Mold INFLATION

[Mark Daiute]

Some of us bitch about Lee molds. But think about it. 22 dollars for a mold? I've had a lot of fun with some of these molds. I like the new molds better than the old and wanted to replace my 120 grain 30 cal mold with the newer version.

Neither Titan nor Lee have had 30 cal molds for several months now.

Many Lee molds are available on Ebay but not from our normal distributors. Some with "buy it now" prices that are 3 times the normal price.

I found the mold I want for 4 times the normal amout, 88 bucks.

This imsanity sucks bog water.

[StuBach]

I was just commenting to my wife how it’s gotten to the point where Lee molds are no longer competitive. $88 for a used Lee vs $115 (converted with no discount) for a brand new 4cav solid brass mold from MP. I know that $27 matters but 4cav brass vs 2 cav aluminum, I’d save the money and buy custom every time. Also, I think that $27 difference in price is what I paid for my Lee 2 Cav.

Lee will eventually catch up but sucks having to wait for prices to come back down.

[Joe504]

I have been watching those prices, they are already starting to come down. I would expect in the next 4 to 6 weeks they will be back to normal, as the panic buying appears to be over.

Titan, FS and others are just starting to have inventory again.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[beagle]

Still think the best place to buy moulds is on our own "Swappin' and Sellin" section. Our members don't seem to have the gouge mania that's on E-Bay. I've sold a few moulds in the past months since the pandemic and still ask the same prices I did before the pandemic and try to be reasonable. The thing about building a mould accumulation is to have patience and it will come along.
If you just "gotta have it" by Wednesday, be prepared to get scalped./beagle

[Multra]

Panic buying may be slowing down, but material shortages are ramping up.

[zarrinvz24]

I don’t think it’s panic buying, so much as the influx as a stimulus funds are beginning to run out.

[MrWolf]

May have found a site for an RCBS 35-200 that I have had on backorder since December for around $77. Took a gamble it was legit. Ordered it yesterday and already got a thank you and a tracking number. If it is legit, I am going back for some others I have been looking for and will let you folks know where it is. I was kinda shocked they had a few other items in stock.

[downzero]

There's a few Lee molds I'd probably pay double the usual price for. They really are a steal for what they normally go for. It's only in rough times that we realize what a great bargain they are. I've had so much fun with cast bullets made with some of the Lee molds.

[GregLaROCHE]

I think as soon as Remington ammunition starts hitting the shelves again, a lot of gun related prices will start coming down.

https://youtu.be/LQadZyNFLN8

[jim147]

I don't know about aluminum but steel and lumber prices have doubled in the last few months. When stuff starts coming back it will be higher than it was before.

[RogerDat]

I'm just kicking myself that I didn't sell the Lee 2 cavity 9mm when they were selling for $150 on eBay have two and could have sold both, and would have made $250 to set aside for when supply shortage abates.

It will abate is a certainty. As companies put inventory up for sale at regular retail prices it will get snatched by people reselling immediately as long as the eBay price allows for a robust profit. If one can buy two molds for $45 plus shipping and sell for $300 plush shipping it pays to lurk and check retail sites relentlessly. At the more current buy it now price of $50 a mold that effort isn't as lucrative so gradually retail outlets will have items in stock and the demand side will get satisfied at regular retail prices. If history is any guide those prices may have gone up a bit from pre-pandemic panic prices.

I don't find myself concerned about mold prices right now, have what is needed. Would be bad time to decide I needed something in a new caliber because it would be hard to find mold, dies, and brass to load a new caliber. Heaven help you if you also needed a different powder or two to find a load.

Assuming $150 was a price one was willing to pay for a 9mm mold there are certainly options that while they may take a bit longer to receive from those who make high quality molds such as MP, Accurate, and NOE the quality of the mold will be a definite notch up from the $22 mold and cost less than that mold was selling for on eBay. Even at $50 last price I saw a $79 mold of better quality would make sense.

