[Bedivere]

Went to buy some cheap 2x4s for a project - Don't need the nice ones, just the yucky cheap ones will do. Usually a couple bucks a piece. Walked down the lumber aisle past the $6.25/ea boards and didn't see anything else so asked one of the employees where the cheap 2x4s are. He pointed me back down the aisle I'd just come up. "You mean the $6.25 ones?" I asked, incredulously. "Those are as cheap as they get" he said.

[Malachai Constant]

Yeah, I needed a couple sawhorses for painting and it was cheaper to buy folding ones from China than 2x4s to build ones.

[Schroder]

[neek]

[neek]

Hmm well that didn't take long As Lumber Prices Fall, the Threat of Inflation Loses Its Bite (NYT) (free version for non-subscribers)

[cdestroyer]

all this talk of lumber prices high because the sawmills have shut down. a local mill I worked years ago shut for a short time but if you drive by their yards you will see stacks of cut and packaged lumber and the local train pulls cars full of lumber every day. so I dont understand where there is a shortage, cause we have tons of it here

[Gregory]

Skip to 13:31 for the market discussion. As a builder I have been following this closely.

[BigBrunyon]

This remains an issue cause all these boats are losing control and slamming into various docks!!

[Jumble Jowls]

[Randito]

It seems that there might some light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.

[cdestroyer]

wonder where your china shipment is? https://www.yahoo.com/news/largest-port-us-hit-ship-143557411.html

[cdestroyer]

adding to the dilemma is the story now circulating that toys may be in short supply this christmas due to a shipping problem

[Anne Elk]

^^^^ One thing not emphasized enough in that Yahoo story about the pileup of queued freighters is the labor shortage - truck drivers for sure, but likely also longshoremen. FedEx no-showed on me 2 days straight last July for a pickup of a single, 1500 lb pallet from a private residence; we needed a small(er) freight truck with a lift gate and pallet jack. We were panicking at that point b/c the pallet had to be out of the driveway (a biz shipment) before movers came that week for household items. FedEx's call center gave no indication at the time of request that there might be a problem. I even asked how many days notice they needed, and the call center said morning of the same day (!) I ended up having comms with their local terminal dispatcher who pulled a guy off his regular 18 wheeler gig to come and get our stuff. The guy told me they had a real shortage of drivers. The only thing I've experienced a personal shortage of lately is shittake mushrooms. Very spotty to non-existent in all stores. Even Costco didn't have 'em today. Assuming all these supply chain problems are directly or indirectly related to covid, maybe a good way to finish off the year would be to stick to essential purchases and plan special "experiences" with kids & family instead of buying more stuff, especially at the holidays.

[zephyr]

[Anne Elk]

I haven't - good idea. I've not been to the Ballard one all summer, but there was a 'shoom seller there last year.