Idk if inflation, greed, chip shortage, or all of the above.

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Yes, that is inflation. Dealer markup is due to their added costs of doing business due to the chip/vehicle shortage, additional shipping charges and wait periods. Maybe even loss of income/profit due to not having cars to sell. And greed due to the same shortages.

Yes, that is inflation. Dealer markup is due to their added costs of doing business due to the chip/vehicle shortage, additional shipping charges and wait periods. Maybe even loss of income/profit due to not having cars to sell. And greed due to the same shortages.

Take note that is an Oakland CA dealer.
There are only two kinds of people that do business in Oakland, stupid and really stupid.
I don't buy new cars, I'd rather spend the money on tools, time, and facilities to repair older vehicles.
AKA "Prepper skills".
Costs are going to go up as long as USA and the rest of the world keeps electing( and tolerating) Democrats.
Russia, China, India, et al all have the same problem as we do.  Democrats and like thinking tyrants.
 

Went to Toyota Mapunapuna this weekend, that's how I got this pic.  HI does mark up a little from Toyota USA website online MSRP. But the "mark up" is included in the MSRP. Compared to other car companies here who list a separate mark up price on the sticker. KIA's are like $30-35K now. And for that price, I rather buy a Toyota.  The KIA hyrbid SUV is going for $55K. For that price, pay a little more and get a Tesla Model Y ($60K)

We put a down payment on a 22 Toyota Cross that out the door (including tax) is $29K.  100% refundable down.

Since we've been car shopping for months, it seems that many companies are in the $30-$35K range. I would not buy a KIA for that price, nor a Hyundai, Jeep, etc... The Subaru Crosstrek was a contender, but for the same price as the Cross, we went with Toyota. Plus the Cross has 20% better gas mileage. 

The Cross we ordered is already on it's way and ETA is early to mid Jan 22.  If we had to order from scratch, their next production batch is Feb 22 with and ETA of April or so.  Compare this to a Tesla Model Y, if you order today, ETA is May/June and for the higher models X/S it's November 22.

So seems like Toyota HI is still at decent prices, which they have always been. Sales guy said their cars come direct from Japan and not mainland (Toyota USA) is 1 reason and that they sell based on volume (like costco who has a 6% profit margin).

Toyota in Nevada marked their cars up $8K for a Tacoma. So 1 of his clients ordered from him (in HI) and spending $1500 to ship it to his college student son in NV.  He cancelled his NV order while at Mapunapuna over the phone.

Went to Toyota Mapunapuna this weekend, that's how I got this pic.  HI does mark up a little from Toyota USA website online MSRP. But the "mark up" is included in the MSRP. Compared to other car companies here who list a separate mark up price on the sticker. KIA's are like $30-35K now. And for that price, I rather buy a Toyota.  The KIA hyrbid SUV is going for $55K. For that price, pay a little more and get a Tesla Model Y ($60K)

We put a down payment on a 22 Toyota Cross that out the door (including tax) is $29K.  100% refundable down.

Since we've been car shopping for months, it seems that many companies are in the $30-$35K range. I would not buy a KIA for that price, nor a Hyundai, Jeep, etc... The Subaru Crosstrek was a contender, but for the same price as the Cross, we went with Toyota. Plus the Cross has 20% better gas mileage. 

The Cross we ordered is already on it's way and ETA is early to mid Jan 22.  If we had to order from scratch, their next production batch is Feb 22 with and ETA of April or so.  Compare this to a Tesla Model Y, if you order today, ETA is May/June and for the higher models X/S it's November 22.

So seems like Toyota HI is still at decent prices, which they have always been. Sales guy said their cars come direct from Japan and not mainland (Toyota USA) is 1 reason and that they sell based on volume (like costco who has a 6% profit margin).

Toyota in Nevada marked their cars up $8K for a Tacoma. So 1 of his clients ordered from him (in HI) and spending $1500 to ship it to his college student son in NV.  He cancelled his NV order while at Mapunapuna over the phone.

Good choice on the cross. The KIA cars are way over priced. The KIA's used to be priced at a substantial amount less than the competition. The engines and trans do not last as long as a toyota. The KIA's are still having engine fire problems. 

