I know about inflation and supply chain issues driving costs up but ...

[DeafDumbBlind Kid]

just now looked up a Marshall SC20C and they're almost 2 grand now? And a 1x12 extension cab is over a grand? Dayum

 

[Leee]

EVERYTHING is affected by inflation.

Those of us old enough to remember the late 70s should not be surprised by any of this.

And, due to market pressures, it is not simply a rising tide that lifts all price tags.
Scarcity and shortages will start causing crazy-ass price spikes in the most unexpected places.

Remember, shortages of refined sugar?
As a kid, I remember chuckling one morning because my parents were discussing coffee prices due to the shortage.

Didn’t care.
I still don’t drink that nasty shit.


Good thing inflation is still less than 8% - according to the official numbers…

 

[efstop]

just now looked up a Marshall SC20C and they're almost 2 grand now? And a 1x12 extension cab is over a grand? Dayum

About two years ago I bought a mint, used Marshall 1974CX 1x12 for $550 when the list was $990 CAD. They are $1700 now.

 

[redking]

Good time to buy used - even though used prices are up, still a significantly better deal in most cases.

 

[Deftone]

just now looked up a Marshall SC20C and they're almost 2 grand now? And a 1x12 extension cab is over a grand? Dayum

Used ones were under a grand a couple years ago. For the SV20C as well. Insane.

 

[ARandall]

For those who build guitars, the cost of lumber has doubled more recently, and compared even to 2014 when I first started building its tripled.
Of course there is only a small portion of wood in an amp, but this won't have helped either.

 

[motowntom]

It has helped me realize GAS is exactly that. I had a few musical items picked out since summer for Xmas, but have rethought all of them and am going to not purchases anything musical this holiday season.... sucks, but I'll survive. I would presume MFG's realize they will be selling much less volume.
Cheers

 

[Tweaker]

Not that this adds to the guitar related portion of the conversation, but I'm a one-man cabinet shop...plywood prices are stupid, poplar/maple prices are stupid, hardware prices are stupid...and then I look stupid when I give someone an estimate!

Unfortunately, I don't see prices coming down any time soon, if at all.

 

[Mr French]

Not that this adds to the guitar related portion of the conversation, but I'm a one-man cabinet shop...plywood prices are stupid, poplar/maple prices are stupid, hardware prices are stupid...and then I look stupid when I give someone an estimate!

Unfortunately, I don't see prices coming down any time soon, if at all.

Lumber was crazy high last summer. I notice this year it has come down in price for sure but it's higher than years back.

 

[Mr French]

just now looked up a Marshall SC20C and they're almost 2 grand now? And a 1x12 extension cab is over a grand? Dayum

I spoke with my lady about this as she has a background in retail for 16+ years.

"Why not" is the primary reason and Supply and demand is secondary aka the excuse.
Some markets like electronics are still battling a supply shortage and or the parts manufacture is simply wanting to take advantage of the situation which is likely. Hence the "Why not" and everyone is doing it.

I've seen a box of Rice crispy cereal sell for $8! That was last week at the grocery store and there's certainly no shortage in the cereal aisle.

Anyone remember the price fixing scandal from the 90's? Matt Damon made a funny movie about it call the Informant. Anyways price fixing is still happening today as we know it.

 

[DeafDumbBlind Kid]

I spoke with my lady about this as she has a background in retail for 16+ years.

"Why not" is the primary reason and Supply and demand is secondary aka the excuse.
Some markets like electronics are still battling a supply shortage and or the parts manufacture is simply wanting to take advantage of the situation which is likely. Hence the "Why not" and everyone is doing it.

I've seen a box of Rice crispy cereal sell for $8! That was last week at the grocery store and there's certainly no shortage in the cereal aisle.

Anyone remember the price fixing scandal from the 90's? Matt Damon made a funny movie about it call the Informant. Anyways price fixing is still happening today as we know it.

I have little doubt that price fixing is becoming an acceptable "business as usual" practice. I think it began with the ever-shrinking package. A can of Medaglia D'oro coffee probably used to be 16 ounces aka one pound. Today, they're 11 ounces (haven't bought one in a few years so it may even be smaller) but they were keeping the price the same through each size change. Only now the manufacturers and distributors believe the public is so overwhelmed with acceptance of higher prices that they just raise the prices without shrinking the packaging any more. Retooling costs money, slapping a higher price doesn't.

Practically every item I buy at a supermarket is over 3 or 4 dollars now. I don't even fill a plastic grocery bag and it's 30 dollars. I see people with a full size cart heaped. It's got to be 250-300 dollars these days.

