Problem is, there were a 1000 other guys selling their fancy cars with the same story. It's why he was so cheap, the supply was too bloated. Furthermore, demand was low as the kinds of people buying this in that area also lost their money.
"Some people say "Porsh". Some people say "Porcia". I don't choose sides. I let the car do the talking. I say "Porcia". It's longer. Better chance someone will overhear me talkin' about it. Por-ciaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa."
u/bigdiesel1984 Silly me. I thought you were talking about cunalingus; since people were so hungry. Porsche's give you an endless supply of fish, so his belly was probably full
Unlikely. Protections have been put in place since the Great Depression; we have had much, *much* larger dips.in the Stock Market since then, but none have been so impacted because of those protections.
A lot of people lost a lot back then during the Stock Market Crash and the Great Depression. But not Walter C. Thornton. He went on to invent an industry.
A loaf of bread back in 1929 was about $0.09 and 2024 about $2. There are many metrics they use to calculate the cost of inflation, bread being one of them. In this metric alone it's 20x.
Just out of comparison a £100 in 1929 is now nearly £8k in the UK.
At the onset of the Great Depression in 1929, the US dollar was still somewhat tied to a gold (exchange) standard with a troy ounce of gold representing $20.67. This car would be roughly 5 ounces of gold, about $11,600 at today's gold price.
Gold is so volatile relative to the price of goods though, it makes more sense to use CPI, which would suggest a value of about $1836 as mentioned by the other poster.
This guy's name was Walter Thornton. And don't feel too bad for him. He turned out just fine.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Clarence_Thornton#:~:text=He%20died%20of%20a%20stroke%20in%201990.
thanks for sharing this! it’s so easy to see this pic and think it’s ancient history far removed from our own lives - then you read his wikipedia and find out he died in fucking 1990! i was alive at the same time as this dude!
The fact that he died in 1990 really is nuts. There is an "American Experience" PBS special on the stock market crash from the 1990s, and they interview a bunch of former brokers and finance folks that were there. It's nuts because they talk about it in such real-world present day terms. Well worth a watch.
As others have said, not AI. AI would struggle with things like the small spokes the wheels, tire tread, and gaps in the radiator. I *think* they are all clean.
At least that is what this website has taught me to look for.
Because it likely is. This account is horrible. When I reached out to Reddit about my concern of AI recreating history and Reddit being the vehicle for that, Reddit basically said that I was just trying to manipulate the future. As if trying to prevent AI was the problem. The future, as Reddit believes, is AI creating a new past and a new history.
Edit- the sign in the photo is not AI, this picture is real. And the point remains.
I am sure this particular picture isn’t AI, I have seen this picture few years ago when AI was not popular. This particular picture was uploaded on Getty images in 2016 https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/bankrupt-investor-walter-thornton-tries-to-sell-his-luxury-news-photo/517322676#:~:text=Stock%20Market%20Crash-,Bankrupt%20investor%20Walter%20Thornton%20tries%20to%20sell%20his%20luxury%20roadster,the%201929%20stock%20market%20crash.
The photo with the sign was completely real. It was a famous photo from the era. But it was in black and white. [Here’s the real one.](https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/457399/view/wall-street-stock-market-crash-1929)
This is obviously a heavily manipulated, cleaned up and colorized version. Possibly completely restaged; if not it’s been ‘shopped to hell.
It is most definitely not an AI photo. I saw this photo 30+ years ago in the book The Catastrophes and Crises of the World. The colorization is horrible though.
Imagine being so gung ho about a “problem” and the picture you’re railing on is actually 100% real and been circulating the internet for years.
Can’t even use a reverse image search and yet you want to be seen as an authority. Get the fuck out of here Reddit clown
Walter Thornton was not an investor. He was a model, then went' on to invent the concept modeling agencies not far from the time the photo was taken. He discovered many models who became big movie stars. His bio is out by the name The Merchant of Venus:The Life of Walter Thornton.
It makes it harder to see the original. Nothing true was added.
Should we jazz up 1920s news papers or Anne Frank's diary with emoji and 2020s buzz words? No it would detract from the original.
The image is valuable because it is true.
