Price History
The following reflects median household income in the United States and the prices for Standard Questars, Field Models, Duplexes, and Questar Sevens all with Pyrex primary mirrors and magnesium fluoride coatings.
Each chart below indicates the rise of median household income, the price of various Questar products, and the percentage of that price relative to median income. Notably, the price of these products decreased relative to median income.
Many thanks to Ralph Foss for his earlier work on compiling Questar’s price history.
Standard Questar
Field Model
Duplex Questar
Questar Seven (Barrel Only)
Data
Median income in grey text are derived values, and prices in bold represent price changes.
| Year | Median Income in the U.S.[1] | Prices[2] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Questar |
Field Model |
Duplex |
Questar Seven (Barrel Only)[3] |
||||||
| Price | % of Median Income | Price | % of Median Income | Price | % of Median Income | Price | % of Median Income | ||
| 1954 | $4,200 | $795 | 18.9% | ||||||
| 1955 | $4,433 | $995 | 22.4% | ||||||
| 1956 | $4,667 | $995 | 21.3% | ||||||
| 1957 | $4,900 | $995 | 20.3% | ||||||
| 1958 | $5,133 | $995 | 19.4% | ||||||
| 1959 | $5,367 | $995 | 18.5% | ||||||
| 1960 | $5,600 | $995 | 17.8% | ||||||
| 1961 | $5,860 | $995 | 17.0% | ||||||
| 1962 | $6,120 | $995 | 16.3% | ||||||
| 1963 | $6,380 | $995 | 15.6% | ||||||
| 1964 | $6,640 | $995 | 15.0% | $795 | 12.0% | ||||
| 1965 | $6,900 | $995 | 14.4% | $795 | 11.5% | ||||
| 1966 | $7,021 | $995 | 14.2% | $795 | 11.3% | $1,245 | 17.7% | ||
| 1967 | $7,143 | $1,065 | 14.9% | $795 | 11.1% | $1,315 | 18.4% | ||
| 1968 | $7,743 | $1,065 | 13.8% | $795 | 10.3% | $1,315 | 17.0% | ||
| 1969 | $8,389 | $1,065 | 12.7% | $795 | 9.5% | $1,315 | 15.7% | ||
| 1970 | $8,734 | $1,140 | 13.1% | $865 | 9.9% | $1,390 | 15.9% | ||
| 1971 | $9,028 | $1,140 | 12.6% | $865 | 9.6% | $1,390 | 15.4% | $2,440 | 27.0% |
| 1972 | $9,697 | $1,140 | 11.8% | $865 | 8.9% | $1,390 | 14.3% | $2,440 | 25.2% |
| 1973 | $10,512 | $1,240 | 11.8% | $865 | 8.2% | $1,390 | 13.2% | $2,440 | 23.2% |
| 1974 | $11,197 | $1,315 | 11.7% | $865 | 7.7% | $1,465 | 13.1% | $2,440 | 21.8% |
| 1975 | $11,800 | $1,315 | 11.1% | $865 | 7.3% | $1,465 | 12.4% | $2,685 | 22.8% |
| 1976 | $12,686 | $1,415 | 11.2% | $925 | 7.3% | $1,575 | 12.4% | $2,950 | 23.3% |
| 1977 | $13,572 | $1,415 | 10.4% | $925 | 6.8% | $1,575 | 11.6% | $2,950 | 21.7% |
| 1978[4] | $15,064 | $1,600 | 10.6% | $1,050 | 7.0% | $1,780 | 11.8% | $3,285 | 21.8% |
| 1979 | $16,461 | $1,600 | 9.7% | $1,050 | 6.4% | $1,780 | 10.8% | $3,285 | 20.0% |
| 1980 | $17,710 | $1,680 | 9.5% | $1,105 | 6.2% | $1,870 | 10.6% | $3,450 | 19.5% |
| 1981 | $19,074 | $1,895 | 9.9% | $1,245 | 6.5% | $2,100 | 11.0% | $3,970 | 20.8% |