 

[Mr French]

I have little doubt that price fixing is becoming an acceptable "business as usual" practice. I think it began with the ever-shrinking package. A can of Medaglia D'oro coffee probably used to be 16 ounces aka one pound. Today, they're 11 ounces (haven't bought one in a few years so it may even be smaller) but they were keeping the price the same through each size change. Only now the manufacturers and distributors believe the public is so overwhelmed with acceptance of higher prices that they just raise the prices without shrinking the packaging any more. Retooling costs money, slapping a higher price doesn't.

Practically every item I buy at a supermarket is over 3 or 4 dollars now. I don't even fill a plastic grocery bag and it's 30 dollars. I see people with a full size cart heaped. It's got to be 250-300 dollars these days.

I get it. What I found strange was people selling used cars at an extreme premium. in mid Jan 2020 an old neighbor purchase a 2005 Buick Rainier for $1800 with 190k miles and everything working fine. Sold it for $5500 last year with 212k miles and didn't put a dime into it.

He told me a lot of folks marked up old used cars like no there's no tomorrow. Even some junky cars.

 

[DeafDumbBlind Kid]

He told me a lot of folks marked up old used cars like no there's no tomorrow. Even some junky cars.

that terrifies the shit out of me. I drive a 2006 suv, on social security retirement and there's n way in hell i can afford a replacement car if some uninsured driver T-bones my car and totals it. The insurance companies sure as shit are NOT paying market replacement value or everybody's insurance would quadruple. I do know that Geico more than doubled my premium from 2022 for 2023. I had to go shopping for a better rate, something I'm loathe to do.

 

[Mr French]

that terrifies the shit out of me. I drive a 2006 suv, on social security retirement and there's n way in hell i can afford a replacement car if some uninsured driver T-bones my car and totals it. The insurance companies sure as shit are NOT paying market replacement value or everybody's insurance would quadruple. I do know that Geico more than doubled my premium from 2022 for 2023. I had to go shopping for a better rate, something I'm loathe to do.

I understand. I was looking for a car for my lady in 2021 but prices had been insane. I have seen prices come down on old used cars this year and are way more reasonable. Not going to mentioned new car prices.

Totally understand about premiums. You can also ask if your ins company will offer an agreed value or based on current blue book. I can tell you 21st century only offers current market value.

 

[redcoats1976]

yup.im on SS too and it sucks getting screwed over.would like to see the fat cats live on $2200 monthly for two people and see how they like it.

 

[BRMarshall]

My first paycheck job was pumping gas in 1978 at about $.54/gallon. By May 1980 it was $1.00/gal. - and prices on everything else rose too. For years I spent $300/month at the grocery (it’s just me), but same stuff is now $400/month. Government may say 8%, but my grocery bill is up 33%.
Unfortunately, I think prices will continue to increase, much triggered by energy prices, especially diesel which transports everything. Best way to combat demand side inflation is to put off purchasing. I would like a new DSL20H, but not at today’s prices - up 60% from pre pandemic. If prices don’t drop some, I play what I have.

 

[lunchbox]

"Why not" is the primary reason and Supply and demand is secondary aka the excuse.
Some markets like electronics are still battling a supply shortage and or the parts manufacture is simply wanting to take advantage of the situation which is likely. Hence the "Why not" and everyone is doing it.

This is the same thing I was saying in another thread on the exorbitant prices of LPs in the used market. Most disagreed with me, but I know better.

The only reason that the value of something that has already been made (meaning there are no material, labor or overhead costs for it because it already exists) is scarcity. And there's no scarcity of used Gibsons, that's for sure. This is why people on Reverb are asking incredible amounts of $$$ for their guitars, and then having to drop their prices multiple times because no one is biting.

 

[lunchbox]

yup.im on SS too and it sucks getting screwed over.would like to see the fat cats live on $2200 monthly for two people and see how they like it.

That's what I pay for my mortgage, and I'm paying like $250 over the monthly minimum.

I'm NOT looking forward to retirement at this point. I'll probably have to work until I croak.

 

[Steve T 667]

my idea of retirement is like either being a school janitor at night, or stockin supermarket shelves 3rd shift. quiet, same thing everyday, 8 hrs and go home. no emails at all hrs needing this or that or the show is disaster, no bus parking calls at 8am, no jam bands who load in at 11am, play till 1 am and load out is until 3am, no cleaning puke clogged toilets.
Just headphones on monotany, plus hourly differential and full benefits!

 

[DeafDumbBlind Kid]

I'm actually looking into un-retiring. I was on disability until I turned 62 and they automatically put me on retirement, at the lowest percentage. Now I'm about to turn 65 in a few month and going on Medicare. The plus side is I will be all but unrestricted in how much I can earn and I'll be paying back into the system so when i do retire for real in about 10 years, I'll get hopefully significantly more. Even then, I'll look for some low-stress part time work just to have beer and walking around money.