Re: [Harp-L] Prices of Harmonicas

joe leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx> · Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:28:31 -0400

On Mar 19, 2010, at 12:23 PM, David Payne wrote:

It's a fairly complicated dynamic.

Supply and demand. If we don't demand them, they can't supply them.   
lolol
IT's not only inflation, but inflation in two countries, the one of  
origin and the one of sale.

That's quite true. Everyone talks about the exchange rate. What a  
maroon. It isn't so important as to WHAT the rate is but what a sum  
of money will buy. Example: Not only is the Euro rated at $1.36  
(right now), BUT, but but, a Euro will never buy $1.36 worth of what  
it will buy in the U.S. Sooo, not only does the Euro cost more, it  
also buys less. Soooo, we get a DOUBLE hit. For instance: something  
costs a dollar in the U.S. The same thing 'SHOULD' cost a Euro in the  
E.U. ( a net loss of 36 cents for the dollar), BUT, but but the cost  
for the same item costs 1 & 1 HALF Euro. Net result is that a $1.oo  
item in the U.S. will actually cost you $2.o4 in the E.U.. This is  
RIDICULOUS, as I know of NO European product that is worth more than  
double JUST because it was purchased in Europe.
I lived there off and on from the mid 40s till the late 50s. I SAW  
the change. At one time they were like the Caribbean. They were  
begging you to buy their stuff. Now, it's as if they're doing you a  
favor.
Two different inflation dynamics... but that's not all.... then  
factor in the strength of the currency in the country of origin and  
the country of sale.... All adds up in the case of the U.S., we  
enjoyed some artificially low prices for a lot of decades, based on  
what was going on in the German economy was doing.

Artificially low only because before WWII, the American worker made  
more than his European counterpart. In the last 65 years this has all  
reversed. The American system is to keep the American worker paid as  
low as possible while going for more productivity. Ergo: the quality  
of American products has suffered due to rush rush tactics. Then to  
exascerbate the issue, American engineering went to planned  
obsolescence in order to increase repeat sales. Workers can only make  
what the engineers design. And if they design junk, you GET junk. The  
American worker gets blamed, and it all goes down hill from there.
England is hurting today because they made their stuff SO good that  
it rarely broke. Their 'lifetime' of use meant that repeat sales were  
non existent.
 Had the world wars never happened, a set of harmonicas would have  
cost the same as a saxophone many, many years ago.

I agree. For some reason the European manufacturers must think that  
their products are gold. I (personally) don't see it. But now that  
nothing is built in America any longer, people can stop blaming us.

Dave

----- Original Message ----
From: bostonmoejo <bostonmoejo@xxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Fri, March 19, 2010 11:29:28 AM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Prices of Harmonicas
That's inflation!!!
When I was a kid (let's say 50 years ago) my mother would send me  
to the store with a dollar to get a loaf of bread, a half gallon of  
milk and a pack of Lucky Strikes (yeah in those days they'd sell  
cigs to a seven year old kid.) I got to keep the change which was  
enough to buy a candy bar for my brother and myself (that's two  
candy bars at a nickel each) Now you're lucky to be able to find a  
frickin' candy bar for a buck.
That's inflation!!!
I think my father was making about $8k a year then as a USPS letter  
carrier.
I remember my great-grandfather telling me that when he was young  
my great-grandmother (she handled the money) would save up a dollar  
so as to be able to purchase a barrel of flour (clearly a money  
saving bulk purchase) when he was trying to instill in me the value  
of a dollar.
That's inflation!!!
When I was in high school my friends and I would pool our money to  
put gas in whoever's Dads car we had that night. A couple of bucks  
worth of gas would allow use to drive around all night and not  
return the car with an empty gas tank.
That's inflation!!!
The Gibson A-1 mandolin that I bought for $300 in the early 70s  
would set me back $1500-$1800 today.
That's inflation.
My advise: buy as many Marine Bands (or mandolins) today that you  
can afford.
Bo in Boston

In a message dated 03/19/10 10:43:54 Eastern Daylight Time,  
mfugazzi67@xxxxxxxxx writes:

$43 at the local store for a Marine Band.  Insane that just a  
couple of years ago they were half the price for the same thing!

Mike Fugazzi
Vocals/Harmonica
http://playingtheharmonica.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/niterailband
http://www.youtube.com/user/NiteRail
http://www.twitter.com/NiteRail

________________________________
From: John Hegedus <johnhegedus@xxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Fri, March 19, 2010 9:11:57 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] Prices of Harmonicas
It's crazy what harps cost these days. I could buy a nice Saxophone  
for what a set of harps cost. Sad but true...