What was it worth then ? And now

[Kzoo]

My folks used to drag my siblings and I to an antique show from time to time in the mid 80's. We would get there mid afternoon on a Sunday, in the blazing heat, with the dusty isles and trampled grass, and I would always search for cheap cards, as I was usually almost always nearly broke and only about 10 years old. There was one old guy that always had a small selection of t206s in an old binder and I remember buying a couple including Brain and Thelen.....but I vividly remember to this day the exact spot another dealer was set up with a 52 topps Mantle in a thick lucite screw down case that had rounded corners, probably grading Good-VG at best and priced at $500. It blew my mind. How could anybody ever save that much money?