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Bacpacker said:
I get the feeling whenever whatever kicks off, things may go crazy so quick we wouldn't have a chance to collect
Hope I'm very wrong on both points, but my gut is screamin right now
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Off Topic - could be the frozen burritos you had for lunch 😂 (Sorry couldn't resist.) I actually agree w/ you BP.

phideaux said:
We can not figure out the reason for strawberry plants shortage.
We been calling every place within 40 miles , several times , nothing , nada, .
And

They don't even know if they're going to get any.

Thanks to a HCL friend we have some , freshly dug and mailed to us. Btw they're all thriving and look good.

Wife wants some June hearing , but will take ever eating.

But none to be found.

Just another shortage I suppose.

Jim
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Picked up seed spuds yesterday - there were strawberry starts available.

Part of the deal is all the free $$$ so folks not wanting to work. Spoke w/ one rep. who said they have trucks, but nobody to put in the seats. In this state, we are up against $1096 / week unemployment (I don't make that much for working!) So many places around here w/ Help Wanted signs from fast food to law firms.
 
Picked up some house wire and a breaker today. When they order copper the supplier will not bid the wire but price it when it leaves the warehouse. Copper and petroleum based products are a serious problem as far as availability and cost.
 
Caribou said:
Picked up some house wire and a breaker today. When they order copper the supplier will not bid the wire but price it when it leaves the warehouse. Copper and petroleum based products are a serious problem as far as availability and cost.
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Yep but thats the tip or the "iceberg". Lead, the same stuff used in bullets, batteries, certain solders, etc is at a premium. Why you might ask? O bum shut down lead production in this country during the last Dem psychotic episode. So, we ship recyclable / old batteries to the Chicoms who recycle and send it back to us as either a raw material or a finished product. All that has a cost but it is cheaper than unions and US regulations on businesses.

Many raw materials are no longer produced here or never were. Add to that the Covid delays where production was shut down or delayed for months and you have the perfect storm. Lumber is something I find a bit interesting. Most of our dimensional lumber is produced in Canada where there were no wild fires last year. Oddly, the fires stopped at the border as good fires do but somehow burnt up the forests south of the border with CA and therefore supply is taxed. I have heard this on many fronts that due to these wildfires lumber is hard to get yet where the supply is from this was not an issue.

It is going to be interesting. Wondering how the Suez Canal mess is going to play out as well but likely things are going to get even more difficult or expensive to get. Or both.
 
Chain saws have been mentioned. In central Iowa they were all bought up after the derecho last summer. Every homeowner needed one to cut up all his/her downed trees and every cleanup contractor needed 3 more than he already had, because there was so much damage. People are still putting the finishing touches on the cleanup now...

Other than building materials, we're not seeing huge shortages in central Iowa. Things are a little thin sometimes, and sometimes more expensive, but they're available.

One thing to note is that farm equipment went through the roof recently. My brother bought a large used John Deere tractor last fall - 180 HP and Front Wheel Assist. The salesman he bought it from called him and offered him $20,000 more than he paid for it last fall. Of course my brother, being a haggler, tried to see how much more they'd offer. He wasn't offered much more, but the salesman said identical tractors were selling for $40,000 more than my brother paid less than year earlier. Corn has gone up, it's over $5/bushel now, and farmers are wanting to re-invest those profits, because they've been lucky to break even for several years now...
 
Today's Americans are spoiled.

Just in time delivery manufacturing components.
Walking into a store to pick from a wide selection of products.
This bread was baked this morning! I wanted fresh bread!
Seven different models to choose from.
Amazon next day Prime delivery.
Fast food drive thru.

Then we have world governments screwing up the response to the China Flu.

Now we have to wait a day, week or perhaps a month to get that luxury item we WANT (and luxury does apply to many of the food products we purchase).
You may even have to wait 5 whole minutes at the drive thru!

Balderdash. Back in my day I'd go to the only general store in town, from the one catalogue select what I wanted and the Storekeep would order it for me. In a month or two it would arrive by stage or freight wagon or perhaps. not at all. Today we're upset because it is not sitting on the shelf in the color, price and features we want NOW.
 
The Lazy L said:
Today's Americans are spoiled.

Just in time delivery manufacturing components.
Walking into a store to pick from a wide selection of products.
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I agree with this sentiment, but I don't think that's what this is all about, although I think it does come into play considering the 'stimulus money flooding the system'. I think this is why most of us here stock up while the gettin' is good. It's to protect ourselves from situations like this, that we have considered to be a potential future issue. The just in time delivery system is starting to tumble.....regardless of the reason, I think it is happening before our eyes.

I have tried to prepare for shortages, but I'm still nervous about it b/c I know I will overlook something. There's just no way to be ahead of everything that might (or might not) happen. It just seems like the match has been lit. I'm so glad we have done what we have done up to this point, but with the heat being turned up, I still feel the urge to be ready to hunker down. It's like a storm is coming, and right now the sprinkles have started hitting the ground.
 
I have ordered from Montgomery Ward and Sears too. Yes, waiting is not impossible. But, at least when you needed a part for some equipment or something like a chain saw, there was a business somewhere in range that could either fix it or get the part for you, even if it meant cannibalizing stuff out back. That’s really not the case now. When something breaks, it’s usually time to go get another one, whether for cost effectiveness or availability. I’m no millennial where ‘I must have it now or I’ll burst’, but when manufacturing left our country and small time businesses died, the game really changed. This generation relies on Walmart and in stock and cheap whether we like it or not.
We don’t need lots of choices and instant delivery I agree, , but it would be nice to know that there is something available if we need it , and not be manipulated .
 
