I feel bad charging $80 for a pair of 6L6s

[Randall]

But, I am down to my last pair. I need to put new tubes in a Blues Deluxe, and go check on prices before I make up the bill. Sweetwater is charging $93, but out of stock. Everyone else is charging around $100, but no one actually has any to sell at the moment. I'm seeing USED JJ 6L6 pairs for $75 on eBay. WTF has this world come to?

I do have a $500 order in the mail from CED, so I have that going for me at least. But I am going to have to charge ridiculous prices, at least for the foreseeable future.

[Enzo]

Just keep in mind you had nothing to do with asking that high price. Show them the prices you had to pay. Actually, though I ordered from CEDist a lot, I showed customers the AES catalog. It had the retail prices while CED had wholesale.

[Jazz P Bass]

And what is the price of a gallon of gas?
You have no control over that either.

[Jon Snell]

I charge cost price, including taxes plus 25% nothing more. Some charge cost price plus whatever they can get. That, in my mind, is profiteering.
I like to sleep at night, knowing I haven't ripped someone off.

[drewl]

You don't want to lose money!

Usually when I give a quote the owner is quite happy with the fair price.

Once in a while you get someone bitching about it, until you explain the problem, cost of labor and parts.

[Chuck H]

Times are certainly different right now. You would be acutely aware of it where maybe your customers are not. In fact, why would they be? They don't necessarily now where amp parts come from or the political wrangles influencing prices right now. But they surely need their amp to work! THIS is what it costs and THIS is why. Nothing more to it than that. You aren't responsible for the conflict in the Ukraine right now. We all have to deal with the global economic fallout. And that means your customers too.

JM2C

[Danglin' Fury]

I seriously saw on EBAY the other day, a quad of JJ 6L6 tubes.... for $600... yes... $150 PER TUBE!!! That is effing price gouging at its finest.

[Enzo]

They are asking that, but are they getting that? I have a quad here I'll sell for $1500

[Randall]

I have asked my last two tube buying customers to google their tubes to see what everyone is charging, and how hard they are to obtain right now. They both understood and said they were OK with it. One was even appreciative that I sold him my last pair, and tipped me $15.

Still though, this is nuts.

[The Dude]

Yeah, it definitely sucks. I bet the companies that make amp modelers are frothing at the mouth right now.

[Chuck H]

I have asked my last two tube buying customers to google their tubes to see what everyone is charging, and how hard they are to obtain right now. They both understood and said they were OK with it. One was even appreciative that I sold him my last pair, and tipped me $15.

Still though, this is nuts.

Ah, BUT..!

You sold him those tubes relative to what you paid for them. What are they worth NOW? (then)

I'm not the sort to upcharge for increased market value over what I paid and I've never done that. As you didn't. But if I ran a repair shop things might be different. Replacing those tubes you sold is going to cost you the premium you DIDN'T charge. I know that ideally you'll roll it onto the customer with the new circumstances. Just saying, this is business. If your tubes are worth 'X' you could charge 'X' and that's the end of it. Why shouldn't you're business be allowed to profit from an investment?

jm2c

[Randall]

Well, actually those tubes I sold at current market value I purchased months ago when things weren't as crazy. So, I did make good money on them. But, as you say, I have to figure in what it is going to cost me to re-stock, as well as the value of the service of providing instant on site installation in a market where the other alternatives are horrendous, or almost non-existent.

Anyone want to go in on starting up an American tube company? Psst.... hey Elon!