good on 170 days a year, but I can tell you......the best days to use it is on a random winter day when you really rather not go to work. I used to take the afternoon off to spend a few hours at Disneyland....the local park. There are other annual passes but they cost upwards to $389.

What did you get for a nickel? Is there anything you can buy today for a nickel?

Brought to you by A to Z Mondays. Come join us!
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*If you haven't entered my drawing for the book....The Middle Place, check out the link on the right.

24 comments:

M said...

5 Cents....not much today....and now that they've changed the nickels it's hard to tell them apart from quarters in a handful of change...(without my glasses!)

My husband even looked at your post...he's not a blogman- doesn't even read mine- but we laughed because in your post we have that hotdog sign in our kitchen, the 5 cent coffee cup is a design I embroidered on dish towels for the kitchen, I have the JFK stamp and I have some old Disney ticket books...but the E's are all gone...there are B's and A's...you could ride the carousel and see Mr. Lincoln! Great minds think alike :)

Pat Jenkins said...

look what a nickel used to be able to get ya! now all you can get for 5 cents is a tootsie roll.... i don't like tootsie rolls... i do wish soda pop bottlers would go back to the glass bottles. i enjoyed the "taste" of them much better than aluminum!

Pat Jenkins said...

i just remembered grandma j, i wanted to make sure and ask you if you did ok avoiding those flash wild fires i saw swept thru texas. hope all is well....

Mental P Mama said...

I remember a nickel stamp! Love this post!

Karen Deborah said...

No can't buy anything. Penny candy is a quarter. I remember buying candy bars for a nickel.
We read a book called "Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?" It was how we learned about economics and you actually brought up a lot of important facts here. The devaluation of money is a very big deal. The government however continues to roll the presses every day. you would like that book it's an easy read and really informative.

Deb said...

I remember going to the candy store after school 2 times a week and spend 10 cents. for that, I had a bag full candy...that was the good ole days!

Connie said...

I can't remember ever being able to buy much of anything for a nickel, unless we got it changed for five pennies and put the pennies into a gumball machine.

Fun post! Times have certainly changed. Hope you have a great week! :)

Anonymous said...

We have a small candy store around here that still sells penny candy. It's my most favorite place to shop :)

The Chocolate Lady said...

5 cents...hmm.....you could get some candy from 7-11, after scrounging through the couch cushions for change, and then searching for bottles in the garage (you could turn them in for a nickel or a dime)....and then walk over to 7-11...didnt matter that you were crossing a major street at the age of 7 without a parent, those were the good ole days...and you could get yourself candy for a nickel.

Anyhoo.... FINALLY got my cake pop pics up!

Jen said...

My mom hated nickels; I'm not sure why. Everytime she got one she would try to exchange them with other change she had. If she couldn't, I'd get lucky and put it in my 'Nickle Bank'.

Elm said...

I honestly can not think of even one thing I could buy today for 5 cents. I'm waiting for the day my kids ask me, "What's a penny?"

I Am Woody said...

You can play the nickel slots one time!!

big hair envy said...

A bargain, indeed!!! I remember penny candy.....I believe my multiple fillings were the end result;)

PLEASE photoshop your picture into our NYC blogger pic....I wish you could have joined us!

T-shirts? Yes, there must be t-shirts for blog fest!

Baby Favorite said...

We recently had a Rite Aid open here, and I felt about 100 years old when I told my kids, "When I was your age, I could get cones for 5, 10 or 15 cents at Thrifty!" (Sav-On's ice cream was more expensive... I think it was 10, 15 and 25. So THAT was a rare treat!)

My, how times have changed.

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

I'm with BHE above - penny candy would be about it. Some Mary Janes, a few fireballs, and maybe a tootsie roll.

AS a kid I always said, "This or that ain't worth a wooden nickel or a red cent." I've never seen a wooden nickel until your post today, GJ. Thank you!

Ben said...

I think I can talk on a phone for a minute for about a nickel. That's about it. But I am old enough to remember walking down to the store with my cronies and getting baseball cards and a stick of stale gum for a nickel.

Minerva said...

Ah, the good old days...It's hard to find a Coke in a glass bottle these days, let alone for a nickel! Thanks for a blast from the past.

Unknown said...

I remember getting 1/4 pound of the best bakery cookies ever for a nickle...today those same cookies are 2.50 for a 1/4 pound.

I will bring some to Blogfest.

Anonymous said...

I remember 5c ice cream at Sav-on Drugstores. Used to walk there every day with my Gram, who visited from MA for 1 or 2 months each year. I either got rainbow sherbet or kona coffee. Alas, the prices went up about the time I started elementary school (but only to 10c or so).

Great pics in your post today.

Karen B.

Busy Bee Suz said...

I recall buying single jolly rancher candies at the gas station as a kid...that is it.
I love all that you found...the coke and a hotdog is a good deal. You could feed the whole family for .60
I do remember the ticket books for disney as a kid...for a time you did not have to pay to enter, only for your ride tickets!!!

Cassie said...

One of my favorite nickle candy bars was Mallo-cup. It actually was 2 cups in a package. Mmmm they were tasty...and they had a coupon under the paper that when you saved enough of them you could redeem them for prizes! That was like 3 things for a nickle.
I remember when I was a little kid going Christmas shopping at the Ben Franklin 5&Dime. I had $5. and would buy gifts for 7 people!! I didn't plan well one Christmas and I only had a nickle left to buy my father's present. I got him a box of juju bees. Boy did the family tease me about that.

Cassie said...

Oh, I forgot. Loved the nostalga of this post.
I bought my daddy a coffe mug at Yuma,AZ Sambos in 1970. It said "home of the 5cent cup of coffee"!

Unknown said...

I can't think of anything I can buy for a nickel. I meant to comment on that ice cream cone of A ron's at the movies. HOLY CANOLI! What a great theater. We can't buy ice cream cones in PA at the movies. We definitely need to move to Texas : ). Was the ice cream you could buy at the drug store as big as the one A Ron had at the movies?

Noe Noe Girl...A Queen of all Trades. said...

I remember the 5 cent ice cream cones,wow thats been awhile.

N is for Noe Noe Girl!
Neat post!