On a totally unrelated "backordered" item not being in stock for months now... I just got an email telling me the plastic cases I ordered to keep shell holders in are still not in stock but I'm next up for when they get more in. Who would think the plastic cases to store shell holders would remain on back order for months? My guess is supply chain issues but I ordered months ago and was about ready to make something.

[RogerDat]

I don't know about aluminum but steel and lumber prices have doubled in the last few months. When stuff starts coming back it will be higher than it was before.

Doubled? $7 sheets of OSB are going for $33 at the big box stores. Understand that saw mills anticipated a low demand due to covid, with harvesting, transport, and mills all having some labor shortages due to people being sick or difficulty with getting steady supply from upstream for themselves. Wood pulp from places such as Brazil are not flowing well. Brazil is in a bad place with covid-19 which is hurting exports. Combined with shipping to retail being impacted AND the demand for home improvement or new construction going up not down (Lowes & HD both having record profits) prices went up pretty rapidly. Frankly to levels that one knows are not sustainable.

I'm not doing projects simply because lumber prices would make them a lot more expensive than I'm guessing the project will cost in a few months. Bet I'm not alone but apparently there is still enough demand to get those prices on lumber.

Same with molds, or other reloading items. Since I can wait I will wait. Much of this I will only buy one time, might as well not pay so much more than the regular price.

If the prices are high enough that it would kill demand then the price will only stay there as long as demand is willing to pay that price. Building industry can't support $33 OSB for long. Reloading can't handle $400 a thousand primers or $150 for basic quality molds for very long. Too much of the market will simply not buy. Casino's can make all tables have minimum $50 bet but only if there enough people in the casino willing to play at that level. If not then $20, $10, $5 and $2 minimum bet tables will be available as required to get demand up.

[StuBach]

Follow up on the demand/supply chain delays, interesting sign of the times. Just had a random though to upgrade my 45 ACP dies to Dillons like I’ve been planning for years but never had the thought to do till last night...28 week back order...I’ll keep going with my old Lyman set [emoji39].

I know another thread pointed out that Magma stopped taking orders as they are currently 2 years backlogged.

[MrWolf]

I know another member and I had discussed the exact mould i had on backorder. He had a duplicate and was going to put it up on either GB or evil bay for $150. No idea if he got his price but do not doubt he did.

[Gator 45/70]

Ha, a 2x4 is what 10 bucks now? My house is worth more taken apart than standing.
Back on topic, I was able to find a 30 cal mold on here from a good member at a price I could live with, Thanks again man !

[daloper]

Mold are hard to find. I have been checking every day for about 3 weeks trying to find a mold for a new .40 SW. I guess that I can wait for them to catch up. No Lee or M-P molds. Not much selection at NOE either. Have not seen any on the site here. Did finally find a set of dies at Midway.

[John Boy]

Best place to find available molds now with decent cost is Accurate Molds ... plus if you want a custom mold with a quick delivery, send Tom the dimensions or a couple of bullets
https://www.accuratemolds.com/

[ReloaderFred]

Doubled? $7 sheets of OSB are going for $33 at the big box stores. Understand that saw mills anticipated a low demand due to covid, with harvesting, transport, and mills all having some labor shortages due to people being sick or difficulty with getting steady supply from upstream for themselves. Wood pulp from places such as Brazil are not flowing well. Brazil is in a bad place with covid-19 which is hurting exports. Combined with shipping to retail being impacted AND the demand for home improvement or new construction going up not down (Lowes & HD both having record profits) prices went up pretty rapidly. Frankly to levels that one knows are not sustainable.

I'm not doing projects simply because lumber prices would make them a lot more expensive than I'm guessing the project will cost in a few months. Bet I'm not alone but apparently there is still enough demand to get those prices on lumber.

Same with molds, or other reloading items. Since I can wait I will wait. Much of this I will only buy one time, might as well not pay so much more than the regular price.

