Stainless Steel Increase in Price

[Asian Long Horned Beetle]

I was looking at an old Bascom's catalogue from 2004, and I noticed that the price of the 600 gallon and up stainless steel tanks increased $1000 in the last six years. That's an increase higher than the value of gold! The price of stainless steel has decreased as of late; but the pricing of the tanks has continued to be extremely high. Also, if anyone is looking to buy an Atlantic fluids vacuum pump MapleGuys are at least $400 cheaper than Bascom's. With the price of all the sugaring equipment going up, no one will be able to afford to sell their syrup for under $60 per gallon like used to be able to five years ago.

[Homestead Maple]

Personally I think it's just the case where some take advantage of a situation when material prices go up but when the material prices go down retail prices are left where they are. I've never seen so much of a difference in prices from dealer to dealer for the same item as there has been in the last year or so. It certainly pays to shop around.

[KenWP]

just like the price of gas takes then 10 seconds to raise it and a year to lower it.

[Brent]

I don't know where the tanks are made that you are looking at but if they were made in Quebec, a big part of the apparent price change is the lower value of the US dollar. In the last couple years that would account for about 30 - 35% increase in US prices alone

[bobbyjake]

Not that I take the word of equipment producers as gospel, but a number of them have told me (over the last several years) that there is no money in tank production. As stainless rose, they did struggle to keep the prices reasonable, but now as stainless has come down, they are holding their prices. Had stainless rose during the weak dollar instead of when the dollar was stronger, I think you would have seen the tank prices really go haywire.

I'd sooner pay a "high" price for a good, quality made tank than some of the prices that is being asked for some of the used junk out there.