writerrad - Posted - 04/07/2025:  17:56:13

I am concerned about how the new tariffs will impact on banjos.



I own 7 banjos.



One of them, a bottom of the line Record King dirty 30s RB was wholly made in China. I love that banjo even though I have banjos that cost 10 times as much, especially because it resembles what banjos Southern Black and white folk without cash could purchase in the late 1940s, 50s, and 60s.



My 1923 Vega Tubaphone's pot was made in Boston, but its neck was made by a company called Eastman in China.



My pride and joy of banjos is the first decent banjo I purchased 24 years ago, a Gold Tone WL-250. At the time Gold Tone was having the parts manufactured in Korea, and assembled and fine tuned them up in in Titusville Florida. Nowadays I am told they are made in China and finished in Titusville.



What will happen if anyone knows about all of this if tariffs and other stuff drive up the prices or choke off the supply of banjos and parts for them from China and Korea.



I am not interested in a political discussion of the politics of all of this here.  I think that is out of order even though going elsewhere and discussing that is probably more important than anything banjo,   I am just concerned about the practical issues of banjo supply and prices. I am an old guy with enough banjos, and a realization that somebody younger should be playing them, and some day when we finally go to a retirement home, I am not going to have 7 banjos,.

However, I constantly get asked by people local and otherwise about buying banjos.  Will the value of banjos produced in China or Korean go up in price as rarities or quality products like some of the Japanese Invasion Guitars have done?  

Inquiring minds want to know?

Thanks for being banjo people and thanks to the people who created banjo hangout for giving us this place.

Edited by - writerrad on 04/08/2025 08:41:48

Dean T - Posted - 04/07/2025:  18:10:27

This could be an interesting situation. Even with a company like Deering, who builds their banjo in the USA, I can’t help but wonder how much of their wood and parts are sourced from outside the country. I could also see this effecting the used market in a big way, if things get too crazy.

Edited by - Dean T on 04/07/2025 18:10:55

The Old Timer - Posted - 04/07/2025:  18:27:56

In general expect the price of NEW Chinese banjos to go up "somewhat". It remains to be seen if the manufacturer will eat any of the tariff, if the wholesaler will eat any of it, if the importer will eat any it and if the retailer will eat any of it. If all of these folks decline to eat any portion of the tariff, then the price to the consumer will go up "some" to "a lot".

Now if consumers politely decline to pay more for Chinese banjos (mean they just stop buying them), then all those folks in the supply chain have to decide if they want to stay in the American market at a lower profit, or just say good-bye to the American buyers. If this is multiplied across ALL the goods and services the Chinese provide, one would imagine they'd have to rethink their stance on the tariffs THEY had in place prior to this year. That's the political game, in theory. If they reduce their tariffs, theoretically we reduce ours and thinks re-balance, someday.

In the short term, expect price/availability of Chinese banjos to get "stickier" for a buyer to navigate.

And all other foreign goods and services too. I'm more interested in how this will affect Prucha (Czech) banjo parts and Asian banjo parts.

If Chinese banjo prices go up, all over banjos will provide go up some also -- American-made, used imported, vintage, etc.

RDP - Posted - 04/07/2025:  18:32:18

I’m not the least bit concerned. Let the pot stew for a couple months then make an educated decision on the matter. If you don’t have a banjo and can’t afford an American made one go ahead now and get one if you just got to have one.

Edited by - RDP on 04/07/2025 18:35:51

candkath - Posted - 04/07/2025:  18:43:00

There are plenty of quality and cheaper used banjos out there for sale. Why buy a banjo from some Asian company. There are better things to think about than tariffs on banjos like learning a new song.

DH#52 - Posted - 04/07/2025:  18:54:20

In theory, 100% of imported goods should begin costing more. Why wouldn’t they?

banjo bill-e - Posted - 04/07/2025:  19:17:18

No one alive has any idea of how "the tariff situation" is going to affect, well, anything yet, because "the situation" has not played out yet. Yes, learned experts will lecture us about cause and effect, but they, and we, do not yet see the big picture. And, it is very possible, that nobody does!

jsinjin - Posted - 04/07/2025:  19:17:27

I would never have thought of the impact of tariffs on banjos. I mean, I get it. But I would not have imagined it. I suppose there is a lot of metal. Wood is probably not imported much. Metal ingots and bar stock and certainly the threaded parts if international will be impacted. The custom makers will probably be affected in raw material costs.

