[eaglesan13]

I bought a set of four 245/60/15 radial t/a's for my formula in March 2011. I paid $99.00 a tire for them. A few weeks ago I went back to the tire store to buy a fifth tire (spare) and the price was $137.00 for the same tire.

[twooldgoats]

Originally Posted by arbys

Sorry, Jim, I don't have that. In my original post I said it seemed that the price....... I just wanted to see if others felt that way or saw the same thing. No graphs or statistics.

That's why I didn't quote your post when I asked for the source. I quoted the post of the guy who said tire prices have doubled. It's one thing to state your own experiences, as you and I both did (as well as others). It's another thing to look at the big picture. It seems to me the CPI should have data about tire prices (though I couldn't find it easily). Though surveys of prices are not perfect, they would probably give a better idea than anecdotal evidence. When someone says "Here's what I paid for tires", I have no problem. When someone makes a blanket statement about tire prices doubling, I would like to know the source for that statement.

My short search indicates that tariffs on Chinese tires have at least something to do with tire price fluctuation. So it might come down to this: do you want cheaper tires (made in China) or do you want to see more Americans employed? If you opt for cheaper Chinese tires flooding the market, do you mind that the Chinese government subsidizes the tire industry over there? Or is price the bottom line, regardless of how it's reached? As with many of our problems these days, the answers are complicated, not easy or simple.

Jim

[scott0]

Do any of you guys have netflix? There is a "how stuff works" episode on rubber. They talk about the price of tires, and rubber in general. Lots of cool info and just a neat show to watch.

[66Post]

I wouldn't buy Chicom tires just as I don't buy Chinese furniture. It's bad enough that practically everything in stores today is Chinese made.

[GT182]

It's like everything else.... prices go up with the rising fuel prices. What gets me is when fuel prices drop, costs for everything else stay the same.

Be thankful you're working... or able to. Those with fixed incomes suffer a hell of a lot more with price increase than the rest of us. Now you know why you see those little ol ladies buying canned cat food. The wife and I have seen em in the grocery store and asked what kind of cat they have.... 99% say "Oh I don't have a cat". We just stand there and don't know what to say.

[sleepy]

Canned cat food costs more than the hamburger they are avoiding buying.