Amish Heart said:
And it's if they can get tractors on the lot. We've been twice to our local place, and we're hoping to see at least one in the model we're interested in, in a week. We've been looking since November.
Tractors and Rangers are in shorter supply around here.
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There's tractors here but not many. Case/IH, Deere, New Holland, all of them were not producing much equipment because farmers didn't have any money to buy new equipment. And then they got caught with their pants down when demand rose...
 
Tootsie said:
I have ordered from Montgomery Ward and Sears too. Yes, waiting is not impossible. But, at least when you needed a part for some equipment or something like a chain saw, there was a business somewhere in range that could either fix it or get the part for you, even if it meant cannibalizing stuff out back. That’s really not the case now. When something breaks, it’s usually time to go get another one, whether for cost effectiveness or availability. I’m no millennial where ‘I must have it now or I’ll burst’, but when manufacturing left our country and small time businesses died, the game really changed. This generation relies on Walmart and in stock and cheap whether we like it or not.
We don’t need lots of choices and instant delivery I agree, , but it would be nice to know that there is something available if we need it , and not be manipulated .
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I think you touched on something important here. Years ago (many years ago) most items were made to last and/or be repaired. Current manufacturing produces items that cannot be repaired because they want you to buy the item again. This is from things like cars down to things like a clothes iron. Now folks who have become dependent on the throw away society are getting caught.
 
I’ve been looking for a garden tiller for a while, well found one a front tine, nice but not 1300$ nice, I didn’t give that much for ny rear tinted cub Cadett! Should have kept it, but too big for me to handle. Oh well and if you find a used one, they want way too much for it . So I will just use my trusty hoe and rake.
 
daughter got hubby a new tool box from Harbor Freight in Feb for his birthday. Never came in, he went up yesterday and the manager told him they cant get them in due to 300% tariffs on it. They are trying to get them in as something else, so the tariffs arent so high. I know we all try to buy made in the USA, but even parts for items are from over seas. I even told him, if we need something for the summer, better get it now.
 
There is a small store in the small town an hours drive away from me. When it comes to small machinery like lawn mowers, snow blowers, log splitters....they always have one of an Amercan made brand. ARIEN. This has become our go to brand. They also seem to be readily available as well.

They are quality built to almost commercial level. A tad more pricey than the common brands, but solid as brick poop houses, no plastic and with good reviews.

So far we have the log splitter and snow blower and will be heading to town to pick up the newly arrived zero turn lawn mower. We always try to buy Canadian, which is near impossible, and then its American. It has to be good stuff built to last though.
 
I'm trying to anticipate the next supply shortages. A quick search shows these items may be next on the list:

Oxygen - in the heathcare setting. Maybe it's a good time for a concentrator if you think O2 will be needed.
Medications - even OTC meds have been mentioned as being hard to come by.
Paper goods (including TP) - again....
Large appliances
Meat
Food Storage items - including freezer bags

I'm stocking up on anything I can at this point b/c I'm afraid of rapid inflation. I grab TP, PT, napkins, laundry detergent, tin foil, parchment paper, dark chocolate, and other products with long shelf lives, every time I go shopping at Aldi now. My dollars go further there and I like their products so I always leave with a FULL cart. The last time I was there I even found some nice socks that I bought for Christmas gifts.

I've been online shopping too.....yes, for Christmas right now. Even if there are no further shortages, I'll get my Christmas shopping done super early this year! I'm also going to buy a couple of things for us too, including a spare air conditioner.

I'm interested in items that others think might be hard to come by soon?
 
I think along the lines others have said but - I'm trying to make sure things are in good repair & having extra "staples" for the rigs as well - fuel filters, air filters, fuses, etc. Also, extra chains for chain saws. Anything we are using, trying to think if there is anything it might need.
Spoke with one of our vendors this morning - yet a new price sheet. As Geo. Jefferson said "Goin' on up."
 
I keep a spare "Serpentine Belt" in every vehicle.
LadyLocust said:
I think along the lines others have said but - I'm trying to make sure things are in good repair & having extra "staples" for the rigs as well - fuel filters, air filters, fuses, etc. Also, extra chains for chain saws. Anything we are using, trying to think if there is anything it might need.
Spoke with one of our vendors this morning - yet a new price sheet. As Geo. Jefferson said "Goin' on up."
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I am updating our bobs and needed fuel for the butane stoves. I ended up going to several stores to find the canisters. At the last store the salesman told me they sell out the same day their shipments come in. I guess more Kommefornians are waking up from being 'woke'.
 
walmart doesnt have the bags of frozen chicken breats i always got. it not 'out of stock', its just not there. they have a small 3lb chicken tenders or a 2.5 sliced chicken breast but not the 5 or 10lb id buy. they dont know when they will come back. i can get other chicken but those were my favoorite.

also--if you use a TENS unit for pain relief--think abut stocking up on some extra pads and even tubes of the adhesive so you can reuse the pads when the sticky is gone. prices really going up.
 
Cascadian said:
Fasteners- nails, screws etc for making repairs or new things. I bought a gallon 2 Stoke oil. It will probably take years to use it. Hope it doesn't go bad. :dunno:
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Are you saying you need fasteners? or just a good thing to stock up on? If you can't find any where you are, I can get you a number :) 2 stroke oil last quite a while. Just asked hubby, he said as long as it's not mixed it should stay good.
 
Maybe another shortage coming????
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LadyLocust said:
Are you saying you need fasteners? or just a good thing to stock up on? If you can't find any where you are, I can get you a number :) 2 stroke oil last quite a while. Just asked hubby, he said as long as it's not mixed it should stay good.
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I was just saying it is good to have on hand. It is still in supply I just need to get a little more.
 
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