On the used market: I think we live in the bubble of banjo collectors and that’s probably a finite and quite static (and sort of loony) population. I have my doubts that anything will happen to radically shift the prices of used banjos in the USA. The old ones will continue he to get older and more valuable for the desirable ones while the high quality luthiers will continue to have value just because they are quality.

What will probably be affected most are the bottle cap and lower market mass produced tone ring instruments. That will probably affect people just starting out playing.

I’m betting with the high end custom ones you’re paying a lot more for the craftsmanship time than just the materials that went into the thjng.

gbisignani - Posted - 04/07/2025:  20:14:11

I don't understand (as one person posted) how this will impact the used market. Maybe foreign parts for repairs but how much do you spend on parts for a used banjo ? and will that fee you pay be added to the value when selling ?

randybartlett - Posted - 04/07/2025:  20:15:33

I have imported four banjos from Japan recently. I paid 5.3% Duty on each one. So let's say on a $1,000 banjo I paid $53. If there was a 25% Duty I would have paid about five times as much or $250.

OK-4 - Posted - 04/07/2025:  23:24:59

My understanding is that MANY domestic builders source their laminated wood rims from China. (A maker of block-rim banjos told me that ALL of the builders of laminated-rim banjos do this, but maybe he exaggerated a little.)

FenderFred - Posted - 04/07/2025:  23:50:58

The sorry truth is your going to have pay taxes on imported goods. Whether it is Banjo's, Scotch, Gas or power from Canada.  This tariff tax is not confined to China, Canada, Mexico but world wide and by the looks of things ordinary Americans will suffer badly as I see it. I could be wrong only time will tell.

Edited by - FenderFred on 04/07/2025 23:54:49

GrahamHawker - Posted - 04/08/2025:  02:01:13

quote:

---

Originally posted by OK-4

My understanding is that MANY domestic builders source their laminated wood rims from China. (A maker of block-rim banjos told me that ALL of the builders of laminated-rim banjos do this, but maybe he exaggerated a little.)

---

I think he exaggerated a lot. Even though I'm unfamilar with USA builders there isn't a Chinese source of three ply rims (unless everyone has a deal to import Goldtone parts or Recording King or Saga rims) and the cheap multiply rims are not going to be used by anyone other than someone putting together a cheap parts banjo at home.

Bill Rogers - Posted - 04/08/2025:  02:01:52

Assuming the president does as he says he will: The cost of Chinese banjos and parts will go through the roof; European banjos (e.g. Prucha) and parts will significantly increase in price. Any banjos using overseas parts will increase in price—how much depends on the parts they use. Canadian instruments—Rickard and Romero notably, will increase in price—how much is uncertain. Ditto Rickard parts. Everything’s in flux, but it is highly unlikely costs for imported banjos and parts will not go up, in many cases, significantly. Uncertainty abounds.

Bill Rogers - Posted - 04/08/2025:  02:12:51

quote:

---

Originally posted by gbisignani

I don't understand (as one person posted) how this will impact the used market. Maybe foreign parts for repairs but how much do you spend on parts for a used banjo ? and will that fee you pay be added to the value when selling ?

---

Theoretically--if foreign content in banjos drives up prices, used banjos will be more desirable  because of lower cost. As the demand for used banjos increases, so will their price, but those prices will remain below banjos whose cost is driven up by foreign content. At least that's the theory. 

martyjoe - Posted - 04/08/2025:  03:25:04

Even if a banjo is entirely American made its cost is going to increase because we’re about to see a significant rise in inflation. The market for banjo’s is likely to shrink because we are all headed for a recession!

Spudwheat - Posted - 04/08/2025:  03:58:59

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dean T

This could be an interesting situation. Even with a company like Deering, who builds their banjo in the USA, I can’t help but wonder how much of their wood and parts are sourced from outside the country. I could also see this effecting the used market in a big way, if things get too crazy.

---

Does Deering outsource their maple? Maple is pretty common in the US

Spudwheat - Posted - 04/08/2025:  04:11:23

quote:

---

Originally posted by RDP

I’m not the least bit concerned. Let the pot stew for a couple months then make an educated decision on the matter. If you don’t have a banjo and can’t afford an American made one go ahead now and get one if you just got to have one.