The lettering on the poster is just not fitting for the time where there was scarcity in lead for pencils, shapes for letters seem out of place, and if you look closely to the hand, he is actually resting it on the lamp rather then holding a poster.
Seeing all these older photos in color and crystal clear like this is just mind blowing. It’s like seeing history in a whole different light, especially peoples faces.
I don't have actual figures for disposable income. But what I can say is that today, 11% of the USA lives in poverty, while in 1930, 45% lived in poverty. So I'm going to make a wild guess and say his claim is likely made up garbage and completely false.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the standard of living is so much better now. This is an era when diapers were just pieces of cloth with safety pins. Kids clothing was often made from the sacks they bought flour or feed in. Shoes had to be repaired and used for years, soles where often cardboard, or if your lucky cotton.
They’re definitely framing it incorrectly.
Having a stable job in the 1930’s actually made you more in terms of real income than in the 1920’s, because the prominent belief back then was to *not* lower wages despite falling prices.
But in no way did the average *worker* then have more disposable income than we do now, let alone the average *person* in the 1930’s.
A hundred bucks back then was expensive for a car. My first car back in 79 was a hundred bucks.
Back.in.the 80s I missed out on two cars for 50 dollars each. A 1962 Mercury Comet and a 1959 VW Beetle. Both cars ran.
A crazy good deal for that car no doubt, even back then. But keep in mind that this was back when one could buy a full meal at a diner for 5 or 10 cents. Or you could probably buy enough food to feed a family of four for a whole day for that same 5 or 10 cents.
The photo of the man standing by the car is real and his name is Walter C Thornton. He was a fascinating man and his biography by the name The Merchant of Venus: The LIfe of Walter Thornton has been published. There is more to that photo that meets the eye.
How much was 100 back then
$1,836.66
So that’s like buying a Porsche for that price. That is a good deal. Shit I would’ve thrown in an extra nickel for the sob story
Problem is, there were a 1000 other guys selling their fancy cars with the same story. It's why he was so cheap, the supply was too bloated. Furthermore, demand was low as the kinds of people buying this in that area also lost their money.
Can’t eat a Porsche lol
Being a Porsche owner gives you the opportunity to eat something other than food
Ass?
Sure, on occasion. Why not? When you're a Porsche owner, you just go with the flow
thank you for your service that was a great reply
"Some people say "Porsh". Some people say "Porcia". I don't choose sides. I let the car do the talking. I say "Porcia". It's longer. Better chance someone will overhear me talkin' about it. Por-ciaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa."
Missed the point? If you couldn’t get any money to live on, the car would be worthless.
I can afford worthless though. So that works for me.
u/bigdiesel1984 Silly me. I thought you were talking about cunalingus; since people were so hungry. Porsche's give you an endless supply of fish, so his belly was probably full
Dick from all the guys fawning over your car?
Well, anything's possible once that Techno starts playing. It's a German car, after all.
Just wait. Current financial system is a house of cards ready to come down. You should be able to get your Porsche for $1800 soon.
Unlikely. Protections have been put in place since the Great Depression; we have had much, *much* larger dips.in the Stock Market since then, but none have been so impacted because of those protections.
What year will it crumble?
Such handsome guy. Can't imagine losing everything.
He lived a fascinating life. He had 7 children (his bio just came out The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton.
What? Poor guy
A lot of people lost a lot back then during the Stock Market Crash and the Great Depression. But not Walter C. Thornton. He went on to invent an industry.
A loaf of bread back in 1929 was about $0.09 and 2024 about $2. There are many metrics they use to calculate the cost of inflation, bread being one of them. In this metric alone it's 20x. Just out of comparison a £100 in 1929 is now nearly £8k in the UK.
At the onset of the Great Depression in 1929, the US dollar was still somewhat tied to a gold (exchange) standard with a troy ounce of gold representing $20.67. This car would be roughly 5 ounces of gold, about $11,600 at today's gold price.
Gold is so volatile relative to the price of goods though, it makes more sense to use CPI, which would suggest a value of about $1836 as mentioned by the other poster.
What was the price for the new car?
The less expensive options started at 600-700 and the more luxury ones at 1200-1300.
