Pondering Availability of Materials and Supplies in Local Stores

[Brundageba]

It takes 2 months to get an order of black thread from Amazon sold by Coates and Clark right now.  (They will give you a 2 week estimate then gradually shift the arrival date forward...by as much as a month....over and again.)   I have been making masks for friends, the poor and charities.  I use a lot of thread !  

I wonder if in time with this China virus situation there will be a change in what is commercially available for the reduction of supplies coming out of China.  Friends in Alaska report thinning shelves........................just pondering...

Alison

[Jim Bondoux]

The lockdowns around the world have disrupted supply lines, and folks are now playing catch-up. The US west coast ports are suddenly very busy, eastbound transpacific cargo rates are at high levels, the container manufacturers are booked solid through next February. Retailers stocking for Christmas are behind schedule.

Coats has 60 manufacturing plants around the world, but none in the US, and I imagine they too are playing catch-up with Amazon and all their other US customers.

[Brundageba]

Thanks for your insights Jim.  I get this 6th sense that the flow might be a bit slow for a time.  Amazon is now backing off on giving arrival estimates if the items are not already in stock. ( Folks might not order up if they knew off the starting block that the wait will be 2 months !.....)

Alison

[BD]

Routine supplies for some of my hobbies are hard to get now and in some cases simply not available. I agree with the comments here. Blaming something or someone won’t help, but it might make me feel better for a few minutes. I now truly understand the meaning of the word frustration. Mention above of Amazon now brings up bad thoughts. Some vendors are gouging. If Amazon were a local store it would be called being gringo-ed.