Tony Buzolich
01-31-2022, 05:16 PM
As a lot of you know I build custom stripping baskets. I've been doing this for a long time. Being retired it gives me something to do as a hobby and keeps me occupied. Today I was finishing an order and had to call my material suppiler for more pipe. 15" PVC to be specific. I usually have to buy it in 20' lengths and then cut it to get a good price.
https://i.imgur.com/5JUK5b6.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/vipdWR9.jpg?1
Today my supplier tells me that the price has gone up considerably and I ask "Why?" He jokingly asks if I have noticed the price of gas lately. Of course, I have, who hasn't? He politely tells me that all that pipe I've been buying over the years is made primarily of oil. Hmmmm? Can't argue about that. So, I bite the bullet and give him my order. Wow! Geez! and all of the expletives when I see the bill. How can I make any money when these kind of prices jump like this?
The easy answer is to simply raise my prices too. But this is supposed to be a fun hobby not an all out business.
So I go on with my sanding and glueing and finish another (still at the older prices) but it got me to thinking, "What about these new $100.00 fly lines everybody seems to be selling lately?" RIO, and ORVIS, and S/A all seem to have something new that is pushing the $100 dollar mark. Is it really a new design or taper? Or is it the Vinyl coating that they use which is oil based and hence the price increase for them too?
Fortunately I still have a few pieces of pipe left that I can sell at my old prices. But, I don't want to just pass the cost increases on to my friends. That's when a hobby isn't fun any longer.
Tony
https://i.imgur.com/5JUK5b6.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/vipdWR9.jpg?1
Today my supplier tells me that the price has gone up considerably and I ask "Why?" He jokingly asks if I have noticed the price of gas lately. Of course, I have, who hasn't? He politely tells me that all that pipe I've been buying over the years is made primarily of oil. Hmmmm? Can't argue about that. So, I bite the bullet and give him my order. Wow! Geez! and all of the expletives when I see the bill. How can I make any money when these kind of prices jump like this?
The easy answer is to simply raise my prices too. But this is supposed to be a fun hobby not an all out business.
So I go on with my sanding and glueing and finish another (still at the older prices) but it got me to thinking, "What about these new $100.00 fly lines everybody seems to be selling lately?" RIO, and ORVIS, and S/A all seem to have something new that is pushing the $100 dollar mark. Is it really a new design or taper? Or is it the Vinyl coating that they use which is oil based and hence the price increase for them too?
Fortunately I still have a few pieces of pipe left that I can sell at my old prices. But, I don't want to just pass the cost increases on to my friends. That's when a hobby isn't fun any longer.
Tony