Alteration inflation
I have an old sweatshirt of which I’m very fond. It’s a pretty color, and it’s in good shape despite its antiquity.
Except for the zipper, which broke. I can do simple sewing, but I’ve never put in a zipper and I don’t have a sewing machine. So I called the local place that does alterations, the one that’s got the best prices in town, and asked them how much it would cost to put in a plain old zipper in a sweatshirt.
The answer? Fifty-six dollars.
I don’t think I’ll be doing that any time soon. Who would?
I have found a local woman that does repairs, but haven’t priced a zipper.
Try finding a shoe repair place. Even Dry Cleaners are getting scarce.
You can extend this phenomon out to electronics too. It used to be that if you had a TV or a stereo that developed an issue, you could take it to an electronic repair shop and get it fixed for a not unreasonable price. But these days such repair shops don’t really exist any more. And those few shops that are still around will likely end up charging far more than the given item is worth to repair it anyway, given that a brand new TV or stereo can be had for not much more (or sometimes even less) than it would cost to repair the old one anyway.
Another area is small engine repairs. It’s often not worth it to repair a push lawnmower when a brand new one can be had for less than $200. If something goes wrong with a 2 cycle weed eater, leaf blower, or even a chain saw and it’s beyond your own capabilites to fix it yourself, people will often choose to just buy a new battery powered one that’s less of a hassel to deal with anyway.
This kind of thing is where you really notice inflation. Daily or weekly things you get used to but it’s the purchases or services that you rarely need or use that shock you when it costs so much.
I guess I’ll hang onto my sewing machine for a while.
Call it the cost of fraud. Everything costs more, taxes, insurance, materials, rent, energy, and on and on.
In case you think you might want to try it yourself, this could be helpful. Of course, a sweatshirt zipper is going to be longer and more involved than a zipper on a pair of jeans, but the same technique ought to work, I imagine. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2Uy-bz_I_LA
I bought a new gas range on Black Friday. So I’m trying to run a gas line from my basement to the kitchen.
It’s a straight shot, less than six feet from the already existing tee on the main gas line to my furnace.
I’ve gotten three estimates, all from $1000 – $1800. Yes, I know that gas lines are tricky business and not handyman projects. Still…
It’s possible this is the overhang from shutting down the government in 2020.
Business, especially small businesses suffered. The government offered some relief that was misdirected to business that didn’t need the help.
Businesses that survived need to regain the revenue from the lost year.
This also is reflected in the inflation numbers– but now you have a double whammy. Businesses raise prices to regain lost revenue which causes inflation which forces businesses to raise prices.
We can discuss why during inflation prices rise more than inflation and never seem to return to their original level.
Another place where it’s evident is auto repair. Shop rates are now $150 to $200 per hour.
I live in an area where the minimum wage is $17.13 and in a larger city could be $20 or more, so no I would not be at all surprised that sewing on a zipper would be $56.
It’s not that it’s two hours’ worth of work, but it does tell you what you can expect for services.
Brian E (3:06 pm) said, in part: “We can discuss why during inflation prices rise more than inflation and never seem to return to their original level.”
Would that not entail a deflation? It’s not unheard of, but it would be very unusual in our economic history if sustained for more than a month or two. (I’m no historian, and I am very open to being corrected if I’m mistaken.)
It seems to me that after an inflationary burst, the very best we peasants can hope for is a return to very low inflation: in essence, a settling down to whatever becomes the new post-burst normal in consumer price levels.
I know, it’s lousy. As Uncle Walter used to intone, “and that’s the way it izzzzzz.”
MJR, probably not, since decreases would need to be sustained over a period of time- 6 months or more to be considered deflationary and would probably be in conjunction with a recession.
I too am not an economist, but my perception is there was significant margin inflation (businesses trying to recover lost revenue during covid) and demand inflation (government flooding the economy with money before manufacturing was equipped to keep up with demand). Then there was no doubt some excess margins, taking advantage of the inflation/demand. That is also a product of the uncertainty of inflation that prompts businesses to hedge margins to cover potential increased costs.
