Wizard of Id Classics by Parker and Hart for January 20, 2023

Are you sure you can spare it Sir.

“Buddy, can you spare a dime?”

“No, but here’s a nickel.”

i remember when you could at least buy a candy bar with a nickel

There is a guy begging on one of the streets I walk along, “Spare some change.” One day he was in a stupor and digging in his backpack, he just happened to let his wallet fall out and it was thick with 5s, about 1.5 inches, the blue colour is a $5. Never gave him anything and I don’t think he needs it.

Would that be a plugged nickel?

Using an inflation calculator, 5¢ in 1973 would be worth 31¢ today(well, 2021), based on the consumer price index.

https://www.measuringworth.com/calculators/uscompare/

Yep, down on his luck.

Back in the day of knights in armor.. a nickel would have been worth at least 5 pennies.

Back then, imagine how much 5 cents was worth!

Yes indeed. But might have been worse if it was the King.

When I was working at Border’s book store (before the whole company went bankrupt) I was making $10/hour. One day another employee came into the store looking disgusted, when I asked why he said he’d overheard a couple panhandlers talking outside of the store and one of them was complaining to the other that he’d only made $20 in the past hour.