![Inflation: A picture speaks a thousand words [1197x1369 - 1.94MB]](https://pic8.co/sh/FsVwvw.png){kind=link}
This is an example of price response to supply and infrastructure issues and also, I suspect, some opportunistic greed. This is not an example of inflation.
Besides have you been to Home Depot recently? Lumber prices are back down to around pre-covid levels, yet economies in general continue to experience mild to moderate inflation.
This is an example of price response to supply and infrastructure issues and also, I suspect, some opportunistic greed. This is not an example of inflation.
Agree - you are technically correct.
This may vary by area of the country - I bought lumber yesterday, and it cost nearly as much as it would have a year ago. Unfortunately, I couldn't wait until the prices go down.
Interesting. Yet a year ago our lumber prices were at their highest. It makes no sense that there'd be such a discrepancy across the market. I tried to figure out why lumber prices went insane several times and have yet to come up with an answer that explains it more than partially. Lumber shortages as a result of mill shutdowns due to Covid were always given as the nbr 1 reason BUT there was also evidence that Weyerhaeuser and other suppliers had large stock piles that they'd built up in anticipation of shutdowns, in conjunction with the unexpected reduction in demand because everyone was distracted by world events.
Maybe someday it will all makes sense but today it's easier just to think that a bunch of greedy fuckers took advantage of the situation to price gouge like crazy.
BUT there was also evidence that Weyerhaeuser and other suppliers had large stock piles that they'd built up in anticipation of shutdowns
My understanding with Georgia Pacific as well. This is what happens when we centralize industries and move away from smaller owner-operators. What individual is going to/or has the ability to invest in a sawmill when they're facing such an uneven playing field?
I feel particularly bad for the people whose homes and businesses were recently destroyed by tornadoes. I can't imagine rebuilding under these circumstances.
Well, most all the paper mills got shut down, no one wants good paper any more except for jap manga. Plastic bags replaced paper usage. The only thing people buy ant more is cheap toilet paper from china which the American mills couldn't compete with. My brother was in paper but shifted to steel with mill shutdowns and consolidations.Then, the lumber companies bought back their own product from stores to create their stock pile.
4x8’ sheet of OSB is still $50? That was $24.99 a year ago.
I just looked on Home Depot's web site. 4x8 sheets of OBS range from $25 to $50 ($CAD), so clearly there's a range of qualities available. I've never used the stuff so I don't what the differences are. But the 2x4s and 2x6s I bought recently were within $1 of what they used to cost, and there were builder packs of MDF trim on-sale for a really good price. Insulation, however, is still stupid expensive.
My point? I'm not sure any more. It's just a mess.
2x4 where around $2.50 before this bs. $1 increase is still a significant increase.
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