Prices can be reduced, but labor costs aren’t going to be reversed and fixed costs won’t be reversed. Some costs will come down, but this is one of the arguments liberals will hammer during this election cycle, they aren’t returning to pre-covid levels.
Would that not entail a deflation? It’s not unheard of, but it would be very unusual in our economic history if sustained for more than a month or two. (I’m no historian, and I am very open to being corrected if I’m mistaken.)
We had this for the first 150 years or so of our nation, under the gold standard. In fact prices were lower in the early 1900s than they were in 1800 (granted it’s hard to measure very accurately). See here, for example: https://www.minneapolisfed.org/about-us/monetary-policy/inflation-calculator/consumer-price-index-1800-
In the 20th century there was sustained deflation during the Great Depression, and the gold standard was abandoned. After the war the US twisted arms to get the Bretton-Woods system, which I despair of summarizing, but did involve a gold standard, and in 1971 the US abandoned that for reasons I despair of summarizing.
But what always happens at some point is that gold’s value as money is not the same as its value as gold. If your economy grows at a different rate from your gold supply you get inflation and deflation which is hard to get out of and still stick to the standard. There’s a reason why nobody’s on it anymore. Except I guess Zimbabwe (really, kind of).
I wasn’t endorsing the gold standard, just stating the fact that since 1800 or so, prices have been a hockey stock–flat for the most of that time, then rising sharply since going off gold. The inflationary episodes in that first era were mainly in wartime, such as during the Civil War when the government printed lots of paper money (“greenbacks”). But then prices went back down to their previous levels.
@Jimmy:I wasn’t endorsing the gold standard…
Oh, I got that. But I’m not sure how much it matters really. There’s nobody who’s in charge of money that doesn’t find some way to manipulate its value. Back in 2010 I bought these at $100 each and they’ve lost a third of their value.
Neo, if I lived close to you, I would put in the zipper for you!
In the past, I did a lot of sewing, mostly for costumes for theater and Halloween, because it’s actually cheaper to buy ready-made clothes than shop for and purchase fabric, notions, zippers – and then take the time to make the item.
They have to be special, and not obtainable “off the rack.”
I have had a sewing machine since I was a newly-wed; one of our first “big” purchases. Have gone through several different ones over the next 50 years.
Artful alterations always attract adventurous artists.
I read the headline as inflation of alliteration.
Grok gave example, which was kinda quick & cool & correct enough to include.
Jimmy, Brian E, and Niketas,
Economists and government money managers/manipulators (e.g. the Fed) abhore the idea of any sustained deflation. So much so that a former Fed band governor, and later Fed chairwoman, Janet Yellen, postulated a new standard for and intended “target” inflation rate of 2% and somehow or other got it to stick in the heads of everyone at the Fed and apparently congress.
The reason for that 2% target is that we should stay far away enough from deflation that we have a “cushion” so that a downward inflation fluctuation doesn’t stay in negative territory for very long. (There is a logic to it, not that I think it is a good logic, or sufficient to justify the cost to society.)
Why is sustained deflation bad? Because people sitting of some significant cash rationally choose to defer purchases as long as possible when the price will inevitably be cheaper. The economy then slows way down.
Brian E says: …be considered deflationary and would probably be in conjunction with a recession.
That really is cause and effect. Deflation causes the recession.
I would actually like to see some occasional deflation and yes, a recession or two, but I’m something of a curmudgeon. Teach your kids to be the ant and not the grasshopper (from the fable) and it’ll be OK. The 2% inflation target is a terrible tax on us all. (Of course, you can try to not hold cash.)
1. Minimum wage skews all other prices.
2. The taste for knitwear and Modern Schlumpy clothing has drastically reduced the market for alterations and custom tailoring.
3, Regarding shoe repair – none of the shoes I purchased in the last decade even had replaceable soles. They were either crepe-rubber soles or athletic shoes with dress-shoe styling on the uppers.