CBO finds spending plan would add $3T to deficit once ‘gimmicks’ stripped out

https://nypost.com/2021/12/10/cbo-finds-spending-plan-would-add-3t-to-deficit/

$565,135,000,000: Federal Tax Collections Set Record Through November

https://www.cnsnews.com/article/washington/terence-p-jeffrey/565135000000-federal-tax-collections-set-record-through

Went to Toyota Mapunapuna this weekend, that's how I got this pic.  HI does mark up a little from Toyota USA website online MSRP. But the "mark up" is included in the MSRP. Compared to other car companies here who list a separate mark up price on the sticker. KIA's are like $30-35K now. And for that price, I rather buy a Toyota.  The KIA hyrbid SUV is going for $55K. For that price, pay a little more and get a Tesla Model Y ($60K)

We put a down payment on a 22 Toyota Cross that out the door (including tax) is $29K.  100% refundable down.

Since we've been car shopping for months, it seems that many companies are in the $30-$35K range. I would not buy a KIA for that price, nor a Hyundai, Jeep, etc... The Subaru Crosstrek was a contender, but for the same price as the Cross, we went with Toyota. Plus the Cross has 20% better gas mileage. 

The Cross we ordered is already on it's way and ETA is early to mid Jan 22.  If we had to order from scratch, their next production batch is Feb 22 with and ETA of April or so.  Compare this to a Tesla Model Y, if you order today, ETA is May/June and for the higher models X/S it's November 22.

So seems like Toyota HI is still at decent prices, which they have always been. Sales guy said their cars come direct from Japan and not mainland (Toyota USA) is 1 reason and that they sell based on volume (like costco who has a 6% profit margin).

Toyota in Nevada marked their cars up $8K for a Tacoma. So 1 of his clients ordered from him (in HI) and spending $1500 to ship it to his college student son in NV.  He cancelled his NV order while at Mapunapuna over the phone.

Don't quote me on this since my memory is fuzzy on it by now, but IIRC Servco HI had a "surcharge" that was specific to HI (for whatever reasons, I forget the details).  I came across it when researching when I used to own a Lexus.  That and had family friends "in the business". 

When I bought my 4Runner when I lived in WA, I was able to get a very good price on a vehicle that was in high demand.  I went through Costco and got a "dealer + set fee" price that no one else could match.  Since the area I lived had maybe 12 independent dealers within reasonable driving distance, there was awesome competition.  Some even tried to offer way lower price, but different color.  Anyways, we lack that aspect of competition here. 

I know a few friends who bough vehicles from the mainland and had them shipped to HI (or other locations on the mainland) and the prices they reported was awesome.  A couple of those instances, the vehicles were bought without seeing in person or test driving, but worked out fine.  I would be ok as long as I was to test drive the same model and trim package. 

Wholesale inflation jumps record 9.6% over past 12 months

https://www.marketbeat.com/articles/wholesale-inflation-jumps-record-96-over-past-12-months-2021-12-14/

Don't quote me on this since my memory is fuzzy on it by now, but IIRC Servco HI had a "surcharge" that was specific to HI (for whatever reasons, I forget the details).  I came across it when researching when I used to own a Lexus.  That and had family friends "in the business". 

When I bought my 4Runner when I lived in WA, I was able to get a very good price on a vehicle that was in high demand.  I went through Costco and got a "dealer + set fee" price that no one else could match.  Since the area I lived had maybe 12 independent dealers within reasonable driving distance, there was awesome competition.  Some even tried to offer way lower price, but different color.  Anyways, we lack that aspect of competition here. 

I know a few friends who bough vehicles from the mainland and had them shipped to HI (or other locations on the mainland) and the prices they reported was awesome.  A couple of those instances, the vehicles were bought without seeing in person or test driving, but worked out fine.  I would be ok as long as I was to test drive the same model and trim package.

The following is just an observation in my local area:

People are putting up their American trucks for sale. One Chevy truck was 20 years old and beat up pretty good. They were asking $5k for it. I wouldn’t give them more than $1k for it if it ran. It was out on the street for less than a week. One truck out on the main highway is 4 or 5 years old and they are asking $72k for it. Nearby a used truck lot which has been empty for the last year or so all of the sudden now has trucks for sale. About 15 or 20. Some of the prices I saw are eye opening. But the Toyota 4-Runner was $80k with over 100k miles on it. I don’t think it sold for that much new. If I had known I should have kept my truck and put it up for sale now. The dealership gave me full blue book trade-in value for it a year and a half ago. I thought I negotiated a good deal. But now I think they were just being generous. 

