What in the magic smoke is goin on with Machinery Prices ?

[Mtndew]

You've got to be kidding me. Have you ever been to the east coast?

Whenever I've been on the west coast (SF, LA, Seattle) I can find damn near anything I want within a 20 minute drive. Right now I know of only two metal distributors in central maryland.

The east coast is pretty big, Maryland not so much.

 

[Ries]

Southern California is the single largest manufacturing area in the USA. But its mostly high tech, new cnc machines, like, the Haas factory. While a lot of manual machines were manufactured in LA in the 40s and 50's, most of those are long since scrapped. Axelson has been out of business for decades.
Plenty of used machines still in Cali- for instance, dozens of used hufford stretch formers for airplane sheet metal. Or maybe a 500" multi axis spar mill.
But 36" South Bend lathes are pretty thin on the ground, most are 50 years old by now.

Every year, more old manual machines are scrapped, and aside from China, nobody has been making new ones since the 70s.
I cant find a decent deal on a 1963 Falcon wagon these days, either.

All hardware fails, eventually.