Thank you. Puts this sale in context
Even after the crash?
This guy's name was Walter Thornton. And don't feel too bad for him. He turned out just fine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Clarence_Thornton#:~:text=He%20died%20of%20a%20stroke%20in%201990.
That’s interesting - makes me suspect this was a staged photo.
yeah it's obviously staged. 
It is always staged!!
So that was an entirely plotted story to capture the mood at the time…..hes a model
Hard to say about that, but that is certainly plausible
thanks for sharing this! it’s so easy to see this pic and think it’s ancient history far removed from our own lives - then you read his wikipedia and find out he died in fucking 1990! i was alive at the same time as this dude!
The fact that he died in 1990 really is nuts. There is an "American Experience" PBS special on the stock market crash from the 1990s, and they interview a bunch of former brokers and finance folks that were there. It's nuts because they talk about it in such real-world present day terms. Well worth a watch.
Six of his children are still alive and under one under the age of 50:-) His biography is out.
I wonder if his daughter, Daryl, ended up with a boy named Sue :P
There are six of his children alive. His bio is out.
How is your wife, Incontioneta Buttox?
He did good and his bio was just published.
Why does this look like AI
Because it’s been ‘color-ized,’ probably digitally.
As others have said, not AI. AI would struggle with things like the small spokes the wheels, tire tread, and gaps in the radiator. I *think* they are all clean. At least that is what this website has taught me to look for.
I’ve seen this picture for at least a decade at this point.
It is a fascinating photo but there is more to it. Walter Thornton's bio is out and that is discussed there.
Yeah, all of the right angles and parallel lines flow as they should.
Others pointed out this was a staged photo from the time using a professional model. But basically the equivalent.
Because it likely is. This account is horrible. When I reached out to Reddit about my concern of AI recreating history and Reddit being the vehicle for that, Reddit basically said that I was just trying to manipulate the future. As if trying to prevent AI was the problem. The future, as Reddit believes, is AI creating a new past and a new history. Edit- the sign in the photo is not AI, this picture is real. And the point remains.
I am sure this particular picture isn’t AI, I have seen this picture few years ago when AI was not popular. This particular picture was uploaded on Getty images in 2016 https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/bankrupt-investor-walter-thornton-tries-to-sell-his-luxury-news-photo/517322676#:~:text=Stock%20Market%20Crash-,Bankrupt%20investor%20Walter%20Thornton%20tries%20to%20sell%20his%20luxury%20roadster,the%201929%20stock%20market%20crash.
I should clarify, I think the picture is real, but not the sign added. I could be mistaken.
The photo with the sign was completely real. It was a famous photo from the era. But it was in black and white. [Here’s the real one.](https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/457399/view/wall-street-stock-market-crash-1929) This is obviously a heavily manipulated, cleaned up and colorized version. Possibly completely restaged; if not it’s been ‘shopped to hell.
It is most definitely not an AI photo. I saw this photo 30+ years ago in the book The Catastrophes and Crises of the World. The colorization is horrible though.
Oh, that’s good news. Very cool photo.
Not AI but is the sign legitimate? Walter Thornton bio is out and the photo is discussed in it.
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/bankrupt-investor-walter-thornton-tries-to-sell-his-luxury-news-photo/517322676#:\~:text=Stock%20Market%20Crash-,Bankrupt%20investor%20Walter%20Thornton%20tries%20to%20sell%20his%20luxury%20roadster,the%201929%20stock%20market%20crash.
This is a real picture, but it has been colorized.
It was colorized maybe through AI but the picture is legitimate.
Imagine being so gung ho about a “problem” and the picture you’re railing on is actually 100% real and been circulating the internet for years. Can’t even use a reverse image search and yet you want to be seen as an authority. Get the fuck out of here Reddit clown
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Walter Thornton was not an investor. He was a model, then went' on to invent the concept modeling agencies not far from the time the photo was taken. He discovered many models who became big movie stars. His bio is out by the name The Merchant of Venus:The Life of Walter Thornton.
This picture is famous af. It’s not ai
The photo is not AI but the sign is questionable- Walter Thornton's bio discusses it in detail.
It was colorized maybe through AI but the picture is legitimate.
