For those in the US: Positive side of the World Economy

[Oz]

Well, there's not much. The best I could come up with was in direct relationship to the cost of European shooting equipment.

The US Dollar is making up serious ground against the Euro and the British Pound. New pistols and rifles are slowly but surely costing less in US dollars each week (as long as there is no old inventory that must be sold first).

When I talk to shooters here in the US who bought pistols many years ago, it's hard to believe that $900 US was the going price, when the same pistol today is closer to $2000 US.

The downside of the stronger dollar is that our European friends are now less likely to come pay us a visit and spend their money. I have some friends from the UK who said Christmas shopping would cost about the same if they fly to New York, stayed a few nights, bought the presents here and then flew back home rather than buying in London.

I hit London, Scotland, Glasgow and Paris not too long ago and could believe the cost of the trip because of the weak dollar... It's all cyclical I suppose.

Oz

[peepsight]

In the world of global finance, nothing ever stays the same for ever!

Peepsight

[Fred Mannis]

You need to plan, or at least take advantage of, your trips I recall buying pearls in Japan some 20 years ago when the yen was about 400 to the US$

[Bill177]

Fred, that was 40 years ago. In the 60s it was 360 to 400 Yen to the dollar. A hundred yen had the local purchasing power of a dollar. Life was good.

[pdeal]

Another, I think bigger, is the price of lead and other metals. Down Down Down.

http://www.kitcometals.com/charts/lead_historical.html

Maybe ammo will become affordable again.