Consumer Price Index (CPI) 
Inflation Calculator -- written by NASA with data from Bureau of Labor Statistics --
no kiddin!

Made available here as a public service, since its difficult information to find anywhere else--- (added 2007: when it was written twelve years ago!).
.... and it is used here as an exercise in web-writing .html and javascript

This is an inflation calculator for adjusting costs from one year to another using the US DEPT. OF LABOR STATISTICS Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation index. The numbers are very real.
Learn all you want from Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Consumer_Price_Index . This inflation calculator will compute inflation rates between 1913 and 2006; 2007 uses September 2007's Index. This inflation calculator is based on the average inflation index during the calendar year 1913-98; 1999-2006 values are the CPI in January of that year. The CPI represents changes in prices of all goods and services purchased in the United States. User fees (such as water and sewer service) and sales and excise taxes paid by the consumer are also included.
However, income taxes and investment items (like stocks, bonds, real estate, and life insurance) are not included. IOW, no value is amortized as to value enhancement between the years, these are straight numbers based on like items.

That means value enhancements such as age of the wine, experience of the artist, stature, accumulated knowledge, overhead, etc., are additional to these figures.

All Craig did was change the text, add the Department of Labor Statistics numbers for CPI for 1999-2006, and reformat.

So, for instance, if you know what you paid for something in 1985 and
want to know what it'd cost today?
THIS is the place to find out.

You want to know what a 1965 ten dollar bouquet cost in 1933? How about the difference in yours and your parents' engagement rings? This gives you an (un-official) idea of how much things have changed.
 

Note: See Disclaimer at bottom

Skeptics CAN, however, confirm the figures for themselves at the US Bureau of Labor Statistics at the link above. 

U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) Calculator 1913-2003
Cost in $$;
then
From when?:
CHOOSE calendar year
To: 
CHOOSE calendar year
CPI Inflation INDEX: 
 
Percent Change: 
Yikes;
It Costs (inflated): $ 
AMAZING, huh?


"This model is provided as an educational example of technology developed and used by NASA cost engineers. Use at your own risk. These tools are written in JavaScript and require a browser with JavaScript capability. If you have trouble viewing or using these tools, please consult the NASA faq for frequently asked questions."
Likewise, CALuce assumes no responsibility for this information or its uses and has simply made this available, since copyright is asserted by neither NASA or the US Govt on their script, and is stated so in their html, which can be seen in the source of this page ("No copyright is claimed in the United States under Title 17, U.S. Code.").
This script is copied and customized by CALuce from the NASA site. This is what they wrote for a disclaimer, and since they have all the lawyers they want, I thought it would be good to repeat it here-- "and ditto for me."
"This software is provided "as is" without any warranty of any kind, either express, implied, or statutory, including, but not limited to, any warranty that the software will conform to specifications, any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from infringement, and any warranty that the documentation will conform to the program, or any warranty that the software will be error free. In no event shall NASA be liable for any damages, including, but not limited to direct, indirect, special or consequential damages, arising out of, resulting from, or in any way connected with the performance or breach of this license, whether or not based upon warranty, contract, tort or otherwise, whether or not injury was sustained by persons or property or otherwise, and whether or not loss was sustained from, or arose out of the results of, or use of, the software or services provided hereunder. No copyright on this page is claimed in the United States under Title 17, U.S. Code."


US Dept of Labor Statistics site is HERE.
Their Inflation Calculator showed up a coupla years ago, very similar to this one-- now its here.
So this one will not be updated past 10/2007