The following is just an observation in my local area:

People are putting up their American trucks for sale. One Chevy truck was 20 years old and beat up pretty good. They were asking $5k for it. I wouldn’t give them more than $1k for it if it ran. It was out on the street for less than a week. One truck out on the main highway is 4 or 5 years old and they are asking $72k for it. Nearby a used truck lot which has been empty for the last year or so all of the sudden now has trucks for sale. About 15 or 20. Some of the prices I saw are eye opening. But the Toyota 4-Runner was $80k with over 100k miles on it. I don’t think it sold for that much new. If I had known I should have kept my truck and put it up for sale now. The dealership gave me full blue book trade-in value for it a year and a half ago. I thought I negotiated a good deal. But now I think they were just being generous. 

Could be people who had cars sitting finally having a reason to get rid of them (money).  On the KIA lot, they had 2 year old KIA's going for just under $30K.  Current same model is $35K.

I hate shopping for cars, new or used. Right now I am completely satisfied with my 2009 Infiniti FX50 with 85k miles and my 2001 Dodge 2500 4x4 Quadcab longbed diesel stickshift with 186k miles.  I  get 16 mpg with the truck and 18.5 mpg with the Infiniti. Not good but now that I'm retired, my fuel costs for both vehicles, even with today's prices, is less than $300 a month.

The Fed is here and fighting inflation.  I hope they get it right,  I believe in them.

Analysis on why MEAT PRICES are sky-high now.

Analysis on why MEAT PRICES are sky-high now.

Joe Biden said that meat prices are so high because of big meat. Corporate producer greed. Capitalism at work here. Is he right?

Joe Biden said that meat prices are so high because of big meat. Corporate producer greed. Capitalism at work here. Is he right?

I don't trust the administration any further than I can throw them, so I take anything they say with a grain of salt -- especially if it involves something that affects Biden's approval ratings or reelection chances (if he runs).

The news of a 300% increase in profit margins seems legit, but I think I'll wait for real economists to verify and fact-check that "fact".

If the 300% increase is exclusively profit and not cost, then that means only part of what we see in the consumer price increase for meat is profit margin, The other part of the increase we see at the checkout is caused by their costs passed on to us.

I think the meat packer industry has long had a nasty reputation, partly because of the unions and mobs in NYC.  They actually did (do?) have a monopoly on the market there, so they could charge what they wanted and there's not much anyone else could do to compete.

If I'm not mistaken, the emergency powers under the pandemic still apply.  Isn't there a provision to prevent price gouging?  As in, you can't raise the price above the reasonable profit margin level just because people are willing to pay it to get your product.  Food is a necessity, and trying to make more for your own profit during this time could possibly be against the law.

We'll see if Joe "I'm a Union Man" Biden has any balls and steps up to correct this problem if it is one.

In the meantime, they will spin it as "greedy capitalist pigs"  (no pun intended, given that pigs are, in fact, meat).  Never mind that the prices we pay are only that high IN PART due to the increased profits.

Joe Biden said that meat prices are so high because of big meat. Corporate producer greed. Capitalism at work here. Is he right?

The meat industry is one that doesn't get to price their own products.

The feed lots pay less then $1lb.
. The packers make all the money

The chicken indistry is a mob. Check out super size me 2 film.

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The meat industry is one that doesn't get to price their own products.

The feed lots pay less then $1lb.
. The packers make all the money

I used to listen to KWEL in midlands TX.
They report farm prices twice a day or so.
Feeder lots were paying $1.40 or so per pound.
I raise my own beef and have to use a "boutique"
butcher for processing, cut, and wrap.
If I start out with a calf I can usually keep my cost for beef
below $1.50 per pound in my freezer, all things considered.
If I start out with with an older steer eg. Hawaii feeder lot size
then my costs will be below $2.50 per pound from its birth to my freezer.
We uses all the animal except the hide, which the processor always keeps
as kind of a "tip".
Keeping in mind I'm doing the raising, providing pasture,fencing, corral, water,
some grain, and transportation.  The price you pay in the store,
isn't as bad as you think, considering all the "stuff" people are doing to get that
Hamburger to your store.
Generically hamburger was a little over $4.72 per pound last October(Ouch!).

Although they are a monopoly and are greedy bastards, I wouldn't bitch about
meat industry as a whole, for inflation of prices.
I'd pick on the government that by policy
has inflation built into the monetary system.  Depending which Eco-nut,
or Vegan policy is being practiced by elected officials,  those policies
are THE price problem.
 

Inflation hits highest level in 39 years as consumer prices surge

https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/feds-inflation-gauge-hits-fresh-39-year-high-as-prices-soar-higher