---

Agreed. There are plenty of banjos sitting in closets that may surface. If he's got a good one, why is he worrying? Personally, I think one should choose to buy American first. If one must buy Chinese, secondhand partially sidesteps the ethical dilemma of supporting slave labor. For what it's worth, I own two Deerings and really like the Americana with the 12" pot/scoop neck. The Goodtime (11" pot) is an excellent starter at a reasonable price.

Spudwheat - Posted - 04/08/2025:  04:15:29

quote:

---

Originally posted by Spudwheat

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dean T

This could be an interesting situation. Even with a company like Deering, who builds their banjo in the USA, I can’t help but wonder how much of their wood and parts are sourced from outside the country. I could also see this effecting the used market in a big way, if things get too crazy.

---

Does Deering outsource their maple? Maple is pretty common in the US

---

Here's an article that tells about Deering's materials, manufacturing & sourcing. countryinstruments.com/where-a...jos-made/

banjobob36 - Posted - 04/08/2025:  04:48:39

OMG!!! ...the sky is falling!!!! Inflation!! Recession!!! Banjos don't care about tariffs so keep plucking , picking and jamming away.

steve davis - Posted - 04/08/2025:  05:01:58

Everything in the world will go up in price no matter what country they're from.
All markets on the planet are suffering needlessly and we are all going to pay.
Some can afford to pay (as it was in the Great Depression) while most will suffer and have to figure out how to survive and go without anything that isn't a necessity.

steve davis - Posted - 04/08/2025:  05:08:31

More taxes are collected as prices go up.

steve davis - Posted - 04/08/2025:  05:10:55

quote:

---

Originally posted by banjobob36

OMG!!! ...the sky is falling!!!! Inflation!! Recession!!! Banjos don't care about tariffs so keep plucking , picking and jamming away.

---

Banjos don't have a brain.

Bart Veerman - Posted - 04/08/2025:  05:54:25

Yes, banjos will increase in price. Tariff PLUS duties will apply to imported ones.

Let's not forget reality: banjos aren't excactly popular. Used ones take many months of being for sale until they finally get sold. Some don't even sell at all. Also, the age group of many BHO members is over 60. When they pass on, there will be a huge number of banjo becoming available on a market that has very, very, very few buyers. Why go through all the time & trouble to learn how to play an instrument when all you need is a rhythm box and AI.

My guess is that used banjos, regardless of whatever kind, will become substantially cheaper in the near future as the heirs of their owners will try to get rid of them...

Owen - Posted - 04/08/2025:  06:05:38

Not that I have any particular insight aside from knowing a kick in the balls if/when I'm on the receiving end:

Pick-A-Lick - Posted - 04/08/2025:  06:18:56

quote:

---

Originally posted by martyjoe

The market for banjo’s is likely to shrink because we are all headed for a recession!

---

Conversly, If folks are spending more time at home instead of going out to spend money, we could have a repeat of what happened 5 or so years ago during the pandemic when folks who were not able to get out of the house ordered that banjo or guitar (or other) that they always wanted, and then took the time to learn to play it.

MacCruiskeen - Posted - 04/08/2025:  06:38:32

It won't just be Asian banjos affected--they're putting tariffs on everything everywhere. Which means Rickard banjos from Canada will be more expensive, Prucha banjos and parts will be more, and retaliatory tariffs mean US exports will be more expensive for others. I don't know how big the export market for banjos is, but it exists, and I'm sure the builders that export don't want to lose it.

banjo1930 - Posted - 04/08/2025:  06:43:19

There are a lot of people talking about this in the mandolin world with Northfield instruments etc. One of the most interesting and, in my opinion, tone deaf statements I see people make is "Just buy an American made instrument." First, a lot of instrument makers source wood, parts, and hardware from outside the USA, but also, most well made American mandolins, guitars, and banjos that are built by luthiers who are really good and know what they are doing cost around $5000 or more, and a lot of people simply can't afford to "just buy that." It is really nice to have a professional quality option of something like a Northfield mandolin for under that 5k mark.  You can get a really great northfield F style mandolin for around $3000  which will be VASTLY superior to any American made mandolin of that price range because making and selling a mandolin of that quality for that price is simply not worth a small shop American luthier's time. Not everyone can afford to buy a Kimble or Ellis mandolin for 10k and those masters aren't just going to stop charging what their work is worth.  Not to mention that some of the best instruments are also made outside of the USA, i.e. Prucha, Capek, Duff mandolins, Gilchrist mandolins to name a few.  I've been buying/trading/and selling instruments for the past 20 years, so I follow the instrument market closely.  I'll be interested to see how the tariffs effect it.  We'll just have to wait and see.

