Originally Posted by
RogerDat
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.