They’re probably comparing like items—so maybe a decent mid-range tv is the same price, but the same tv would be much cheaper. I paid $1k for a decent tv in 2009, and then bought a new decent tv this year for the same $1k, but it’s a much nicer tv than before.

But I agree with you about the essential meaningless of that number. People buy a tv every X years (for me 15, apparently), but they buy food almost every day.