Edited by - banjo1930 on 04/08/2025 06:58:00

writerrad - Posted - 04/08/2025:  06:44:43

From the late 1950s to some point in the 1980s, Japanese manufacturers produced a large number of quality guitars both acoustic and electric for the US market. They were able to match American instruments in quality and design. A few of these companies also made banjos especially RBs.



In fact, Ibanez (a japanese company that took a non Japanese name to get over) produced a series of guitars so close to some of the Gibson solid body and hollow body electric guitars that Gibson went to court and they were forced to stop making them. I own one of those "lawsuit" guitars I bought in 1978. It is as valuable as a Gibson because they stopped making them when Gibson won that lawsuit, but did not stop making Gibsons.



However, as the Japanese economy improved, the exchange rate was changed and the Japanese yen raised in value in relation to the dollar. These instruments no longer had much of a price advantage, although some of these manufacturers shifted production to Taiwan and Korea, and ultimately China and some focused on producing very high quality instruments to sell at high prices. I know among guitarists Yamaha guitars made in the 90s on Taiwan were seen as a nice value and a fine backup guitar for old time music. I have a friend who collects "Japanese invasion" guitars from the 60s and 70s and 80s/.   He has some nice instruments and has arrangements to sell them off to leave a nice bundle for his children when he passes away.

Edited by - writerrad on 04/08/2025 06:49:54

Pix5String - Posted - 04/08/2025:  06:53:27

I prefer the “Pre-Tariff” sound!!

writerrad - Posted - 04/08/2025:  07:11:04

I am not sure about the banjos in closets.  I know from being in touch with a number of the major collectors of 19th and early 20th century Open backs over the last 20 years, they consider the glory days of collecting old banjos pretty much over with the rise of the Internet.   In the open back world and 19th and early 20th century banjo world, it is pretty clear that the banjos in closets and attics people used to find are all found because of the spread of knowledge about old banjos and because the Internet makes it easier to identify banjos.  I can remember in the 60s a now departed banjo friend of mine finding an old Fairbanks helping an elderly neighbor clean out her attic,  and another friend finding a banjo marked "Ferris" helping to tear down an out building on someone's property.  The Internet and the growth of knowledge about such instruments and the all mighty knowledge of Google pretty much means someone finding such things will learn of their value pretty soon.

What used to be called the banjo collectors gathering in the early 2000s used to include a show and tell by collectors about finding 19th century banjos with bits about  one collector running a red light the other collector stopped at, and the light runner getting the banjo.   The Gathering used to feature one of the major collectors presenting a Powerpoint show of their collections. 

 The serious collectors say that those kinds of finds of 19th century and valuable early 20th century banjos have been more or less stopped by the Internet.  Someone with an old banjo in the closet can go online including to banjo hangout and find out either that this is grandpa's piece of junk, or that the banjo is worth 5000 bucks and everything in between. The top collectors felt this was so strong a change that about 8 years ago,  we changed the name of what was once the Banjo Collectors Gathering, to the Banjo Gathering, where the focus is about general banjo history, banjo roots etc. rather than collecting.

I pretty much think that anyone who has any kind of 5 string, or even 4 string Gibson RB already is connected to some channel that would allow them to monetarize it since the number of people who prize RBs is much greater than we crusty ancient 19th and early 20th century open back players.  It is also true that in the open back market, the number of makers of very high quality open back banjos in the US as well as beyond has grown so much over the last 30 years that people who play old time of classic banjo no longer feel the necessity to find a Fairbanks, Vega, or Bacon Banjo that we felt say in 2005 and they can find contemporary made open backs that compete in quality and price with the 19th century banjos.  

Edited by - writerrad on 04/08/2025 07:18:18

Owen - Posted - 04/08/2025:  07:17:29

Well the banjo in my closet is a beginner/bottle cap one that, in ignorance, I paid about double the "going rate" when I got it at a pawn shop, 2011-ish. 

I haven't tried to sell it, but I'd be plenty happy if I could get 1/4 of what I paid.  