| 1982 | $20,171 | $2,150 | 10.7% | $1,425 | 7.1% | $2,375 | 11.8% | $4,500 | 22.3% |
| 1983 | $20,885 | $2,310 | 11.1% | $1,530 | 7.3% | $2,552 | 12.2% | $4,838 | 23.2% |
| 1984 | $22,415 | $2,310 | 10.3% | $1,530 | 6.8% | $2,552 | 11.4% | $4,838 | 21.6% |
| 1985 | $23,618 | $2,483 | 10.5% | $1,645 | 7.0% | $2,743 | 11.6% | $5,200 | 22.0% |
| 1986 | $24,897 | $2,483 | 10.0% | $1,645 | 6.6% | $2,743 | 11.0% | $5,200 | 20.9% |
| 1987 | $26,061 | $2,677 | 10.3% | $1,795 | 6.9% | $2,950 | 11.3% | $5,460 | 21.0% |
| 1988 | $27,225 | $2,677 | 9.8% | $1,795 | 6.6% | $2,950 | 10.8% | $5,460 | 20.1% |
| 1989 | $28,906 | $2,840 | 9.8% | $1,890 | 6.5% | $3,100 | 10.7% | $5,950 | 20.6% |
| 1990 | $29,943 | $3,080 | 10.3% | $2,065 | 6.9% | $3,325 | 11.1% | $6,500 | 21.7% |
| 1991 | $30,126 | $3,145 | 10.4% | $2,125 | 7.1% | $3,390 | 11.3% | $6,500 | 21.6% |
| 1992 | $30,636 | $3,145 | 10.3% | $2,125 | 6.9% | $3,390 | 11.1% | $6,500 | 21.2% |
| 1993 | $31,241 | $3,145 | 10.1% | $2,125 | 6.8% | $3,390 | 10.9% | $6,500 | 20.8% |
| 1994 | $32,264 | $3,145 | 9.7% | $2,125 | 6.6% | $3,390 | 10.5% | $6,500 | 20.1% |
| 1995 | $34,076 | $3,475 | 10.2% | $2,425 | 7.1% | $3,750 | 11.0% | $7,195 | 21.1% |
| 1996 | $35,492 | $3,475 | 9.8% | $2,425 | 6.8% | $3,750 | 10.6% | $7,385 | 20.8% |
| 1997 | $37,005 | $3,595 | 9.7% | $2,475 | 6.7% | $3,875 | 10.5% | $7,285 | 19.7% |
| 1998 | $38,885 | $3,705 | 9.5% | $2,550 | 6.6% | $3,995 | 10.3% | $7,505 | 19.3% |
| 1999 | $40,696 | $3,820 | 9.4% | $2,630 | 6.5% | $4,115 | 10.1% | $7,505 | 18.4% |
| 2000 | $41,990 | $3,995 | 9.5% | $2,795 | 6.7% | $4,295 | 10.2% | $8,350 | 19.9% |
| 2001 | $42,228 | $4,050 | 9.6% | $2,850 | 6.7% | $4,375 | 10.4% | $8,599 | 20.4% |
| 2002 | $42,409 | $4,050 | 9.5% | $2,850 | 6.7% | $4,375 | 10.3% | $8,599 | 20.3% |
| 2003 | $43,318 | $4,050 | 9.3% | $2,850 | 6.6% | $4,375 | 10.1% | $8,599 | 19.9% |
| 2004 | $44,334 | $4,050 | 9.1% | $2,850 | 6.4% | $4,375 | 9.9% | $8,599 | 19.4% |
| 2005 | $46,326 | $4,050 | 8.7% | $2,850 | 6.2% | $4,375 | 9.4% | $8,599 | 18.6% |
| 2006 | $48,201 | $4,250 | 8.8% | $2,995 | 6.2% | $4,595 | 9.5% | $8,775 | 18.2% |
| 2007 | $50,233 | $4,250 | 8.5% | $2,995 | 6.0% | $4,595 | 9.1% | $8,775 | 17.5% |
| 2008 | $50,303 | $4,250 | 8.4% | $2,995 | 6.0% | $4,595 | 9.1% | $8,925 | 17.7% |
| 2009 | $49,777 | $4,250 | 8.5% | $2,995 | 6.0% | $4,595 | 9.2% | $8,925 | 17.9% |
| 2010 | $49,276 | $4,250 | 8.6% | $2,995 | 6.1% | $4,595 | 9.3% | $8,925 | 18.1% |
| 2011 | $50,054 | $4,250 | 8.5% | $2,995 | 6.0% | $4,595 | 9.2% | $8,925 | 17.8% |
| 2012 | $51,017 | $4,475 | 8.8% | $2,995 | 5.9% | $4,825 | 9.5% | $9,650 | 18.9% |
| 2013 | $53,585 | $4,625 | 8.6% | $3,195 | 6.0% | $4,995 | 9.3% | $9,895 | 18.5% |