Brian E. wrote:
“Prices can be reduced, but labor costs aren’t going to be reversed and fixed costs won’t be reversed. ”
Indeed!
Higher wages have huge, rippling, consequences.
Plus: Theft! Many retail prices went up to offset the rampant theft. Which is huge in leftist cities due to “soft on crime” practices.
Stores have even had to close, with the double whammy of wage increases and theft.
We lost our closest CVS last year due to the high theft rate.
Now I drive twice as far for Rx’s ( — which is all I buy at CVS. It reminds me of 7-11’s or gas station stores … Pricey! )
Kurt’s on to something. You can do it yourself. YT will show you how.
I did some of my own tailoring by hand and I enjoyed it.
AesopFan on January 31, 2026 at 3:41 am:
“I have had a sewing machine since I was a newly-wed; one of our first “big” purchases. Have gone through several different ones over the next 50 years.”
Well, analogously, I bought my first table saw when we returned to grad school after a 2 yr Army tour and I wanted to build a bed with drawers under it [i.e., basically our 3rd year of marriage]. But I kept that thing until it had issues with the saw blade height adjustment mechanism. Then I bought a replacement saw 49 years after the first one [I finally fixed the mechanism and gave the first saw to my mechanic].
TommyJay on January 31, 2026 at 1:02 pm:
“There is a logic to [the 2% inflation target], not that I think it is a good logic, or sufficient to justify the cost to society.” I agree, especially when you add “The 2% inflation target is a terrible tax on us all.”
I am not sure just what the target should be, and 0% might not be reasonable/feasible, but maybe 0.5% and remove the management of the employment rate from the Fed’s charter?? I don’t see the real connection between the money supply and employment*, at least separate from the overall economic status.
Sometimes I also “would actually like to see some occasional deflation and yes, a recession or two” as part of some creative destruction to reset prices and expectations* back to realism vs. boom cycle propaganda.
Why is a government oriented to maintaining civil and ordered liberty also required to manage the economy separately from the much better informed marketplace?? Sounds like socialism/fascism/communism to me.
*One idea on reducing the “stickiness” of labor costs is to announce that company pay scales will be matched to business profits/success factors. Set a “standard” scale for a decently good time economic performance period (or history), with each person’s role and pay scale based on general marketplace value. Then if times are really good, provide bonuses to everyone, with higher relative and absolute bonuses to the higher paid folks, presuming their contribution was commensurate with that business growth. But, conversely, when business falls off, everyone gets “negative bonuses”, with the higher paid folks also receiving the greater reductions as being more responsible for “failure to perform”. If done well, this can reduce net labor costs enough to avoid the need for layoffs.
A policy of removing real non-performers stills needs to be in place and accepted by all as a means to enhance the performance of the remaining cadre. Along with promotions of more stellar performers, too.
R2L, the problem with performance based income is the amount of debt most employees carry. They can’t afford to have their income fluctuate. Too many live paycheck to paycheck.
Profit sharing is a good way to motivate productivity– if the goal is attainable.
I hated them for management as it could lead to all sorts manipulation possible to get their bonus, sometimes to the detriment of their employees.
Which is one of my pet peeves– the short sighted nature of American companies for quarterly profits, exacerbated by what the tech sector has done to the stock market.
The last 15 years I worked for a manufacturing company making construction equipment– very cyclical. The plant I worked in would vary from 800 to 1300 employees, depending on the cycle. They were the highest paying company in the area for semi-skilled labor, but people they had trouble at times ramping up as people decided it was better to work for less money that provided a more stable environment.
People on fixed incomes are hurt by inflation, but the 2% target is designed to give the Fed room for monetary policy. The Fed mandate for employment-inflation targets was passed by Congress in 1977.
Since 1977, recessions have been rarer (about every 7–10 years) and shorter (average ~10–12 months) than pre-1977 (every 4–5 years, ~12–18 months)
Governments fear deflation like the plague. Assets like stocks are harder hit than other asset classes. Folks holding cash might think otherwise.