Edited by - Owen on 04/08/2025 07:18:45

writerrad - Posted - 04/08/2025:  07:26:46

quote:If you read the original late 1940s or 1950s version of Pete Seeger's banjo instruction book, he advises people that good banjos can be found in pawn shops.  That was certainly true when he wrote that in the 1940s when the banjo had been going out of style and the depression had earlier gotten people to pawn banjos.  Danny Barker a New Orleans tenor and six string banjoist who became a guitarist in big bands in NYC in the 1930s and 1940s decided to cash in on the Dixieland craze about the time Pete wrote that book, having given up the banjo for the guitars to play in big bands in NYC in the 1930s.   He said when he went to Harlem's pawnshops, they were crowded with  banjos of very description.  Barker said he thought he only had enough money to purchase one quality banjo, but was not sure if he would get a tenor or a six string, but the money he had could purchase a nicer tenor and a nicer six string than he expected.

With the Internet and such things,  fewer people are pawning good banjos, more people are selling them.  Pawn shops are taking a look at banjo marketers and selling banjos to banjo marketers.   You can find better value if there is a music store that sells instruments for musicians as a service for a small fee. 

---

Originally posted by Owen

Well the banjo in my closet is a beginner/bottle cap one that, in ignorance, I paid about double the "going rate" when I got it at a pawn shop, 2011-ish. 

I haven't tried to sell it, but I'd be plenty happy if I could get 1/4 of what I paid.  

---

RB3 - Posted - 04/08/2025:  07:33:30

At each link of the supply chain, the supplier has to take a profit. Where there are multiple links in the chain, there will be a cost multiplier effect at the end of the chain. Ultimately, even the extra water you put in your soup is going to cost you more. The times that are a comin' are going to be worse, not better.

wrench13 - Posted - 04/08/2025:  07:35:37

Got news for you all. Forget about the cost of banjos, the increased cost for even the most mundane electronic things are going to skyrocket like you have never seen before. My company is heavily involved with the contract manufacturers that make most if not all electronic anythings, the Jabils, Foxconns, Celesticas and Plexus of the world. The amount of products, components and just hardware that goes back and forth in manufacturing is astounding and if tariffs are here to stay, it will be a whole new world, and the USA is going to be left sadly behind. I hope I am wrong. I defy anyone who can walk into a Best Buy or PC Richards and find a single thing that is not Made in China.

Joel Hooks - Posted - 04/08/2025:  07:57:05

quote:

---

Originally posted by writerrad

I am not sure about the banjos in closets.  I know from being in touch with a number of the major collectors of 19th and early 20th century Open backs over the last 20 years, they consider the glory days of collecting old banjos pretty much over with the rise of the Internet.   In the open back world and 19th and early 20th century banjo world, it is pretty clear that the banjos in closets and attics people used to find are all found because of the spread of knowledge about old banjos and because the Internet makes it easier to identify banjos.  I can remember in the 60s a now departed banjo friend of mine finding an old Fairbanks helping an elderly neighbor clean out her attic,  and another friend finding a banjo marked "Ferris" helping to tear down an out building on someone's property.  The Internet and the growth of knowledge about such instruments and the all mighty knowledge of Google pretty much means someone finding such things will learn of their value pretty soon.

What used to be called the banjo collectors gathering in the early 2000s used to include a show and tell by collectors about finding 19th century banjos with bits about  one collector running a red light the other collector stopped at, and the light runner getting the banjo.   The Gathering used to feature one of the major collectors presenting a Powerpoint show of their collections. 

 The serious collectors say that those kinds of finds of 19th century and valuable early 20th century banjos have been more or less stopped by the Internet.  Someone with an old banjo in the closet can go online including to banjo hangout and find out either that this is grandpa's piece of junk, or that the banjo is worth 5000 bucks and everything in between. The top collectors felt this was so strong a change that about 8 years ago,  we changed the name of what was once the Banjo Collectors Gathering, to the Banjo Gathering, where the focus is about general banjo history, banjo roots etc. rather than collecting.

I pretty much think that anyone who has any kind of 5 string, or even 4 string Gibson RB already is connected to some channel that would allow them to monetarize it since the number of people who prize RBs is much greater than we crusty ancient 19th and early 20th century open back players.  It is also true that in the open back market, the number of makers of very high quality open back banjos in the US as well as beyond has grown so much over the last 30 years that people who play old time of classic banjo no longer feel the necessity to find a Fairbanks, Vega, or Bacon Banjo that we felt say in 2005 and they can find contemporary made open backs that compete in quality and price with the 19th century banjos.  

 

---

Also, the current open back builders are making different banjos that are designed for a different use.  While, clearly, one may play "old time" on a classic era banjo, "old time" has changed.  And the modern version has a modern banjo to go with it.  This also brings with it a different aesthetic that is conscientiously nostalgic.  All of which is great.

