Sailing and Tariffs: A Frustrating Situation
Shying away from economic updates? Opt for a pastime instead
If you're Frank Vaughan, a 66-year-old sailing enthusiast living in Cedar Creek, Texas, you're feeling the pinch of tariffs. Since October, he's been fixing up a 1990 Catalina 18 sailboat, and by early this year, it was ready for the lake. All it needed were some sails.
In February, he ordered two new Dacron sails from a Chinese company. The initial estimate? Each would cost around $400. But updates and emails soon followed, bumping the price up to about $1,200 per sail. Frustrated, he checked with a Canadian company for an alternative, but even they were sourcing from China, and their sails would cost 50% more than he was hoping to pay. A U.S. company quoted him around $800 per sail, and, despite the sails being from China too, there was a waiting period of six to eight months.
Finally, at the end of March, he found a set of used sails for $236 each. "They will do for a while," Vaughan said, though the sails weren't as crisp and shiny as new ones.
Vaughan bought the boat for a couple of thousand dollars. "I'm not willing to spend multiples of that just for sails for it," he said, describing the whole situation as "very frustrating." Retired after working as a pilot and in human resources, he's spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on his hobby since the 80s. With tariffs raising the cost of materials, he may have to give up the sport he loves. "It would be a terrible loss," he said, imagining how hard it would be "looking at the water, wishing I was on the water."
Tariffs and Hobbies
Tariffs, President Donald Trump's controversial import taxes, are set to touch nearly every aspect of American life. In particular, tariffs on China could significantly raise prices on a wide range of goods, from Chinese-made dice for role-playing games to imported butter.
For collectors and hobbyists, the fear is two-fold. Not only will foreign goods become more expensive, but as the goods needed to construct an item become pricier, domestic production costs may swell as well. And, to connoisseurs, the origins matter. For example, a bottle of wine is "an expression of time and place," said Keith Williamson, a wine collector. If substantial tariffs hit wines, Williamson fears he would most likely stop buying foreign bottles, turning to his existing cellar and supplementing with domestic wines. However, he worries that the domestic wine distribution industry could be hurt by the loss of imports as well.
American consumers may have to rethink their relationships to their hobbies, cutting back on non-essential purchases or turning to used goods whenever possible. As retail analyst Sucharita Kodali notes, uncertain consumers may dial back on discretionary purchases in the face of economic uncertainty.
Even the smallest corners of hobbies and passions are not immune to tariffs. For instance, tabletop gaming stores are scrambling to adapt to the changing landscape, ordering extra copies of the most popular games to last a few months. More than three-quarters of the store's games come from China, as it's difficult to produce small runs, especially for affordable prices, in domestic plants.
Struggling Under Uncertainty
Part of the challenge for hobbyists and businesses is the constant uncertainty. While the tariff landscape changes rapidly, small businesses like quilt shops are uncertain about the future. Kate Hay, a quilter who started an online quilt supply shop last year from her home in Austin, Texas, is relieved that many tariffs have been paused for 90 days. However, she remains concerned that if the tariffs remain, quilters will hunker down and avoid buying new materials. This could crush small businesses like hers.
Gary LeMaster, a baseball-card collector, faces a similar challenge. The protective sleeves and hard plastic cases he uses to package cards are imported from China. He spends around $76 for 100 magnetic holders, but recently his distributor said the new price would be about $160 per 100 holders. Adult consumers, who include those who buy action figures, play strategic card games, or collect sports trading cards, represent almost 20% of the toy market and are the fastest-growing segment. Nearly 80% of toys imported to the United States come from China. If 145% tariffs remain, these consumers will be forced to absorb higher prices, and it's difficult to imagine that kind of manufacturing moving stateside quickly.
The love for hobbies can make it difficult to accept higher costs or cut them out entirely, but in the face of economic turmoil, hobbyists may need to re-evaluate their spending habits. For some, these price hikes may mean giving up on their passions, or waiting for the situation to improve.
- The tariffs on China could impact the price of hobby-related goods in Seattle, such as the sails for Frank Vaughan's sailboat, which are typically sourced from foreign countries like China.
- Established Seattle businesses like Microsoft and smaller local businesses may also feel the effect of tariffs on their operations, such as increased production costs due to higher material prices.
- As a result of tariffs, Seattle residents who are hobbyists, like Keith Williamson who collects wine, might decide to shift their purchases to domestic products or reconsider their spending habits on their hobbies.
- The ongoing uncertainty about tariffs could be particularly challenging for small businesses in Seattle, such as quilt shops or tabletop gaming stores, as increased costs could lead to reduced sales and potential closures.
