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Oh how times and prices have changed!

CBI

Well-Known Member
Yes, what we like costs a lot. But asking the question, why so much - is OK but doesn't really help - I want a BMW but they are too expensive/out of my price range - end of discussion for me about BMW's. Its just the way it is.

Yes these high end jacket are pricey.
 

unclegrumpy

Well-Known Member
Four? In a year?! You don't need more reachable prices. You need a 12 step program!

Now, now, Dave...am getting a bit confused...are you offering Smithy a chair at one of your weekly meetings or just heckling him as you float with me down that famous river in Egypt...."Denial"
 

Smithy

Well-Known Member
Four? In a year?! You don't need more reachable prices. You need a 12 step program!

One was an original, a terrible beat up thing, and the rest repros and not for horrific prices either. But that was it for me for silly impulse buying.

It's a cliche I know but when you get kids it puts into perspective what's important in your life and especially with material things. I still love flying jackets but I've just reached the point where the new price for most repros just doesn't fit with what it's worth.

That's a subjective thing I know but it's also why you'll hear several other members on here saying they're only on the secondhand market now.
 

dmar836

Well-Known Member
Now, now, Dave...am getting a bit confused...are you offering Smithy a chair at one of your weekly meetings or just heckling him as you float with me down that famous river in Egypt...."Denial"
Yes. You are all envited to join my "group". Success will be immediately noticeable as one of my guarantees is that your collection will shrink. The price to join is one high end A-2 in size 40-42.
See? Done!
Dave
 

m444uk

Active Member
Back in Sept 2000 Eastman faxed me their price. Time flies.

The B of B RAF, which I'm guessing had recently been introduced, was £ 525 for a size 46 which inflation adjusted is £867. Today they charge £845

1942 RAF £423 =£699, today £825

The ANJ-4 size 46 was £505, adjusted £834, today £950

D1 £364 =£600, today £710

B-3 horsehide facings £435 =£718, today £825

(all figures using the RPI inflation index)

Conclusion: Eastman's prices are fair and broadly inline with UK inflation + circa 15% for shearling jackets

Eastman A-1o gloves are outsourced £67 then = £110, today £110
 
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dmar836

Well-Known Member
Remember the 2009 mess really turned a lot of things upside down and we aren't really fully recovered. Life has gotten expensive for the makers just as it has for the average guy. Wait. Makers ARE average guys too!
For me this is part of the world and I have come to grips that I just can't justify some purchases. That's a good thing that puts me in control.
Interestingly, I priced some Model T upgrade parts after this thread started. 2009 price was $350. Today's price? $900. A higher % increase than in jackets? Are they using horsehide brake lining now? That can't be fair! I call greed! Seriously, everyone look at what their expenditures and income did over the past 18 yrs. Seriously, do that.
Did anyone look up the closing rates of small businesses or sole proprietorships during this time period? I doubt all the cottage industry guys that managed to stay solvent during the recession got together and decided to double and triple their prices purely out of greed.
BTW, for the price of one high end jacket, buy used equipment, source the parts, and make your own jacket. It isn't easy but is it worth $1000 savings? You decide. Once you do that, and apparently only then, it becomes difficult to criticize what others ask for that process.
JMO,
Dave
 

unclegrumpy

Well-Known Member
I think what is interesting, is the politicians and money people talk about how low inflation has been over the last ten years. Part of that is what they are counting...or not counting.

Another factor that comes into play is something Ken and others hit on...which is the cost to do things...both in time and the equipment needed to do it. Sometimes I think you have to look at the collective "pies" each of us are slicing. Some things that are normal costs of everyday life today did not exist...cell phones, internet, giant cable tv packages, and so on...all things that have large monthly bills, and we can't seem to live without...and take a big slice out before we even get started.
 

Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
I think what is interesting, is the politicians and money people talk about how low inflation has been over the last ten years. Part of that is what they are counting...or not counting.

Your last three words really nail the problem

Nothing is more irritating or misleading that successive UK governments leaving housing out of the retail price index, whether it's home ownership or rent
Just imagine the inflation rate if these were included
For example
I sold my first house in 1976 for £10000, (I think, it may have been slightly less) I used the money to buy the (long) lease on The ThriftShop with included a huge 4 bedroom flat above (Rent £8 a week) and I had plenty £££s spare to stock ther shop and do up the flat.
Both of these buildings (I refuse to use the word property as that just stokes greed) were in Battersea. The very slightly bigger house next door to the one I sold for £10000 was on the market recently for £1.3 Million
The manager of The Thrift Shop was paid roughly one 15th of what the best paid person at Aero is paid today yet 15 times the house price is £150000 not £1.3 Mill.......... I rest my case
Am I p*ssed off? YES, but not for myself, for young folk being denied the chances that my generation had.

No 1 culprit..........Gordon Brown and his mantra "No More Boom and Bust" and Thatcher for allowing council house to be resold in 3 years (not 10 or 12) and for not ensuring all the money raise went back into social housing, whatever the hell THAT means.
 
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ButteMT61

Well-Known Member
It's not just UK politicians that do this "funny accounting". Most of us have not had a raise in 6-7 years. You think the price of EVERYTHING else hasn't???
It's getting harder and harder now to make a go of it. My daughter graduated med school with $200k in student loans - and she got a lot fo scholarships and assistance from the Native American funds of her tribe.

In a few more years here, it will be the 3-4 major cities with the ultra-rich and then the rest of us fighting for what's left. And it won't be much...
 

unclegrumpy

Well-Known Member
One thing that is a factor in the inflation of housing prices is the low interest rates. It is a bit counter intuitive, but having them really really low allows prices to rise, because it still comes down to the bottom line cost with both the house price and interest cost combined. The ball buster with those low 1970's early 1980's housing prices were the high interest rates...hitting 21.5% in December 1980. Wages were low too, and things were generally depressed. Getting a loan to fix anything was hard to get and expensive as well...higher than the base interest rate...because the banks were adding fees and a few percentage points for their profit.

I agree with Ken, much of the problem is from government meddling...and again agree that is from both sides of the political spectrum. What I don't think either side seems to grasp is that having an interest rate that reasonable enough to encourage people to save...we could debate what "reasonable" is, but it is probably 3% 0r 4% on a basic insured savings account at a bank, which maybe equates to a 5% or 6% borrowing rate...is probably as low as it should have ever gone. The low interest rates also helped fuel government spending, and we all know how they like to spend...so on it went.

Student loans are another thing the government helped us all into a big mess. Making those loans bigger and really easy to get just pumped more money into higher education, and the tuition prices skyrocketed because people now could pay higher prices...just like they could pay higher prices for housing. The little guy...or gal in ButteMT61's case...still gets the bill...so the big boys can keep rock'en on....getting richer and richer....but we don't want to call that inflation...because it might interrupt their gravy trains.

http://www.fedprimerate.com/wall_street_journal_prime_rate_history.htm
 
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