Inflation Adjusted Costs for Old Handcuffs

A 1916 add for the new Peerless Handcuffs showed the cost to be $7.00.  Inflation adjusted this would be $165 in today's money.  An old Police Catalog from 1887 showed Tower Double Lock cuffs for 
$4.00 in steel and $4.75 for plated.  Today these would be $112 and $134.  Tower Leg Irons were $6 for steel and $7 for plated.  Today's these would be $162 and $189.  From these prices it is clear that today's simple handcuff designs and machining costs have lowered handcuff costs drastically.   The old cuffs took lots of hand work while today machines crank them out very cheaply.  Interesting historical perspective on the costs for handcuffs.

Steve

A cost breakdown of parts and assembly, for Peerless Handcuffs, manufactured by Smith & Wesson dated March 1917 was $1.25 total per pair. This included 2-keys, paper box and label. A selling price of $7.00 would be a 460% markup of the manufacturing cost.
   

Thanks, David.  Since S&Ws manufacturing cost was quite low ($29.46 in today's dollar), I wonder how much they charged Peerless to make each cuff.  When they sold for $7.00 either S&W or Peerless made a pretty good profit.

Steve

Steve, I don't have the invoice of a final price to Peerless, but in 1931, the documents I have for the "cost of machine shop work on handcuffs" which included tools, dies, gauges, jigs, fixtures & models had a "125% O. Head" added in the cost. If S&W added 125% to the manufacturing cost of $1.25, that would increase the cost to $2.81 and this would not include "profit" in my opinion. This 
observation is based only on the documents I have showing "overhead %" charged from their Machine Shop" work.
Dave