New tool box prices

[AJHD]

First, I know the world has been **** over the last few years... Politics, Covid, labor shortages, supply chain shortages, increased import costs, increased taxes, increased transportation costs (ex. increased fuel costs), increased inflation, etc, etc...

Second, I know HF is not alone in their price increases, but I'm using this example because it's easy to "paint the picture" (so to speak). HF is also not alone in ******* with their prices, constantly. Example; increase the price of an item and shortly there after put the item on sale or print a coupon to make the price drop more dramatic and make it feel like more of a savings, etc...

Having said that, I happened to take a screenshot of the US General Series 2 44" tool box on my phone on December 9th. And I was browsing the HF website this afternoon, and noticed the price of the 44" box went up $100 to $600 regular price. So I did some digging.

The HF Coupon Database website confirmed my findings. HF increased the price on 12/17/21 just before Christmas.
https://www.hfqpdb.com/price_changes
In April 2018 around the time the Series 2 was released, HF was selling the 44" for around $480 regular price.
By March 2020, it had gone up slightly to around $500 regular price. It's been around that price (not including sales or coupons) since and until the price jump last month.

See attached screenshots.

Harbor Freight Tools – Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1977

Harbor Freight buys their top quality tools from the same factories that supply our competitors. We cut out the middleman and pass the savings to you!

www.harborfreight.com

[Snip - Deleted my personal comments since GJ is apparently part of ******* Twitter now.]

I've also watched tools on Amazon increase in price (for example). I've watched this Gearwrench wrench set (again, for example) steadily rise in price from around $120 to $200. Yes, Amazon is not the best example because their price goes up and down randomly without reason (not including 3rd party vendors), but if you look at the "median regular price" between say Jan 2021 and Jan 2022, you'll see the increase. But again, it's just one example.

https://camelcamelcamel.com/product/B000T8WFBU

 

[nickjj]

Price of everything manufactured has gone into orbit, container costs from China being one major culprit, quite a few things we sell are now priced higher wholesale than we used to retail them for, nightmare trying to explain this to customers who think we're just being greedy.

 

[ecotec]

You noticed inflation...

 

[2ndGearRubber]

You noticed inflation...

This


And if a $600 box is making or breaking you, you 100% cannot afford it and need to get your financial house in order.

 

[AJHD]

Thanks for reading... *sigh*

 

[ive]

Edited

 

[johnny_boy02]

Add Facebook marketplace to your searches. I have scored some good deals on there. Also if you want a HF box just wait for a sale and sign up for their credit card for a extra 10% off. I just bit the bullet and got a 72” box after watching the prices go up and up.

 

[Snapped-off]

Did you check out the prices on the other boxes?

 

[AJHD]

Add Facebook marketplace to your searches. I have scored some good deals on there. Also if you want a HF box just wait for a sale and sign up for their credit card for a extra 10% off. I just bit the bullet and got a 72” box after watching the prices go up and up.

I don't use social media, at all. Other than watching a handful of YouTube channels.
But I hear a lot about FB marketplace. I've been tempted to create an account just to try it.

Did you check out the prices on the other boxes?

No. But I'm sure mostly everything will go up if it has not already. Especially anything metal.

The only other box I know for sure that has not gone up recently (yet) is the 26" bottom. Though I know it's gone up since it was first released. I believe it was under $300 initially.

Harbor Freight Tools – Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1977

Harbor Freight buys their top quality tools from the same factories that supply our competitors. We cut out the middleman and pass the savings to you!

www.harborfreight.com

That said... A few general comments.

#1. As I said in my opening statement of the initial post, I know the world is ****. I don't live in a cave, under a rock and although I do my best to ignore the news and politics, I'm not an idiot. However that doesn't mean I have to smile and enjoy it. The world going to **** is not an excuse to keep my mouth shut.

#2. Please keep your assumptions of a stranger on an internet forum you've never met and know absolutely nothing about to yourself. Thanks.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

#2. Please keep your assumptions of a stranger on an internet forum you've never met and know absolutely nothing about to yourself. Thanks.

I don't know you from Adam, but if you don't want to read other people's thoughts, comments, assumptions, etc based on what you post, don't post.

 

[Not So Legendary]

I don't use social media, at all. Other than watching a handful of YouTube channels.
But I hear a lot about FB marketplace. I've been tempted to create an account just to try it.

I've noticed that FB marketplace now has a larger market share than craigslist. There's way more posted on there. I took a quick peak and there's a few dozen clean looking tool carts in Phoenix.

No. But I'm sure mostly everything will go up if it has not already. Especially anything metal.

The company I'm at uses a lot of steel and bulk prices have gone up from $0.68/lb at the beginning of 2020 to $1.51/lb currently.

