Not surprisingly, the tariffs affect many other hobbies. The model railroading hobby really got its start during the Great Depression when Al Kalmbach began publishing Model Railroader magazine. The hobby weathered the Depression, WWII, and other economic downturns, but these huge tariffs may force many model railroad manufacturers out of business. A significant amount of items are made in China and it's unlikely manufacturing can be brought back to the US. Previous tariffs had exempted toys and hobbies, but not this time.
I think this product (the DoughBed) will be a tough sell to the general public The price is $280, the temperature is not adjustable, and it requires the purchase of a USB-to-wall adaptor (admittedly not very expensive). All of the five-star reviews on the site probably were from early adopters who paid a reduced price via Kickstarter or some similar method.
Considering that a temp-adjustable seedling mat and a glass bowl with a lid that won't be a nightmare to clean can be had for under $50, that is... quite the product. Thanks for the context.
I'm surprised the Goldie ($150) from the same vendor sells when the B&T Sourdough Home can be had for less money ($119) and more versatility (heating and cooling).
Yeah, I read this last night. Grim.
Not surprisingly, the tariffs affect many other hobbies. The model railroading hobby really got its start during the Great Depression when Al Kalmbach began publishing Model Railroader magazine. The hobby weathered the Depression, WWII, and other economic downturns, but these huge tariffs may force many model railroad manufacturers out of business. A significant amount of items are made in China and it's unlikely manufacturing can be brought back to the US. Previous tariffs had exempted toys and hobbies, but not this time.
I think this product (the DoughBed) will be a tough sell to the general public The price is $280, the temperature is not adjustable, and it requires the purchase of a USB-to-wall adaptor (admittedly not very expensive). All of the five-star reviews on the site probably were from early adopters who paid a reduced price via Kickstarter or some similar method.
Considering that a temp-adjustable seedling mat and a glass bowl with a lid that won't be a nightmare to clean can be had for under $50, that is... quite the product. Thanks for the context.
I'm surprised the Goldie ($150) from the same vendor sells when the B&T Sourdough Home can be had for less money ($119) and more versatility (heating and cooling).