As parents check items off their kids’ school supply lists, the total cost may feel like a burden on their wallets.

Some parents started back-to-school shopping earlier this year to take advantage of deals and save money.

The National Retail Federation reported that two-thirds of shoppers began purchasing their school supplies early this year, with many starting as early as July. That is up from 55% last year and marks the highest percentage since the NRF began tracking early shopping in 2018.

But are school supplies more expensive now than in past decades? The Hearst Television Data Team analyzed prices of essential back-to-school items like pencils, pens, erasers, notebooks and more through the decades using newspaper archives.

The archival search was limited to the months of June

See Full Page