| 2014 | $53,657 | $4,625 | 8.6% | $3,195 | 6.0% | $4,995 | 9.3% | $9,895 | 18.4% |
| 2015 | $56,516 | $4,625 | 8.2% | $3,195 | 5.7% | $4,995 | 8.8% | $9,895 | 17.5% |
| 2016 | $59,039 | $4,995 | 8.5% | $3,495 | 5.9% | $5,350 | 9.1% | $10,895 | 18.5% |
| 2017 | $61,136 | $4,995 | 8.2% | $3,495 | 5.7% | $5,350 | 8.8% | $10,895 | 17.8% |
| 2018 | $63,179 | $4,995 | 7.9% | $3,495 | 5.5% | $5,350 | 8.5% | $10,895 | 17.2% |
| 2019 | $68,703 | $5,150 | 7.5% | $3,495 | 5.1% | $5,500 | 8.0% | $10,895 | 15.9% |
Notes
1 1954: “Family Income in the United States: 1954 and 1953,” U.S. Census Bureau, December 1955, https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1955/demo/p60-020.html, accessed August 14, 2020; 1960: “Income of Families and Persons in the United States: 1960,” U.S. Census Bureau, January 17, 1962, https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1962/demo/p60-037.html, accessed August 14, 2020; 1965: “Consumer Income,” U.S. Census Bureau, August 10, 1966, https://www2.census.gov/prod2/popscan/p60-049.pdf, accessed August 14, 2020; 1967-1983: “US Median Income by Year,” multpl.com, n.d., https://www.multpl.com/us-median-income/table/by-year, accessed August 14, 2020; 1984-2019: “Median Household Income in the United States,” Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, n.d., https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEHOINUSA646N, accessed January 14, 2021.
2 1954-2013: Ralph Foss, “Questar_Prices.xls” (unpublished manuscript, February 7, 2014), spreadsheet, https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Questar/files/Questar%20Historical%20Prices%20and%20more/, accessed October 15, 2019. 2016: Questar Corporation, 3.5" telescopes and accessories price list, April 2016; Questar Corporation, Questar Seven and accessories price list, April 2016. 2019: Questar Corporation, 3.5" telescopes and accessories price list, April 2019, https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/677882-how-do-you-use-your-questar/?p=9888203, accessed January 3, 2020; Questar Corporation, Questar Seven and accessories price list, April 2019.
3 In September 1967, the company introduced the Questar Seven. It was initially offered as an instrument that included a Cer-Vit primary mirror only. In 1971, Questar added a Pyrex mirror as the standard option, and the Cer-Vit mirror became an upgrade option. In 2004, Questar introduced the Questar Seven Lightweight Titanium as the replacement for the aluminum-housed Questar Seven.
4 The late 1970s was a period of high inflation in the United States. In 1978, Questar had already set the price for the Standard Questar at $1,495, the Field Model at $980, the Duplex at $1,665, and the Questar Seven at $2,950 before raising them again later that year.