If the prices are high enough that it would kill demand then the price will only stay there as long as demand is willing to pay that price. Building industry can't support $33 OSB for long. Reloading can't handle $400 a thousand primers or $150 for basic quality molds for very long. Too much of the market will simply not buy. Casino's can make all tables have minimum $50 bet but only if there enough people in the casino willing to play at that level. If not then $20, $10, $5 and $2 minimum bet tables will be available as required to get demand up.

I have close friends who own a lumber yard, and they're suffering, plus they feel sorry for anyone doing any building right now. They told me there have been days when they've received up to three price increases from their suppliers in one day! And that's for studs. The wholesale price of plywood and OSB, which we call "Oregon Sponge Board", has gone through the roof on the wholesale end, and the retailers have no choice but to pass it on to the consumers. Between the Wuhan Flu issues, all the fires last summer across the nation, plus flood and storm damage, combined with environmental restrictions, the lumber market is crazy. Here in the U.S., most of the lumber is coming off privately owned land. I'm looking out my window as I type this at several thousand acres of Forest Service timber that is off limits to harvesting, due to continuous lawsuits and unrealistic regulations. My friends have also told me there have been recent times when certain wood products haven't been available at any price.

These issues don't only apply to lumber. The items we use in our chosen hobby are also subject to some of the same problems. Copper and lead mines have been forced to shut down, along with the mills to turn the ore into usable products. Steel mills have been forced to close over the last several decades, along with the mines that used to produce iron ore.

All these things have consequences, and we as the end users are the ones who will pay for it.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[GregLaROCHE]

As has already been said, if the prices of Lee molds stay high, you are better off going for a top quality custom mold.

[Tar Heel]

Fleabay prices are fleabay prices. I have seen $20 goods selling for $140. A lot of the problem is that idiots who know nothing about the merchandise they are selling are trying to sell stuff. Other times it is an iron mold so it must be an "antique" mold. It's actually very entertaining to see that kind of crap. Unfortunately folks who know nothing about the merchandise pay those prices and feed the greed. Oh well.

[Tar Heel]

Lee molds sold by Lee and reputable dealers are $20 or higher for the 6 cavity molds. Anything else is robbery. Do your homework and avoid the sham sellers.

[Bird]

RogerDat, OSB board at $33.00 a sheet???? where is that at? I need some at those prices. 7/16 is $52.92 at HD today.

[3006guns]

$128 for a box of 1000 primers. Brass....out of stock, back ordered, etc. Lee two cavity .38 caliber mold (used) $96. These are just some of the asking prices I've seen in the last month or so. Frankly, when availability brings prices back down I hope every one of the greedy fools selling that stuff chokes on it. The unfortunate fact is that once prices escalate, they never come back down to what you and I consider "normal". We watched prices go up during Obama's reign and they never went all the way back down once he left office.

It's components I worry about. With all the recent shootings you can bet your bottom dollar that the politicians will discover reloading and how "evil" it is. Powder will be their first target, followed by primers, etc. Trying to convince these folks that the average street thug knows nothing about reloading is like talking to a dumb wall.

So, once prices DO drop to an affordable level........stack it high and stack it deep.

As for lumber, I just built the wife a 10' planter out of two treated 2 x 12's............$241!!!!!! That's the last project I'm working on for awhile.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Accurate molds and Noe are selling for the same prices. They are behind on production though.

[HATCH]

Purchase quality molds directly from the manufactures as stated above.

MP molds, Accurate, NOE, and other quality direct order manufactures haven't jacked their prices up to the panic levels everything else is at right now.

Now with primers, powder and other supplies.
The market sets the price.
Powder Valley Inc stopped listing up primers as they have a huge backorder.
Midway USA 's last price on CCI SPP was $60 per K which is double of what it should be.
A quick check just know on Gunbroker lists CCI SPP as $190 per K (active auction with bids ending in @8 hrs)

As long as people are willing to pay these high prices then they will stay high.
I have a feeling that once the market has been saturated with ammo (in other words once people have enough at home to feel comfortable) then the shelves will start being stocked back up.
Once that happens then the supply of primers will go back up and the prices will come back down.
I doubt very seriously that the prices of primers will be back down to the $30 per K that it once was.