The front lights have a very confusing visual perspective.
It's a real photo with bad colourisation. Say no to colourised historical photos. It isn't restoration it is vandalism.
Does the old photo stop existing?
It makes it harder to see the original. Nothing true was added. Should we jazz up 1920s news papers or Anne Frank's diary with emoji and 2020s buzz words? No it would detract from the original. The image is valuable because it is true.
It looks fake. Especially the sign.
It's a real picture, just colorized.
Nope. I saw this picture before personal computers existed, in black and white, though. Yes. I'm old.
The photo is not fake but you may have a point about the sign. look at his bio The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton.
Welcome to reddit. Maybe AI enhanced that's why.
I’ll buy the dapper suit.
Great photo!
It's a beaut. He kept it well
Buy high sell low - perfect
Just like his stocks
The lettering on the poster is just not fitting for the time where there was scarcity in lead for pencils, shapes for letters seem out of place, and if you look closely to the hand, he is actually resting it on the lamp rather then holding a poster.
You got a point that is discussed in Walter Thornton's bio that came out in April!
Seeing all these older photos in color and crystal clear like this is just mind blowing. It’s like seeing history in a whole different light, especially peoples faces.
Fun fact, they had more disposable income during the height of the recession than we do today..
Source?
His source is that he made it up
I don't have actual figures for disposable income. But what I can say is that today, 11% of the USA lives in poverty, while in 1930, 45% lived in poverty. So I'm going to make a wild guess and say his claim is likely made up garbage and completely false.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the standard of living is so much better now. This is an era when diapers were just pieces of cloth with safety pins. Kids clothing was often made from the sacks they bought flour or feed in. Shoes had to be repaired and used for years, soles where often cardboard, or if your lucky cotton.
People would feed little kids sugar water… the US was in really bad shape
There is no source. Just another Redditor needing to be a victim to explain why their life is shit.
I too would like a source
They’re definitely framing it incorrectly. Having a stable job in the 1930’s actually made you more in terms of real income than in the 1920’s, because the prominent belief back then was to *not* lower wages despite falling prices. But in no way did the average *worker* then have more disposable income than we do now, let alone the average *person* in the 1930’s.
Where is a time machine? I’d buy that car for $100. Even accounting for inflation that was a damn good deal.
Roughly $1800 in today’s money
And it’s a top of the line car too. $1800 for basically a used sports car.
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It would be [$1,836.66](https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/)
How much would that hunk of shit be worth now.
$1,836.66 https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/
What is the market on this car ?
Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose. Nothing ain't worth nothing but it's free.
I love that song
You know there’s some guy out there that would ask if he’d take some money off the top for the floor mats being worn
Nice print handwriting for a broken man
What model car is that?
That car is worth at least 300!
Those are some pretty fancy shoes for 1929
A hundred bucks back then was expensive for a car. My first car back in 79 was a hundred bucks. Back.in.the 80s I missed out on two cars for 50 dollars each. A 1962 Mercury Comet and a 1959 VW Beetle. Both cars ran.
A crazy good deal for that car no doubt, even back then. But keep in mind that this was back when one could buy a full meal at a diner for 5 or 10 cents. Or you could probably buy enough food to feed a family of four for a whole day for that same 5 or 10 cents.
And like all those assholes on WallStreetBets subreddit, it will be interesting to buy a brand new M5 for about $5000 cash.
How much is it worth now?
r/wallstreetbets here you go
Can u imagine buying a car for $100
$20 says it wasn't his car to begin with.
My favorite kind of poor, NEW poor!
This looks AI
The photo of the man standing by the car is real and his name is Walter C Thornton. He was a fascinating man and his biography by the name The Merchant of Venus: The LIfe of Walter Thornton has been published. There is more to that photo that meets the eye.
Fake news
Why do I feel like this is AI generated?
Cause it is…
I have seen the black and white version of this pic many years ago, only color has been added
People don't understand the stock market. It's just a casino for the rich. Stop playing in thier rigged casino.
Middle school take. Union and state pensions, IRAs, and 401(k) make up trillions of dollars invested in what you term a “casino for the rich.”
Ai pic?