Wance Payton writes the stories, guides and price histories on Back Then Daily: what became of the brands and stores people loved, how to identify the things families kept, and what everyday life cost in the decades our readers remember, and a few before them.
Wance Payton is a pen name, the byline the site’s editor writes under. The records behind every article are listed at its end, so the facts can be checked, whoever signed them.
How the articles are made
Every piece starts with the records. Mail-order catalogs read page by page. Newspaper ads with their dates. Government price and wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau. Court papers, company reports and trade magazines when a story turns on what really happened. For what something is worth today, completed sales with a date, never asking prices alone.
Each article lists its sources at the end, so you can check them yourself.
What you won’t find
Made-up memories, invented quotes or prices without a year. When a figure is an estimate, the article says so and shows how it was worked out. When the records disagree, the article tells you that too.
Corrections and questions
Spotted a mistake, or have a memory that belongs in one of these stories? Write to hello@backthendaily.com. Every message is read, and corrections are noted at the end of the article.