Except, not so great for the "classic era" banjos.

Let us not underestimate the "collector's bubble" that artificially inflated the values of these banjos.  A handful of well heeled "collectors" and "vintage instrument dealers" were able to establish a network that they could funnel much of these instruments through naming their own price.  

The reality is that "the internet" destroyed this network of dealer's and collector's monopoly, cutting them out of the equation and allowing for fair market value.  

Additionally, the "collectors" seems to be generational (mostly) and that generation is beginning to pass, downsize, or slowdown.  Which removes much of the target market for classic era banjos.  We are also on the edge of those "collections" all coming to market which will flood inventory on something that is already limited in marketability.

A perfect example of this is the "long neck" Vega Seeger, up until a decade or two ago these would be fought over at $2 to $3k.  Now they just sit and sit.  When one is put on auction, the market has determined that these have very little monetary value now.  Dealers have remained stubborn and hold fast to those decade old prices. 

Joel Hooks - Posted - 04/08/2025:  08:12:35

Speaking of the OP, generally, tariffs will drive up the cost of domestically produced goods. Things like metal and cotton will go up because more people will be attempting to buy it over sourcing imported material. More demand for less means higher prices. This will also be a great excuse for companies to raise prices (eggs are an example of this).

Things like food, soy, corn, etc will go up because less will be sold on the international market. So farmers will grow less. less production means they need to increase prices to continue to produce.

This will hit everything, items produced in the US or not.

Banjos are a small volume market. I expect that sales will drop when people start to see everyday necessities go up. Banjo makers will need to raise their prices to make the profit margins needed to continue.

Banjo makers (and their employees) are shopping at the same grocery stores that we are. They still need to buy shoes, pants, food, etc.. When they are paying more, they need to make more to afford it.

Material costs will go up, wood, metal, finishes, but the real cost burden will be just surviving.

To me, things are looking pretty grim. I'm worried because I already live very thrifty. My diet consists of dried beans, rice, quinoa, fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen fruit, oatmeal, that sort of stuff. We pretty much don't eat out. So I already spend as little as I can on food. I'm going to have to get inventive to cut back.

I drive a 10 year old Honda Fit-- average 50 MPG. I do not think I can improve that.

ceemonster - Posted - 04/08/2025:  08:23:27

I must say I'm astonished that discussion of this issue at BH has only started now, given that the country that appears to be the principal focus of the situation is the source of production for largely all non-US-made affordably priced banjos. Perhaps it really is an indicator of banjo being a very niche interest.



I'm a photography geek as well as a music geek and this has been a thread topic since the inauguration in January, even since November of 2024,  intensifying a good week ago. But photo gear production outsourced by the Japanese companies has been split among various Asian countries, and there are indicators of hope for negotiations and agreements as to some of them, including for Japan itself. Whereas with banjos, mandolins, and other instruments----think Gibson's huge Epiphone guitar subsidiary---the production locus is largely the hot point of the situation.



Even so, we don't know how all this is going to shake down. Regardless of what it says about its intentions, this leadership makes a practice of doing Teddy Roosevelt one better: Its default is to speak LOUDLY and carry a big stick. And regardless of its statements about its intentions, it lives to negotiate deals and make deals. So we have to see how it all shakes down.



But yes, if the tariff standoff holds or escalates, import prices will rise significantly with smaller niche concerns less able to weather a big drop in sales if shoppers turned away. Because bear in mind, the tariff cost is passed on to the consumer.



And that goes particularly for imports from China as China appears to be the hot point at the moment. Could Gold Tone, for example, move production to another country that negotiates a good deal? That takes time and costs a lot of money, costs that will be passed to consumers.



Bottom line, who knows--- I still think we just don't know yet how it will all play out.

Edited by - ceemonster on 04/08/2025 08:31:11

writerrad - Posted - 04/08/2025:  08:30:31

Thanks for 2 very useful and knowledgeable contributions.   One aspect of what you are reporting is that the Banjo Gathering no longer has presentations on the banjo market by either collectors or people "in the trade."  They used to do that every couple years.   I confess, with 7 banjos at 77,  I am not planning to become an old guy with too many banjos that younger people should be playing, so I do not know the market, except new people who others suggest I know about buying banjos contact me locally now and then.

Thanks for your massive contribution Joel.