[Dunross]

We may - possibly - be seeing the beginning of the end of this cycle of price craziness for molds.

I had been looking for a six cav Lee 358-125-rf mold for a while, but as you noted if you could find one it was going to be twice or more suggested retail which I was not going to pay.

Last night I noticed there were new Lee molds closing without bids and prices beginning (from SOME sellers) starting to inch downwards. Found one with handles starting at $89.99. Put in the minimum bid and took it as the sole bidder. Free shipping. So basically the msrp of $60 for the mold, $26 for the handles, and the remaining $4 to cover the shipping. More than I would have paid two years ago, half or less of what was being asked two months ago. I think other sellers will begin to notice their stock is not selling so we'll start to see prices coming down. Not universally as there will be some who will simply continue to relist at preposterous prices, but the rest will begin to feel the downward pressure.

Hopefully the same is beginning to occur with powder and primers.

[Burnt Fingers]

I have close friends who own a lumber yard, and they're suffering, plus they feel sorry for anyone doing any building right now. They told me there have been days when they've received up to three price increases from their suppliers in one day! And that's for studs. The wholesale price of plywood and OSB, which we call "Oregon Sponge Board", has gone through the roof on the wholesale end, and the retailers have no choice but to pass it on to the consumers. Between the Wuhan Flu issues, all the fires last summer across the nation, plus flood and storm damage, combined with environmental restrictions, the lumber market is crazy. Here in the U.S., most of the lumber is coming off privately owned land. I'm looking out my window as I type this at several thousand acres of Forest Service timber that is off limits to harvesting, due to continuous lawsuits and unrealistic regulations. My friends have also told me there have been recent times when certain wood products haven't been available at any price.

These issues don't only apply to lumber. The items we use in our chosen hobby are also subject to some of the same problems. Copper and lead mines have been forced to shut down, along with the mills to turn the ore into usable products. Steel mills have been forced to close over the last several decades, along with the mines that used to produce iron ore.

All these things have consequences, and we as the end users are the ones who will pay for it.

Hope this helps.

Fred

Remember when President Klinton came to Portland for the Timber summit?

All the parties sat down and hammered out an agreement that would allow harvesting on public lands. The next day the enviro-weenies sued to stop any timber sales on public land.

There's enough timber on public land in Oregon and Washington to supply most of the US demand for the next 200 years. However the enviro-weenies don't want ANY timber cut, public or private. They would rather let it burn than have it cut.

It's as stupid as it sounds. When you cut down timber you lock up the carbon, the stuff that's supposed to be causing "climate change" but really doesn't, if you let it burn all that carbon is released. The enviro-weenies shouldn't be allowed to have it both ways.

Also the Government pays all their costs when they sue the Government to stop timber sales. That's got to be a nice racket.

[Randy Bohannon]

$123T ‘actual’ National Debt, what do you think happens when you print money like Zimbabwe ? Venezuela has a $1billion dollar note that’s worth ,wait for it ........ $.53 not $53.00 or $530.00, or 5300.00 nope .53 cents. We will be there sooner than you think.

[GregLaROCHE]

$123T ‘actual’ National Debt, what do you think happens when you print money like Zimbabwe ? Venezuela has a $1billion dollar note that’s worth ,wait for it ........ $.53 not $53.00 or $530.00, or 5300.00 nope .53 cents. We will be there sooner than you think.

A couple of those would make good conversation, when starting the barbecue with them.

[rbuck351]

Inflation is the increase in the money supply. When the supply of money increases, it's buying power (value) goes down. When the value of a dollar goes down, it takes more of them to buy any item. Then add in an increase in the demand for an item and you have a very large increase in the price. When the demand goes down the price will go down but not to the pre inflation price. Primers will never be $7 a thousand like they were when I started loading. Molds will never be what they were two years ago. Neither will anything else. Govt deficit spending and interference in capitalism with regulations are the problem.

