 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bartmann
Date: 2006-11-30 14:21
Attachment: 5y.png (3k)
How does the ever weakening dollar affect your clarinet or reed buying. In the past when the dollar was strong I really stocked up on reeds, (perhaps even compulsively). And because I prefer to play on aged reeds, the weak doller hasn't affected me yet. But as the US Dollar continues its long term decline, I wonder when I'll be able to stock up again.
Back in 1999 when the Euro was introduced it was meant to be roughly on par with the dollar: one Dollar equalled one Euro, now it's one Dollar equals 76 Euro cents.
Here is a five year history of the Dollar's decline against the Euro.
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Author: mnorswor
Date: 2006-11-30 14:28
All I've got to say about this is COME ON DEMOCRATS!!!!!!!!
--M
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-11-30 14:53
The weaker the dollar gets the better because I order a lot of things from the US. How exactly does this affect people actually living in the USA? Did reed prices inside the USA go up because of this?
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Author: bkmoore
Date: 2006-11-30 14:58
Off topic, but the decline of the dollar is linked to low savings rates, high personal debt, a large trade imbalance, and large public debt. I doubt changing the party in power will have much effect on these factors as long as Americans don't change their attitudes towards savings and spending. We as a collective society are living a bit beyond our means. But in a consumerist economy, I don't see the situation improving any time soon.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2006-11-30 15:27
It doesn't help that we're turning from makers of hard goods to "earning" our incomes by moving money around. There's no real added value in that!
Yeah, clarinets are getting more expensive.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2006-11-30 17:49
Buying things from the US, clarnibass, funds countries like Taiwan, China, and India, where the factories and service centers have many more employees.
Americans seem not to want to do the kind of work that this requires for a price that the companies are willing to pay. Not that that's a bad thing; it just is.
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Author: C2thew
Date: 2006-11-30 17:55
"Off topic, but the decline of the dollar is linked to low savings rates, high personal debt, a large trade imbalance, and large public debt. I doubt changing the party in power will have much effect on these factors as long as Americans don't change their attitudes towards savings and spending. We as a collective society are living a bit beyond our means. But in a consumerist economy, I don't see the situation improving any time soon."
Bingo! stop spending and start saving! =)
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. they are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which was already but too easy to arrive as railroads lead to Boston to New York
-Walden; Henry Thoreau
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Author: buedsma
Date: 2006-11-30 17:59
well, it helps in buying some instruments in the US
Now that the dollar is 0.76 euros , i just translate the dollars in euros and have more or less the price that i pay in euros customs and sales tax 21% included .
So now an instrument costs me the same as a US citizen :-))
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2006-11-30 19:50
"Bingo! stop spending and start saving! =)"
...and then the economy REALLY goes south as it appears the consumers have no faith in the market...
Damned if you do....
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-11-30 20:17
With the weak $ to strong £, expect to see a lot of classic Selmers in the US being snapped up by UK buyers.
Hmmm... what should I add to my collection? A nice early Super 20 alto sax maybe...
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-12-01 10:58
But it does mean Howarth sales to the US will be on hold (yet again) until things level out.
When the Euro was weak a few years back, I took advantage of that and snapped up a Buffet Prestige low C bass.
Long live the £!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Sean.Perrin
Date: 2006-12-01 22:48
The dollar has been great (CAN dollar!, anyways) the price of reeds actually dropped a couple dollars at my local retailer this summer, and purchases from the states are becoming very justifiable!
YEEEA!
Founder and host of the Clarineat Podcast: http://www.clarineat.com
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Author: Neal Raskin
Date: 2006-12-02 01:57
any thoughts on a universal currency? I am assuming that would have to be years away, but eventually it might work.
Being a consumer society doesn't mean that we have to spend evey cent we have or live beyond our means. People do however, and that is a problem. That doesn't mean that people should save every cent they earn, but credit should be controlled, and spending should be more frugle.
One major factor of the decline of the dollar and the rising debt of many Americans is that they get sucked into credit. credit is a scary thing that you should only deal with for really small things (to build your credit score), or major things (i.e. appliances, a house, a car, etc.). Until people realize that money isn't free (and credit for that matter) the dollar will continue to decline.
Neal
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Author: BelgianClarinet
Date: 2006-12-02 06:47
Maybe a surprise for dollar users, but even now the euro is 'high' , life isn't getting any cheaper here.
Definately not any clarinet related stuff ;-)
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Author: Sean.Perrin
Date: 2006-12-02 18:01
There cannot be a universal currency until there is economic equality... some people in this world 'function' on pennies a day.
Founder and host of the Clarineat Podcast: http://www.clarineat.com
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