Edited by - writerrad on 04/08/2025 08:31:37

Bruce Berry Banjos - Posted - 04/08/2025:  09:08:30

quote:

---

Originally posted by OK-4

My understanding is that MANY domestic builders source their laminated wood rims from China. (A maker of block-rim banjos told me that ALL of the builders of laminated-rim banjos do this, but maybe he exaggerated a little.)

---

I don't know of any who do.

Emiel - Posted - 04/08/2025:  09:09:36

quote:

---

Originally posted by ceemonster

I must say I'm astonished that discussion of this issue at BH has only started now, 

---

Well, there has been a thread on this topic not so long ago:

banjohangout.org/archive/400291

ceemonster - Posted - 04/08/2025:  09:27:34

Ah, the astute Mr Rogers, and right away in November 2024, too. But I'm still surprised discussion of this year's events is just starting here now.  

Edited by - ceemonster on 04/08/2025 09:28:06

Owen - Posted - 04/08/2025:  09:30:22

Wayne: "The times that are a comin' are going to be worse, not better."

I'm not thinking the foreseeable future ....to use a banjo analogy, more like "eventually" [though I sure do hope the getting kicked in the balls stops before I "figure out" the banjo]. In the meantime, as a dispensable schmuck [cannon fodder?] I see my only option is to carry on carrying on.

Old Hickory - Posted - 04/08/2025:  09:36:55

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Originally posted by Spudwheat

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Originally posted by Spudwheat

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Originally posted by Dean T

This could be an interesting situation. Even with a company like Deering, who builds their banjo in the USA, I can’t help but wonder how much of their wood and parts are sourced from outside the country. I could also see this effecting the used market in a big way, if things get too crazy.

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Does Deering outsource their maple? Maple is pretty common in the US

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Here's an article that tells about Deering's materials, manufacturing & sourcing. countryinstruments.com/where-a...jos-made/

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Some good info. But looks to be a little out of date in terms of prices. And the last year in the chronology is 2017 -- about the same time I had a nice one-on-one chat with Greg Deering at a sparsely attended meet-and-greet at my neighborhood music shop ("sparsely" in that for over an hour I was the only one there!).

One of the things I asked Greg about was his sourcing of parts. What I learned: Gotoh tuners (Japan); Prucha flange (Czech Republic) for the "Golden" Series Gibson copies; other Prucha hardware; Custom Deering flange cast in US (I believe is what he said).  Articles on the 06 tone ring said Greg Deering and Jens Kruger had gone to the Czech Republic to meet with a famous caster of bronze bells. I can't recall if their tone rings are made in Europe.

Bruce Berry Banjos - Posted - 04/08/2025:  10:16:07

Personally, I'll be happy to spend another $25 per $100 on the parts I get from Rickard. Or another $20 on top of an $80 set of Japanese Gotoh tuners.
My costs may go up, but that's better than all of the times people say "I like your banjos, but I can get a quality Chinese banjo for half of that..." Which equates to $0.00 for me.
So yeah, For US builders, increased costs are WAY better than lost sales.

Corwyn - Posted - 04/08/2025:  10:19:38

If we take the most optimistic projections by those most biased in its favor, everything imported should see a 10% increase in price. Items from countries with higher tariffs against them (such as China) could see around a 17% increase in price.  This includes the assumption that only 25% of the tariff will be borne by the consumer.



Anyone who expects that companies will eat some of this cost, instead of using it for an excuse to raise prices hasn't been paying attention to recent events.

If we take banjos, as an example, the AC-1 could cost $326 (up from $279) or up to $466 (if you pay all the tariff), while the Made in USA Goodtime is currently $569.



Thank you kindly.

Edited by - Corwyn on 04/08/2025 10:30:09

matthewfbyrnes - Posted - 04/08/2025:  10:34:33

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Originally posted by gbisignani

I don't understand (as one person posted) how this will impact the used market. Maybe foreign parts for repairs but how much do you spend on parts for a used banjo ? and will that fee you pay be added to the value when selling ?

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A theoretical situation to explain how this may affect the used market:

Let's say XYZ banjo made in China sold for $500 on January 1st. If I have a used one, I might be able to get $400 from it if I'm lucky, but there's no way I'm getting over $500 for my used one. 

