How many of those folks are living in mansions and driving Ferraris? I can bet that it isn't very many considering the system as a whole (meaning, lots of folks are getting paid working wages to the relatively few who are getting that high "executive" pay).

Back in the day I had a re-sellers license and saw that many musical manufacturers had a simple "50/30/10" pricing scheme. That is, the price a retailer paid for an item was 50% off MSRP, if the invoice was paid off in 30-days and additional 10% discount was applied to the pricing (plus some incremental volume discounts).

So, if I have an item with an MSRP of $100, and I paid $40 for it, then I put it on the sales floor for $100, it results in having a mark-up of 150% from what it cost me the retailer... But me being Generous Joe the retailer I decide to give you a break and provide a 20% discount off the MSRP, allowing you to purchase the item for $80... this still means I have made a 100% profit on the item. Is that egregious?

It's easy to think you're getting ripped-off because that item on the floor just provided me with a 100% profit and I've got to be running to the Ferrari dealership with the profit. It's especially easy to think this when you merely look at one single item and don't consider the reality of gross and net profits. What does it cost me to run Generous Joe's musical instrument store for a given month? What's advertising, employees, insurance, lights/heating/AC, theft, etc. costing me? How much capital have I deployed into merchandise that may stay on the floor for months/years versus days/ weeks?

I am not afraid to expend some energy in search of the lowest possible price for an item... I guess some would even call me a skinflint.. I like saving a buck like anybody else (maybe even more so), but at some point it has diminishing returns for my time spent in search of that discount. I guess the real point I'm driving at is that I don't begrudge somebody from trying to make a living... it ends up being pretty reciprocal when you shake it all out.

OK, here you go: UV2's were released for sale on November 1 this month. As to the price of heads, all my guy told me was, the cost of materials, manufacturing and labor keeps going up, so the retail prices do too. Pretty simple.

Yup, no rocket science there, just plain ol economics. Imagine that?DOH:D

This is why I don't buy new drum heads!

I buy most of my heads used from a local drum shop, I can usually find 13, 14 and 16 coated Ambassadors that are still in good condition for $5-10 each, depending on size. Sometimes a 20 or 22 for $15. I also keep a lot of used heads in my rehearsal room, I have coated and clear Ambassadors, black dots, pin stripes and a few from Evans and Aquarian.

There's no need to change heads that often if you take care of them the same way you take care of your drums.

I just tossed out at least twenty used heads that I knew I'd never use again, in an attempt to start clearing out the unfinished side of the basement. I kept a stack of about fifteen decent ones that could come in handy. Fortunately, I have a deal with D'Addario that allows me to buy Evans heads at artist pricing. I did buy some used heads recently during the big Ritchie's Music sell-off sale this summer for $5 each.

When i was a kid 40 yrs ago, drum head prices were just under $1 an inch roughly for USA grade A drumheads. Sure the prices have gone up but not dramatically over the last 40 yrs. If those small increases keep Remo and the other companies from shipping their entire production to ASIA well...I am happy to buy quality heads built by qualified people on this continent.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BA0114--remo-coated-ambassador-drumhead-14-inch

$14.99 from Sweetwater

Obviously, Sweetwater has been following this thread!Cool Dude

I think the Remo coated Ambassador is the standard head for vintage drums because they are the closest to the old Weathermaster heads. Coated Diplomats, too. I've tried many brands and weights and never had any results that sounded as good as regular, coated Remos. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Of course, I can understand using modern heads with modern drums.

I might buy heads once every couple of years, so it isn't a big deal to me.

I hate buying Chinese made anything for many reasons. US made goods are typically better anyway, based on my experience.