Inflation Cost of MEC Reloading Presses 2002-Now

[Church Key, SASS # 33713]

Just posted this on the Trapshooters Forum, but thought it might be of some interest here.

 

I started back to reloading shot shells when the ammo shortage hit and WallyWorld ran out of shot shells. Up to then, it was almost a wash cost-wise as STS's were about $7 a box at WallyWorld and I could sell the once-fired hulls that never hit the ground from my trap shooting for 10 cents each to cowboy action shooters. Reloading was costing me about $4.60 a box; just not worth it.

 

Anyhow, started back reloading on my MEC Grabber using Clays, which I also use to load metallic cartridges. Had a decent supply of Clays, but was starting to get a bit nervous about eventually running out. Then found a supply of Titewad. Loaded up some shells with it and they worked fine. Had to add a brass MEC washer under the powder hopper to stop the fine powder leakage. This led me to ordering a few spare MEC parts from MEC as everyone else was out of spares. MEC had extremely fast shipping, got everything in three days. Excellent service from them. They also included a 2021 price list in the package and this is where things got interesting and the idea for this rant started.

 

I am a pack rat about manuals, etc. and had a 2002 MEC price list stashed away. Compared it to the 2021 list as nothing much had changed format-wise between the two, except the prices. They were shocking to me. I'm listing stuff that I have or once had, with a price comparison. As a baseline, the US Consumers Price Index (CPI) has caused inflation to increase exactly 50% since 2002. Something that cost $1.00 in 2002, will cost $1.50 today based strictly on increases for inflation. Here's what I found out:

 

MEC Hydraulic 9000 $888 to $1,619; increase = 82.3%.

MEC Grabber $303 to $632; increase = 108.5%.

MEC 600 Jr $107 to $255; increase = 138.3%.

MEC Super Sizer $61 to $151; increase = 147.5%.

 

Summing these four items gave an average increase of 95.5%, almost double the inflation rate. My speculation is that the greater increase for the lesser $ items (Jr and Sizer) is that their lower cost when compared to the bigger ticket items did not ping their sales very much. I don't remember what shells and their components cost in 2002, but I'm sure their price has gotten nowhere near doubling. The same thing with firearms. Remember buying a Taylors Uberti 73 then for $1,000, they now list for $1,342, an increase of 34.2% which is well below inflation. Not sure what to make of all this, except I now realize why all my presses are bought used. Would rather save money for components.

 

I plan to dig around and see what Dillon prices have increased in the same time frame. Will post my findings.

 

Also, found some Cheddite primers on-line at a cost of $38/1K + $12 shipping + $39 Hazmat. Bought 2K. Drives the price of reloading a box of shells up about $2. At least I can shoot them; not like the shells made out of unavialium.

[bgavin]

Equally surprising (to me) is how they (MEC) do not hold their resale value.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Bought my 600jr new on sale in 1978, for $35.00 .

Still using it 

OLG 

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

The oldest Dillon catalog they have on-line is January 2012.  The 900 shotshell loader was $1149.00.  Now it is $1499.00.  That's a 24% increase in nine years.

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

Year	=$100 (1913)	Comments
1913	$100	The first inflation measurement
1920	$197	End of World War I
1930	$175	The Great Depression
1940	$142
1950	$240	World War II Inflation
1960	$299	Less inflation from recessions
1970	$386	Increased inflation from deficit spending
1980	$794	End of the gold standard
1990	$1,300	Reaganomics
2000	$1,722	Expansive monetary policy to fight  2001 recession
2010	$2,211
2018	$2,529
2019	$2,625
2020	$2,634	Global health crisis