A Glance at Prices Leads to Bad Case of Sticker Shock

How much have prices changed since the 1988 presidential election? With campaign talk these days about low inflation, we expected to see only modest increases. The government pegs the cumulative rate of inflation over the last four years at 17.9%. But a random survey left us with a bad case of sticker shock.

The price of Disneyland tickets has galloped ahead of inflation, soaring by more than one-third. Milk prices in Los Angeles are also one-third higher--a price jump that economists at the state Department of Food and Agriculture couldn’t fully explain.

There are a few bright spots. The lowest air fare between Los Angeles and San Francisco is nearly one-third lower today--thanks to new competition from no-frills Southwest Airlines. French fries at McDonald’s still cost 63 cents, but there’s a catch: Portions are smaller.

Home prices in Los Angeles rose by less than half the rate of inflation. That’s good news for first-time home buyers, but terrible news for people who purchased homes four years ago.

Mall-o-ween: First, the shopping mall replaced America’s downtown. Now, in some communities, the shopping mall is replacing the neighborhood when it comes to trick-or-treating.

From the San Gabriel Valley to the San Fernando Valley to the Los Angeles Westside, more and more children are spending their Halloween going store-to-store instead of door-to-door. Besides handing out candy and trinkets, some Southland malls are offering Halloween crafts and costume parades.

The occasion gives merchants a chance to show off their wares and perhaps ring up a few extra sales while giving children a relatively safe, well-lit place to trick-or-treat. Fox Hills Mall in Culver City is expecting 4,000 to 6,000 children during the two hours it will be handing out candy on Saturday. At the Glendale Galleria, officials expect 10,000 to 12,000 children during the 90 minutes it will be giving away goodies.

Glendale Police Sgt. Leif Nicolaisen recommends the mall over the streets “from a public safety standpoint.” He adds: “Going door-to-door is a tradition. We still see kids doing it.”

What little girls are made of: Barbie may have changed her mind about math class, but it doesn’t mean toy makers have changed their minds about young girls.

Last week, Mattel announced that new versions of its Talking Barbie would no longer chatter, “Math class is tough.” Mattel was under pressure from prominent academics, who said Barbie would discourage little girls from doing their best in math.

Strolling down the toy aisle this week, however, we spotted other uninspiring toys aimed at young girls. A sampling:

* “Let’s Go Shopping” from Pressman Toys: Players in this “fun-filled game for girls” race shopping bags around a game board to collect new outfits.

* “Mall Madness” from Milton Bradley: Players equipped with pretend credit cards go around the board on a “wild shopping spree” trying to pick up bargains. The first girl (only girls are shown playing on the box) to buy six items wins.

* “Barbie Dream Date” from Western Publishing: Players race Barbie-shaped markers around a board, collecting dates and gifts from Ken. The girl with the most dates and gifts (candy, flowers or perfume) by the time a clock strikes midnight wins.

More on arbitration: Last week, we told you how auto manufacturers win most arbitration cases involving defects and repairs to new cars. Chrysler Corp. had the most lopsided results, winning 80% of its cases.

Arbitration programs also exist to handle certain disputes over repairs or service not covered by manufacturer warranties.

Based on last year’s results, consumers had better luck in two large programs not supported by manufacturers.

The Automobile Club of Southern California runs an arbitration program for members who have complaints about the quality or price of service at AAA-approved service stations. Consumers won nearly 51% of 643 cases last year, with servicers being ordered to provide refunds or additional repairs.

The National Automobile Dealers Assn. runs Automobile Consumer Action Panel, also known as Autocap, to settle disputes between consumers and dealerships. Nationally, it arbitrated 5,000 disputes in 1991, with consumers winning 45% of cases and compromising in 22%. The 20 cases filed last year with the Los Angeles Autocap, run by the Los Angeles Motor Car Dealers Assn., ended in compromise.

Check Your Change

A random look at price changes since the last presidential election

Fall 1992 Fall 1988 Item price price Change Lowest Los Angeles to San Francisco one-way air fare $64 $88 -27% Home, Los Angeles median $206,000 $191,240 +8% Gasoline, national average $1.158 $0.975 +19% McDonald’s Big Mac $1.95 $1.55 +26% Gallon of milk, Los Angeles $2.65 $1.96 +35% Disneyland tickets $28.75 adult $21.50 adult +34% $23 child $16.50 child +39%

Source: Official Airline Guides, California Department of Agriculture, American Automobile Assn., McDonald’s Corp., California Board of Realtors