Re: SooooooOOOOO00000?

[Jim Davis <alarminex@xxxxxxx>]

On Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 3:54:32 PM UTC-5, Bob La Londe wrote:

> Parts are expensive, but some Chinese sellers are actually lowering=20
> prices when buying direct. I expect people are choosing not to buy from=
=20
> China due to unknowable lead times. If I had extra cash just laying=20
> around in piles I'd probably buy a bunch of stuff direct from China=20
> right now knowing when supply chain issues improve my stuff will arrive,=
=20
> and when the lead times drop back to normal the China direct prices will=
=20
> go back up. Domestic prices will not go back down except on select=20
> commodities. I'm not selling any gold or silver right now. When we hit=20
> our new normal those will stabilize higher than they are right now. I'm=
=20
> not seeing the surge in new custom work I saw around this time last=20
> year, but the work does keep coming in. I think I lost a couple regular=
=20
> repeat commercial customers after the rigors of last year shooting my=20
> production time in the foot, but I recently picked up a side market=20
> customer that could be quite profitable. He's thrilled with my pricing=20
> and my work, and accepts my lead times as normal. It a side I never=20
> really expected to get any business. I can't tell you what it is, but I=
=20
> might make some plastic toy molds to showcase the new skill sets.=20
>=20
>=20
> Stock has been going up in price steadily, but the bulk of my price for=
=20
> goods is in the custom labor and machining. Not material cost. So far=20
> I have not raised prices for most things. In fact every repeat job I do=
=20
> I find a way to do it more efficiently and time is the one commodity=20
> that saves money on every job. I did 100 molds for a company all=20
> identical last year and it helped me setup several steps and processes=20
> that make the shop more efficient. Personally, well last year took it=20
> out of me, and this year isn't as fast as the start last year, but its=20
> steady. I can see the light at the end of several tunnels well enough=20
> to tell I'm not about to be int he middle of a giant multi train pile up.=
=20
>=20
> After Covid restriction and various headaches I buy very little stuff=20
> locally anymore Various affects of the situation just made it easier=20
> and often faster to have stuff delivered to my door than to have to go=20
> get, wait outside, pay more, and jump through new hoops. One metal=20
> vendor I used to buy from almost exlusively now buys their aluminum and=
=20
> stainless from the same guys I currently do.=20
>=20
> --=20
> This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.=20
> https://www.avg.com
 Hi Bob,
If you just substitute alarm stuff for your machining stuff in your above d=
escription, it's all just about the same story with me. It's just me now so=
 I can pretty much plan ahead and I've purchased generally enough parts for=
 three installations. From now on when ever I use an item from the "reserve=
" I'll order it and if it's out of stock at least I'll have my order in in =
advance. I'm preparing right now to pre order 8 cameras and an 8 channel NV=
R. Although CCTV equipment has been available up till now, I'm just going t=
o get it in just in case. The part I don't like is that all this extra part=
s buying is coming out of my personal pocket until a job comes along. But, =
hell, I'm not going to go on vacation out of the country or as a matter of =
fact anywhere, so =3D =3D =3D =3D  what the hell?
Good to hear that your new "job" is working out for you.