Not a headline we are happy about, but this is a reality for BOD and all the brands we represent.

First – we are holding existing prices till 14 March – we have extended the grace period to give us more time to work out the best pricing possible and also – drumroll – we will have some new products to introduce to the site then!

As we all know, over the past two years Brexit and the Covid pandemic between them have worked havoc on supply chains, production capacity for both raw materials and finished goods, delivery services and more, and all of these factors have driven up not just the cost of goods, but the overall costs of doing business.

So, it’s only fair to warn you, on the 14th of March we will have to increase prices to reflect the changes in costs for ourselves and our partners. Anything currently in stock stays at the old price till then, but we are low on many beaters, and have only a few of most CoreLine and BODdrums on hand.

On our side, at BOD, the spinner who produces the aluminium shells for our BODdrums, Talking Bodhráns and the Talking Sound Bars has had to change suppliers to ensure stocks of aluminium of the quality we need, and his costs are so uncertain his quotes are now good for only 7 days. With demand for aluminium high for many industrial uses, and output uncertain for many reasons, the pricing in the commodities markets has been volatile – but fundamentally over the course of the pandemic aluminium has risen to new highs.

Christian Hedwitschak, maker of the beautiful wooden CoreLine bodhráns that we carry, closed his own on line shop and decided to sell only through re-sellers like BOD, so he could focus on the actual drum making. Just after the new year, he wrote to all his business partners about changing costs and the need for price increases in 2022.

Unfortunately, there is another problem that has troubled us since the beginning of 2021: the extremely increased prices of raw materials, energy, transport and materials. Not only wood and wood materials, but especially everything that has to do with chemistry (plastic parts, glue, varnish, etc.) has risen extremely since January 2021. Screws, glue and surface materials have roughly doubled.  Even though some of the price increases [on products] are very high, they still only compensate for the increased costs.

As anyone who has had a building project the past two years knows, the cost of wood of all kinds has gone through the roof, and this is true for Christian, making the CoreLine bodhráns, and Stevie Moises, making all his fabulous wooden tippers. The walnut used in many of Stevie’s and Christian’s beaters has seen a four fold increase in price.

So, stock up what you can before 14 March at current prices, and console yourself in these troubled times with the beautiful music you can make. With high quality instruments and beaters music making is priceless, and will always be a joy.

What’s that photo?  When we receive the BODdrum shells from the spinner, John prepares each one by drilling the holes for the tuning blocks, before sending the shells on for paint finishing.