Inflation

[TodFitch]

In pulling the wheels and drums on my '33 to look for leaks on the brakes I damaged one of my hub caps.

I'd purchased the reproduction hub caps back in the '90s from "Al Jr." in the L.A. area for $50 each. Around 2000 I had an idiot in a Chevy Suburban attempt a left turn from the right lane through my right front fender and wheel. When doing the repairs I was able to get another hub cap from Al Jr. for the same $50 price.

Unfortunately Al died shortly there after and his stock of parts and tooling for the '33 and '34 Dodge and Plymouth reproductions he made was sold to an "Adam Henry" with whom doing business with was fraught with peril. Now that fellow has passed away and another has picked up the stock.

Since I hadn't dealt with this latest person and since having a spare good hub cap would be a good thing I decided to see if he had the '33 Plymouth hub caps and if so how much he wanted for them. They answer was yes and they cost $200 each plus tax and shipping.

If I've got my arithmetic correct, that works out to 12 years of 9.6% inflation. Beats the heck out of even medical cost inflation or college cost inflation much less the regular CPI. I guess I'm in the wrong business...

Fortunately, I was able to fix the damage on my old cap once I thought about how the metal had deformed figured out a way to reverse it without doing more damage.

[BobT-47P15]

Tod.....don't cha know those caps are "rare" and therefore worth a mint???

Sounds like the current fellow has the attitude like a bunch of current

ebay sellers. You will pay big bucks cause you have an old car and

these parts aren't growing on trees,

[Kudzuking]

Ah, "invention the Mother of Shallow Pockets" nice that you figured a way to fix it yourself.

[Plymouthy Adams]

instead of making 30 dollars profit from each cap from 10 buyers, they elect to make 1000 profit off one buyer on a set of four....instant recovering all of the investment..it also sets the new high mark for selling price..low supply (due to high price) makes for scarcity..scarcity drives up the price..its a run away effect where the sole supplier set the benchmark and commands the coin...part of the pay to play even though driven by sheer greed..shame for those wishing to remain stock appearance/correct...however the gentle nudge to push one to modifications..

[desoto1939]

Since this is the third person to take over the process of making the repro caps we are also forgetting that the first person was doing this because he probably had a 33/34 ply/dodge and had the ability to make the repro caps. So he was doing this for the love of the hobby and wanted to help[ other owners. After he died thenthe business and all of his talent and suppies and equipment was sold to another person. So they had to recoup their cost of getting the rights and materials. Then this guys dies so another person buys the rights and materials. So as the next person buys the rigfhts his costs also goup. So the process continues as someone new takes on the job.

Yes this is enterprise at is best but until someone else wants to repro the same for less then he can ask what he feels the public will pay.

Rich HArtung

[Jim Saraceno]

I lost one of my original Plymouth hubcaps. Replacements were so expensive (and I'm so cheap) that I bought a set of hubcaps that have the same script but have "ununu" instead of Plymouth.

I haven't had one person ask me about that yet so it can't be too noticeable.

[moparbenny]

just never get a '33 Chrysler Tod..you know how many 33 plymouth parts i trip over?..or i find "interchanges with '33 plymouth or dodge..but not Chrysler"..apparently there's a guy in New Zealand that either repops or restores Royal eight hupcaps..@ $150 a pop..so i hear there..cars..or like boats ..toilets on four wheels ,boats are floating toilets:eek: happy new year! benny:cool:

Edited January 6, 2013 by moparbenny