Crusts on sliced loaves! Have they got much bigger?

Is it just me or have the crusts on sliced loaves got much thicker. I bought a loaf yesterday and the crusts were about half an inch thick either end - too thick to go into the toaster but not quite thick enough for me to slice them into two! I don't mind crusts - we used to be told it would make our hair curl, but as I really inly buy bread to have toast in the morning I end up giving the crusts to the birds.