[MrWolf]

Keep looking around. I just bought a Lee 6 banger today for $38 plus a few dollars shipping. Not the greatest price but no complaints.

[Jtarm]

Inflation is the increase in the money supply.

There’s multiple types of inflation.

What you describe is demand-pull, which is one of the two most common types and what we’ll likely be seeing soon.

The other common type is cost-push, basically when cost of goods sold goes up.

[38SuperAuto]

Remember when President Klinton came to Portland for the Timber summit?

All the parties sat down and hammered out an agreement that would allow harvesting on public lands. The next day the enviro-weenies sued to stop any timber sales on public land.



So, the screaming hypocrisy of the enviro extremists is: they are living in houses made of wood and are using other wood products. they are not walking everywhere and riding bicycles to work, and are using fossil fuel for energy. The truth that many miss is most "renewable" energy sources require fossil fuel for peaking and backup, b/c the sun don't shine and wind don't blow at higher levels when people need more energy. "Zero emission" vehicles account for part of emission at the electricity generating station, plus lithium battery production and copper production for motor windings have measurable negative effects on the environment.

Progress requires energy: Biden and company's idea to make energy more expensive will serve as disincentive for economy's growth.

[RogerDat]

RogerDat, OSB board at $33.00 a sheet???? where is that at? I need some at those prices. 7/16 is $52.92 at HD today.

Well that was a price from the day before.... I'm simply floored by the prices. I think things will gradually get back to normal as vaccine gets distributed and summer which seems to slow the spread. All it takes is a very tiny shift in the number of people who get infected by each person who catches it. If that number is 1.1 people catch it from each sick person the growth rate is 10% however if that can get pushed down to .9 then the drop in cases will be 10% or 20% less increase than a growing infection.

I'm hoping before late fall to see prices sane enough to at least make a new ramp into the garden shed. Few sticks of treated 2x6 shouldn't cost more than the contents of the shed.

[RogerDat]

All sorts of materials are in short supply. We have a global supply chain. Great time to be selling scrap. Have heard at the yard that people are digging out their garage and behind the garage junk to bring in.

Automation and ability to produce in whichever place has the lowest costs for labor and plant infrastructure has shut down a whole lot of production. As well as the industry wide tendency to consolidate into few but larger companies by purchasing your competition and then "consolidating" manufacturing capacity. Fancy way of saying cheaper to run one plant 2 shifts than 2 plants for 1 shift. This also means that one has fewer points of failure. A single plant that manufactures auto computer chip has determined production capacity of our automakers. A couple of meat plants have to shut down and a few breathless news stories about it and another item disappears.

Lee has trouble getting or pays more for materials, which it can only do to a limited extent then it will produce fewer molds. At the same time most people know this situation is temporary. Annoying as all get out but temporary.

The prices on auction site price in this environment reflects the financial capacity of the two people in the country who are the most desperate to purchasing an item. Last time I looked prices for the $20 mold were down to $50 from a high of $150 probably because people have figured out that while one has to shop around to hit a mold in stock and selection is not great molds are being produced.

I would be another to suggest the custom mold makers are a solution. Or one can wait, bum some already cast off a friend, borrow a mold. Offer a swap in S&S forum here. Might even post a WTB in the S&S forum. Folks here tend to more caretakers of our hobby then get rich quick off of it. On the other hand you (or I) have no special claim to tell someone they are wrong for wanting market price. For all we know the times being a bit rough they may need the money, or just want to get the best price for what they have. Just as auction sites drive the market up, folks willing to give fellow casters a break drive the price in S&S down.

If folks don't buy the overpriced auction molds then the scalpers will stop buying them all up from the regular retail outlets. That is when things return to normal in the mold market.

Buddy who does deliveries all over the country is seeing ammo in stores here and there. Usually with a purchase limit of a couple or three boxes. He managed to picked up some 22, 30-06, 40 and a bunch of skeet shotgun 20 and 12 gauge. So it is going into the retail outlets but unlike online they have to live with their customers eh? Also the market for scalpers and stockpilers is limited in a geographic area.

