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$28 a barrel oil is having a serious impact on the economy here not to mention the impact on all the oil producing and oil service companies. I can't see toy sales being very strong for quite some time.
I see the sales decline as more of a problem with young people not being interested. Lets face it, the "Millenials" would rather spend $1000 on a Smart phone and play video games than go for a motorcycle ride. Cars are merely an appliance, like a toaster for them. Turn the key and go. Motorcycles don't keep you warm and dry and insurance is expensive and it is a PIA answering texts while riding. Go to a car or MC show and look at the audience. Chances are the average age is 50 plus. Same problem with tall the toy type sports like boats, planes etc. Diminishing market due to lack of interest. Plan on keeping your toys because there won't be many prospective buyers in the future.
I agree. Short-term. A natural slow-down in an election year. People are unsure every four years and curtail spending. After the election, people will rise and see the sky has not fallen, and they'll be looser with their checkbooks.Long-term? I think that long-term, recreational motorsports will suffer as the baby-boomers age out. Boats, RVs, Quads, Motorcycles, etc. It has been the baby-boomers who have driven the RV market, and the generations behind them just don't spend as much on toys.
But the vintage market is alive and will continue to do well, thanks in part to millennials like me :)
Low oil prices have been a boon to me. Not too long ago I put over 50 bux in the tank of my MINI cooper. (!) Filled up the van the other day for under $15. That's real money I can use for discretionary spending. AVgas is even falling, although there's only one manufacturer. It was killing my soul to pay $5.50/$7.50 a gallon. (!) That will help general aviation businesses.
Not on motor toys, but plenty on phone toys and the cost of gigs of downloading. It`s easy to spend $500 a month in the blink of an "open it" keystroke
Not really, there is as much interest in flying as riding bikes from the current generation. One of the reasons we have a pilot shortage.
As well as motorcycling, I see a huge decline in participation in equestrian events (horse shows, trail riding), and in dog events (field trials, bird hunting).Same story for horses and dogs that it is for motorcycles. Huge decline in participation with very few newer/younger participants. As older folks age out, they're not being replaced with younger newcomers. There just aren't any.
Just drive by a local high school and see how many MC's are parked in the student parking area. When I was in highschool in the 60's and 70's there would be in in excess of 20 bikes. Today, same school. None.Parents drive their kid everywhere. Family's have 2 or more cars. When I was growing up, one car and dad had it at work. Man, the memory of freedom and independence when I bought that CB175 Honda for $300 in 1971. Today, they would rather call UBER to get somewhere. Yes, there are exceptions to every trend but overall I think todays youth couldn't give a care about bikes.
I don't see much of a decline in the Hunter/Jumper world. Just the opposite. It's a different world in that world.
Low gas means more cigarettes, beer and lottery tickets. I'm not convinced real fiscally responsible consumers spend any differently.
Well you have a choice for recreational flying you can fork out an extraordinary amount of money for a cespit or similar which has precisely zero development since about 1960 something is no faster than driving, certainly no more convenient and will cost more. Or you can put your whole life in hock bust your rear in a very competitive environment for less than what a bus driver earns to eventually work your way into supervising a machine that will fly you around the world which if you start to operate it yourself the corporate masters will frown upon you. Pilotless planes are now a thing how long before the airlines decide we no longer need to be paying for two people to supervise something that can do the job way better than they ever hope to. Aviation has been in a race to the bottom for about 40 years, at some point it will reach it.
I'm spending my fuel savings this weekend on a hotel suite, rather than camping in 30-degree weather.
I can't remember if I've ever seen a cycle at the Lindale high school parking lot and I go by it every day.
Quote from Texas Turnip:I graduated from a high school of around 800 students in 73. I remember about three motorcycles at the school on any regular basis. The largest HS I worked last year had a bit over 600 students. Regularly one Sportster, a handful of sport bikes and and a few scooters. So actually quite a bit more than when I was in HS. I would regularly get compliments on my Norge from kids at school.GliderJohn
My feeling the problem is the major decline in areas that kids can ride a dirt bike on their own.Lets face it, probably 90% of us started out in the dirt honing are skills and love of two wheels.
Sure, a few people in a few regions are being negatively impacted by the low oil prices. However, most people benefit from low oil and gasoline prices, and end up with more money in their pocket.Right now it's costing me about $37 to fill up my Suburban. At the peak a few years ago, I had a few $100 fill-ups.That $63 savings per fill-up is money in my pocket that I can spend on other things, helping other parts of the economy.There is no oil industry within 100+ miles of me, so no one here has been negatively affected by the collapse of oil prices, but we've all benefitted from the savings that cheaper gasoline prices have given us. Which will improve our economy by allowing dollars to flow to someone besides Exxon/Mobil, Conocco/Phillips, and Shell...
