As a business operator who has seen hundreds of price increases in most everything, including overall labor costs, I have to disagree. I had to raise our prices/rates multiple times in attempts to break even or maintain a slight profit margin in anticipation of projected inflation. Thus, passing on those increases to the customer. Inflation is real and not fake.
Many businesses across the country have closed due to inflation, and just locally, we have seen several long term businesses shut down the past two years. Inflation, shortages, etc are killing many.
It's always the people that don't own a business, talking about what's real or not real for businesses, isn't it? lol
So typical of so many people on this site. They are completely oblivious to the fact that they are 100% flat dead wrong... yet there they are, running their mouths anyway.
The inflation is real. The increased costs are real. Both of those acting in concert putting on insane pressure from both ends, is real. The continued increased tax pressure is real. It is all real, and anyone that doesn't think so is legit a clock puncher and nothing more.
Cost of everything up, or the value of money down... take your pick on how you want to look at it, but that's what is happening.
Every single product I bought this year was on average 20% to 40% more expensive than 2 years ago. Some items are literally hundreds of percent more expensive. Stocks, triggers, barrels, actions, bullets, powder, brass, primers, etc etc etc. All of my raw material for manufactured goods, every ounce of it. Everything is massively more expensive than 2 years ago and flat insane compared to what it was 5 years ago.
Myself, and every other business owner I know has been getting our profit margin eroded steadily for the past 5 years. We've been fighting not to raise prices, but we're ALL losing the battle. At some point you have no choice but to raise the price, of literally everything.
For those that don't run businesses, prior to this past 3-5 years, we could very easily run a really good budget based on a 3% yearly cost increase. So small no one really even notices. Now, I literally don't know anyone that can even say their budget is anything but fairy tales. When costs go up by 20% to 800% in the course of one single year... no one gets to say they have a lock on future spending.
NO ONE!
Oh, and here's the thing:
We haven't even remotely seen the worst of it.
2024 is going to be
ruthless. All of it. ... and all indications point to 2025 not being any better.
Anyone that doesn't like the prices, you better learn to do without... because our buying power will not go up. Not for a long while yet.
The monkeys at the levers are reporting a 3.1% inflation rate right now. They were reporting a 7% in '21 and 6.5% in '22. Yet across that same time period virtually every good has nearly doubled in price. Minimum of 30% increase across the board, with the average being much higher. I priced a new skid steer in '20, and I could have bought the machine for $65,000. Today, that same machine costs $95,000. Next year it could cost $130,000.
People can believe what they want. Go ahead, act like you're smart and have it all figured out. Scream "fake news" at your empty bank account all you want. See if it helps.
So you either buy your powder now, anything you can buy, at whatever price you find it for... or you go without. We haven't had powder on the shelf for 3 years. Now that it's there, people want to complain about price... like something with such short supply and such high demand to cause it to be literal vaporware for THREE YEARS is suppose to show up on the shelf at the same price they bought it for last time 5 years ago? Their head is in the sand, or up you know where. It isn't on top of their shoulders. Those same people that scream about the price and don't buy any, will be right back in here complaining in the next shortage... which is absolutely coming.
I have been buying components like a madman for months now. This last 3 years had depleted my supply pretty substantially. I could have weathered another year at my normal shooting cadence, but not 2. An 8lb keg just doesn't last me very long. Thankfully my powder vault is fully stocked again... and now I just need about 100,000 CCI-450's, and I'll be set for another big shortage. The people complaining about price now, will be complaining about lack then...
and I'll be out shooting. If anyone reading this wants to be able to shoot, then you better go buy right now. Never once in the last 30yrs of handloading have I seen a shortage last 3 years like this one did/is. (it's not over... I still can't find bulk CCI-450's.) So hear me clearly: Soon, another shortage will hit... and we might just end up in that mode for a decade this time.
So get while the getting is good, because if you don't, it will be much more expensive next time, if you can even find it.
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