Reduce costs pleased

[ABmando]

And there are many health benefits - from mind function, emotional well-being, feeling a sense of accomplishment, meditative state as one empties of everyday problems, and hopefully, some safe socialization. I do not believe we will be in an anti-socialization mode for a long time - testing is going to become available and there are precautions. People can wash hands, not shake hands, be a little further apart when playing, etc.

I strongly believe that developing skills and still having goals is critical to having a will to live, which strongly affects actually living!

And a lot of picks are easy to sanitize!

I wrote the OP in a particular mood. I would have re-written it now and I learned a lot from the various comments above.

So I am grateful that we can all express ourselves and avoid being locked-in, and actually learn from each other.

I don't know, in the current circumstances mandolin buying could pick up.

These instruments were made for social distancing and self isolation.

We could be looking at a huge run on mandolins.

[Br1ck]

I’d like to know the data, and again use Collings as an example, on who is buying an F 5. I suspect if my personal experience with guitars is any indication, more are sold to folks indulging themselves with a second or third fine mandolin after a lifetime of climbing the ladder to get one. Everyone has their personal ceiling beyond which they are unwilling or unable to cross. I could see myself with a Collings and a Gibson, no problem.

But in uncertain times, one will do. I think this will be the challenge of all instrument builders. I feel for those depending on gigs for a lot of their income. In LA, pretty much all my daughter’s gig income is gone. She plays in several orchestras, opera companies, and the occasional backup to a singer playing the Hollywood Bowl. Corporate business has stopped too, so she is down to teaching and setting that up via Skype. She was already being impacted by the new gig worker laws. The non profit music school she taught at closed. They could not afford to make the musician teachers employees.

So yes, the used market will be busy, but also impacted by folks deciding now is not the time to buy a second or third mandolin. Who knows how we’ll feel in a month?

[Gibcaster000]

Going back to the original post - anybody for which a 10% price hike is a dealbreaker always has the used market to fall back on. And participating in the used market does help support the market for new instruments (knowing there is a healthy resale market encourages new purchases).

It'll certainly be an interesting time to follow the market for stringed instruments. Hard economic times hit luxury goods first, and musical instruments seem like they are usually high on that list. But we are in totally uncharted territory; with so many people staying home and avoiding public places Neflix, Hulu, Disney+, et al will have a pretty good year. If people AREN'T spending money going out to eat or taking vacations, will they spend some of that money to invest in something they could do at home? Like play guitar or mandolin? Could be a good year for online learning platforms and Skyp lessons...

I had been saving for a new mandolin, and decided Friday to pull the trigger early (bought the used MT that Gryphon had listed in the classifieds). I could have waited to see if the economy tanked and maybe gotten it cheaper, but I figured this way I'll have it to play while I'm stuck at home for the foreseeable future.

[Joe Dodson]

and banjos, accordions, fiddles,.........

Technically that would be a run on fiddles, and a run from accordians and banjos.

[Br1ck]

A devious psychopath wanting to spread the virus would send a banjo into every home in America and send people fleeing into the streets.