The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-12-05
How Prices are Going up.
A FEW FIGURES DEMONSTRATING THE RI
IN BUILDING MATERIAL.

A FEW FIGURES DEMONSTRATING THE RISE
IN BUILDING MATERIAL.
The Builder for November says the greatest
rise in prices has been in articles of hardware,
and so far as these enter into the construction
of house the builder finds that his estimates
must be very materially increased. Nails are
70 per cent. higher to-day than they were at
the beginning of the present year. Window
weights have advanced fully 70 per cent;
locks and knobs have risen nearly 45 per cent.
upon the average; locks and kindred goods,
% per cent; common door butts and hinges
fully 100 per cent; and such other odds and
ends of hardware as are used in building an
average no less than 40 per cent.
Common window glass, either French, Ger
man or American, cannot be bought to day
within 20 per cent as cheap as it could on the
list of January. A box of glass suitable for
sashcs IL by 30 inches in dimensions costs
$500 to-day against $298 at the beginning of
the year; box for 10 by Is sashes costs $270
to-day, against $40 on the 1st of January,
and box of glass for 49, by 2G sashes costs
SO now, against $3.50 when the year opened
Sashes, doors and blinds have recently under
gone very material advance. Blinds have
been unprotitably low, and the present prices
constitute a rise from "a to 45 per cent. A
blind upon which the combination price was
lately 80 cents now costs IS; those which
formerly sold for 20 now sell for 80, and those
which formerly sold for IS cents now sell at
$l10 Sashes with glass ready set are over
30 per cent. dearer to-day than at the begin
ming of the year.
Doors are constantly advancing and it is
difficult TO keep the run of the new prices
which are made by the manufacturers.
In brick there has been, since the list of JAN
uary, an advance on some grades of common
of over 30 per cent but in lime, sand and
cement there has been but little variation, and
the same may be said of paints and oils. In
all these articles, however, there was harden
ing tendency, and it may be generally
| said of them that, though there has been
very little nominal advance, yet figures
| which could often be obtained upon them
six or eight months ago are not possible
to-day. In "dull times" it frequently
happens that dealers are willing to give
| quiet concessions to customers for the
purpose of securing trade when there has ap.
parently been no actual decline in the prices
| and, upon the other hand, when business be,
| gins to improve, the firmer feeling which pre-
| walls renders such concessions difficult to OBJ
tain, even though prices are not quoted high
er. The estimates which builders were able
| to furnish last winter and spring, therefore
| were lower than to-day, not only because Of
the advance which has actually occurred in
some materials but because of the concessions
which were then possible in others.
Ordinary building lumber and shingles
clap-boards, SC, are not quotably higher to-
day than at the beginning of the year, but the
Eastern mills are generally running full and
are approaching position where they car
take their pick of orders. In the West ma
terial advance has occurred ON finishing stock
and the retail dealers are talking of CORES
ponding advance here.
Hardwood lumber for finishing purposes il
also firmer and ash and cherry will cost some
5 per cent. more than on the first of January
Black walnut sells to-day at about the samt
price as at the beginning of the year, but il
has recently advanced to that figure after {
decline of from three to five per cent.