 

[Snapped-off]

No. But I'm sure mostly everything will go up if it has not already. Especially anything metal.

The only other box I know for sure that has not gone up recently (yet) is the 26" bottom. Though I know it's gone up since it was first released. I believe it was under $300 initially.

The 56 is up like 250 and the 72 is up 500. Hardly the deal they used to be in my opinion. Wondering when icon is getting a price hike..

 

[will335i]

The 56 is up like 250 and the 72 is up 500. Hardly the deal they used to be in my opinion. Wondering when icon is getting a price hike..

I might not for a while. Since the price of the ever popular US General has gone up it some might look at the price difference and now justify the Icon line thus driving up sales there. I have also noticed the Icon line hasn't been on sale or had a coupon since early 2021.

I would really like to add a side locker to my 73" but I don't think I will be taking the leap any time soon. I would be all over it if they added a "short" side locker.

 

[jonshonda]

They wouldn't get away with charging those prices if people weren't paying them.

Take your foot off the gas and coast for a few years. If more people did that, we wouldn't be dealing with inflation.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Werd^^^^^

 

[ddurrett896]

Just experienced the same thing when looking at ATV ramps. +$150-$200 vs a year ago.

I need them so I'm buying them. For things I don't NEED, I wait or look for a used set on FB Marketplace. You win some, you lose some.

 

[Snapped-off]

I might not for a while. Since the price of the ever popular US General has gone up it some might look at the price difference and now justify the Icon line thus driving up sales there. I have also noticed the Icon line hasn't been on sale or had a coupon since early 2021.

I would really like to add a side locker to my 73" but I don't think I will be taking the leap any time soon. I would be all over it if they added a "short" side locker.

The 56 icon went up 200 as well since I bought mine last year.

As luck would have it, strictly tool boxes is finally selling a red box under their name. I would've went that route over the icon if they had red at the time.

 

[mwalsh9152]

I might not for a while. Since the price of the ever popular US General has gone up it some might look at the price difference and now justify the Icon line thus driving up sales there. I have also noticed the Icon line hasn't been on sale or had a coupon since early 2021.

I would really like to add a side locker to my 73" but I don't think I will be taking the leap any time soon. I would be all over it if they added a "short" side locker.

I just ordered a 56" USG box. I thought long and hard about stepping up to the Icon due to the USG price increases, but at the end of the day, that added cost would be nothing more than a shinier new toy for me, so it didnt make sense for the amount of use it will see.

 

[beemerphile]

I don't use social media, at all. Other than watching a handful of YouTube channels.
But I hear a lot about FB marketplace. I've been tempted to create an account just to try it.

I gave up Facebook after my ex-wife of 40 years ago found me from Hawaii. I didn't divorce her to become her virtual "friend". That is too much technology. But, I like Marketplace. It is Craigslist with much less crazy ****. That is what I do. I don't accept any friend requests or join any groups. Just use it for Marketplace. I am building a house and have bought lots of the materials and appliances there at 50% off or less. I even bought the 5th wheel RV I am living in while I build the house on Marketplace. It allowed me to go ahead and sell my prior house into a hot market before the new one is finished, as well as to be on the construction site for security and to work on the project.

 

[guitarbutt]

Not everything is a ploy to scam you. The company has to pay more for stuff to be made and shipped, which costs then more. That's how things work. A new car in 1970 cost $3000. People were paid a couple dollars a hour if they were lucky. Inflation is a real thing. People are getting paid more, thus manufacturing costs and shipping costs increase, plus a worldwide pandemic that kills people every hour makes your life plus the lives of companies more difficult to access goods. Either buy the stuff or don't, basically. It *****, yes, we all agree.

 

[boom10ful]

I might not for a while. Since the price of the ever popular US General has gone up it some might look at the price difference and now justify the Icon line thus driving up sales there. I have also noticed the Icon line hasn't been on sale or had a coupon since early 2021.

I would really like to add a side locker to my 73" but I don't think I will be taking the leap any time soon. I would be all over it if they added a "short" side locker.

There was a 20 percent off coupon that applied to everything in store including the ICON line back in November.

 

[Steve_P]

People in the US aren't going out to eat, to shows and concerts.... as often as they were before covid. They're now spending that money on stuff- we're spending more on mostly imported goods instead of local services. Most of these imported goods come from China. This is driving inflation, the supply chain issues, and the increased demand also has increased the cost of shipping a container to the US by 5-10X. On something large, like a toolbox, you don't fit tens of thousands in a container like you do with USB cables- so there's a large unit cost shipping increase on a toolbox. And as already said, the price of steel has more than doubled in the last few years.
Steel costs double, shipping costs increase 5-10X.... this equals price increases- and shouldn't be a surprise.