Now, with goods from China being hit with a 54% tariff, if the company makes the consumer eat the price, a new XYZ banjo will cost $770 today. Banjos identical to mine but just a couple years newer are now worth quite a bit more than they were, which means my banjo is also worth more. I might try to get $650 for it. And after I sell mine for $650, other people selling used banjos will see this and increase their prices to match. My neighbor with an American-made ABC banjo that they were going to sell for $700 may look at all the used XYZ banjos selling for $650 and decide their banjo is definitely worth more than just $50 more than an XYZ banjo, so now she'll list her ABC banjo at $850. And so on... 

The above scenario isn't a guarantee, but it's a definite possibility.

In reality, there are still a lot of unknowns with the tariff: will Chinese companies eat some of the cost of the tariff (I doubt they can stay in business eating a 54% tariff)? Will consumers buy higher-priced Chinese banjos? Will the US President keep tariffs on China or is this a temporary thing? Will we enter a recession, and, if so, how will banjo buyers' behaviors change in response to the recession? We'll have to wait and see. 

Brian Murphy - Posted - 04/08/2025:  10:57:16

A theoretical situation to explain how this may affect the used market:

Let's say XYZ banjo made in China sold for $500 on January 1st. If I have a used one, I might be able to get $400 from it if I'm lucky, but there's no way I'm getting over $500 for my used one. 

Now, with goods from China being hit with a 54% tariff, if the company makes the consumer eat the price, a new XYZ banjo will cost $770 today. Banjos identical to mine but just a couple years newer are now worth quite a bit more than they were, which means my banjo is also worth more. I might try to get $650 for it. And after I sell mine for $650, other people selling used banjos will see this and increase their prices to match. My neighbor with an American-made ABC banjo that they were going to sell for $700 may look at all the used XYZ banjos selling for $650 and decide their banjo is definitely worth more than just $50 more than an XYZ banjo, so now she'll list her ABC banjo at $850. And so on... 

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Prices might actually fall on used and supply of new might be signifcantly reduced.  Rising prices and demand normally teases out more supply.  Cash strapped households will go to their closets and look for things things to sell  (just watch FB Marketplace).  Normally, that increased supply would reduce prices to the optimal price.  But the demand curve could shift dramatically downward for the same reasons.  Many Americans have no real savings.  The likelihood many households will have an extra $500-$1500 sitting around to buy a banjo is not good.  If I owned a shop, I would try to ride this out with used instruments.  The supply of new Gold Tones, for example, which typically satisfy the new banjo buyer, might decrease dramatically as prices will have to significantly exceed comparable used prices (as they already have in some instances).  I'm just not sure how many people have that kind of money to spend on a non-essential.

matthewfbyrnes - Posted - 04/08/2025:  11:09:38

quote:

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Originally posted by Brian Murphy

A theoretical situation to explain how this may affect the used market:

Let's say XYZ banjo made in China sold for $500 on January 1st. If I have a used one, I might be able to get $400 from it if I'm lucky, but there's no way I'm getting over $500 for my used one. 

Now, with goods from China being hit with a 54% tariff, if the company makes the consumer eat the price, a new XYZ banjo will cost $770 today. Banjos identical to mine but just a couple years newer are now worth quite a bit more than they were, which means my banjo is also worth more. I might try to get $650 for it. And after I sell mine for $650, other people selling used banjos will see this and increase their prices to match. My neighbor with an American-made ABC banjo that they were going to sell for $700 may look at all the used XYZ banjos selling for $650 and decide their banjo is definitely worth more than just $50 more than an XYZ banjo, so now she'll list her ABC banjo at $850. And so on... 

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Prices might actually fall on used and supply of new might be signifcantly reduced.  Rising prices and demand normally teases out more supply.  Cash strapped households will go to their closets and look for things things to sell  (just watch FB Marketplace).  Normally, that increased supply would reduce prices to the optimal price.  But the demand curve could shift dramatically downward for the same reasons.  Many Americans have no real savings.  The likelihood many households will have an extra $500-$1500 sitting around to buy a banjo is not good.  If I owned a shop, I would try to ride this out with used instruments.  The supply of new Gold Tones, for example, which typically satisfy the new banjo buyer, might decrease dramatically as prices will have to significantly exceed comparable used prices (as they already have in some instances).  I'm just not sure how many people have that kind of money to spend on a non-essential.

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I think the likelihood that used Chinese banjos will decrease in price is incredibly low. At the very least, tariffs are likely to cause recession, which will increase their prices. Besides, I bought banjos in 2007 and 2010, and didn't notice prices decreasing due to the recession then.