[GONRA]

All GONRA's "Lyman / Ideal" moulds were $4.50 when purchased WAAAAAAAY back when.
(Thought I'd have to put all this stuff into the GoodWill box
but GrandSons have SUDDENLY GOTTEN INTERESTED!)

[Mossy88]

Some of us bitch about Lee molds. But think about it. 22 dollars for a mold? I've had a lot of fun with some of these molds. I like the new molds better than the old and wanted to replace my 120 grain 30 cal mold with the newer version.

Neither Titan nor Lee have had 30 cal molds for several months now.

Many Lee molds are available on Ebay but not from our normal distributors. Some with "buy it now" prices that are 3 times the normal price.

I found the mold I want for 4 times the normal amout, 88 bucks.

This imsanity sucks bog water.

just me personally, but Id rather pay the extra the first time and get better quality.
I love my Lee moulds, but Im moving on to higher quality brandnames for future purchases.

[Mossy88]

So, the screaming hypocrisy of the enviro extremists is: they are living in houses made of wood and are using other wood products. they are not walking everywhere and riding bicycles to work, and are using fossil fuel for energy. The truth that many miss is most "renewable" energy sources require fossil fuel for peaking and backup, b/c the sun don't shine and wind don't blow at higher levels when people need more energy. "Zero emission" vehicles account for part of emission at the electricity generating station, plus lithium battery production and copper production for motor windings have measurable negative effects on the environment.

Progress requires energy: Biden and company's idea to make energy more expensive will serve as disincentive for economy's growth.

Oh...no...they just say they'll get around to taking their environmentalism thing later on...like when its literally being forced on them and us...lmao.
Ive asked this myself and they just excuse their destroying nature as a 'necessary evil' till the rest of us are forced to be tree huggers too. lol

[downzero]

MP molds, Accurate, NOE, and other quality direct order manufactures haven't jacked their prices up to the panic levels everything else is at right now.


Because demand isn't there for their products.

Prices reflect supply and demand. Suppliers don't just choose a price. If there's money to be made, people will just buy up all their stuff and resell it. There's no beating the market. If the market wants a mold to sell at double its pre-pandemic price, that's what it'll cost or there will be a shortage.

That's why it costs $8 right now for a 2x4. You can dream the price to be something else if you wish, but if you want a 2x4, that's what they cost.

[Burnt Fingers]

Because demand isn't there for their products.

Prices reflect supply and demand. Suppliers don't just choose a price. If there's money to be made, people will just buy up all their stuff and resell it. There's no beating the market. If the market wants a mold to sell at double its pre-pandemic price, that's what it'll cost or there will be a shortage.

That's why it costs $8 right now for a 2x4. You can dream the price to be something else if you wish, but if you want a 2x4, that's what they cost.

Sorry, but the demand is there. Wait times have gone up, availability is way down.

The reason the prices haven't gone up is you're buying them direct from the manufacturer. The more "middlemen" in the supply chain the crazier things get.

[matrixcs]

persistance pays...I recently purchased 2 items from Titan which were 100% unobtainable and the price was old or near to old prices...I found the items by going to look daily and it was worth the persistance.

[Mark Daiute]

persistance pays...I recently purchased 2 items from Titan which were 100% unobtainable and the price was old or near to old prices...I found the items by going to look daily and it was worth the persistance.

I check daily and sometimes multiple times a day, the 120 grain 30 cal mold has yet to be available in fact all molds have been sold out for months now.

[RustyReel]

Midway has a few Lee molds right now!

[Shawlerbrook]

Can’t think of anything that is not more expensive then it was a year or two ago. But the government still tells us inflation is not a problem. [smilie=b:

[matrixcs]

Can’t think of anything that is not more expensive then it was a year or two ago. But the government still tells us inflation is not a problem. [smilie=b:

infllation....just wait ... inflation is coming in large amounts soon.......thank Joe..