Christmas time is coming and jolly songs are playing everywhere for you to sing along. But, one song, in particular, could make you broke. Can you afford the gifts in “Santa Baby?”
The Songs Origin
This holiday song contains two versions. Eartha Kitt made one with Henri René and his orchestra in 1953. The other was covered by Madonna and was released in 1987 on her album “A Very Special Christmas.” The song’s premise is about a girl talking to Santa about all the gifts she wants from him. She keeps reassuring Santa saying she’s been a good girl all year. In a way, she’s flirting with Santa to get the gifts she wants. “Santa Baby” forgot to mention one little thing, a ring I don’t mean on the phone.” With that quote, we can see clearly that she is flirting with him hinting that she is talking to her man.
The list
The first gift mentioned in the song is, “just slip a sable under the tree for me.” Now I know we all thought she was talking about a stable but she was saying Sable meaning an animal. However, it isn’t an animal she wants. The singer wants fur from the sable either in a coat or shawl. In 1953 a sable was one of the most expensive luxury items available at the time. Today they’ll cost you about $1,500-50,000 depending on craftsmanship. Choosing a fur coat that costs $3,699.000 today is worth $315. 39 in 1953.
Moving on, the second item mentioned is, “a ’54 convertible too, light blue.” What an expensive Christmas. Today a ‘54 convertible in light blue will cost you about $50,000 depending on which type of car you want. using the CPI Inflation Calculator we can see that $50,000 today has the same buying power as $4,263.17 in 1953. This Santa must love her.
Unreasonable Gifting
If you thought it got cheaper after that, boy how you are wrong. The next thing on the list is a yacht! “…I want a yacht and really that’s not a lot…” I have no words, anyhow picking a random yacht today costs you about a few million according to Yachtway. A yacht that costs $2,195,000 today would cost you $187,153.12 in 1953. Man, how times have changed but our little one hasn’t. The next thing she’s asking Santa for is a deed to a platinum mine. There is no price for that… Anyways a duplex and some checks are on that list, and if I was Santa I’d be pissed. Using Zillow, a duplex today costs $599,000 in Iselin New Jersey. Jesus these prices back then were awesome, $599,000 would be $51,072. 77 in 1953. I wish our housing market had those prices today.
Our singer is going to have an amazing Christmas, but if you thought her house was going to be decorated with plain old home decor you are so wrong. After asking for money and a housing unit she wants decorations from Tiffany’s. From my understanding, that’s home decor she wants because asking for Christmas decorations after Christmas seems unorthodox. Scrolling on the Tiffany & Co. website I found place mats set for $900. What an unreasonable price for some placemats. $900 today is, and I can’t believe I’m typing this, $76.74 in 1953. I’m too stunned to speak. But I’ll continue. Our singers’ final wish is for a ring, “I don’t mean on the phone.” A popular jewelry store in the 1950s was Cartier. A ring from Cartier today costs $6,100 but in 1953 it cost $520. 11.
Has Santa Gone Broke
After calculating how much all the prices would add up to today, we are looking at spending about $2,854,699. Santa would go broke, especially in this economy. However, if we were in the year 1953 Santa would be spending, $243,401. It’s obvious how the times have changed and so have the prices. Even though back then that was still a lot of money from the people alive, now in 2024 and looking back at how much everything costs it’s sad to see how much inflation has raised. Can you afford the gifts in “Santa Baby?” I don’t know too many people who could. I guess it is good to dream big.
