I remember when I visited the USSR in 1990 (it was still the USSR at that point, barely), it was around 8 rubles to the dollar, and the buying power of those 8

I remember when I visited the USSR in 1990 (it was still the USSR at that point, barely), it was around 8 rubles to the dollar, and the buying power of those 8 rubles was very large indeed. I think I took a total of $200 US on the trip, and I was not even able to spend it all, despite being in the USSR for a couple weeks. There simply was not enough to buy that anyone would want to buy, at least not things I could take back on the plane. I ended up getting 9 very nice fur hats, for that reason, to give out to family and friends. I still have mine! It's very warm and nice.