Spanish Suits of Armor Price Increases?

In the past five or so years, we've seen natural resources rise substantially as developing countries (such as China and India) modernize and increase wealth. In the past year, the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Euro has changed to favor the Euro. What does this mean for imported items such as suits of armor? You guessed it. Price increases galore. Here is some information about what armors will see price increases in the coming months and which ones will stay low.
The suits of armor that are going to be hit the hardest are Marto of Spain products and Medioevo products, both from Spain and Italy respectively. The biggest price increase has been seen in the Phillip II armor that is Floral Golden Etched. Usually retailing for around $7500, retailers are lucky to get it for that price imported. Price increases to around $11,000 are expected for this particular item. This one is one of the hardest hit because of the gold (which gold is at an all time high) and the increases prices of iron ore and other metals. Same increases are expected for the whole line of Marto armors, often with 30-40% increases. It doesn't get much better for Medioevo armors. Though the wholesale cost imported directly from the manufacturer has not changed substantially, the exchange rate is killing the retailers and distributors in the U.S. The cost to U.S. businesses is 1.5 times or more that of the Euro wholesale price. You are likely to see similar percentage increases in a suit of armor for the retail prices in the U.S.

The only suits of armor that are going to be immune from this is Indian made suits of armor. Though iron, brass, and wood have gone up in price, armors can still be made cheaply in India. Though they do not have the quality of Spanish and Italian armors, prices are expected to hover anywhere from $1500-2500 for good quality suits of armors, compared to $3000-11000 for European armors. When choosing your next suit of armor for your collection, the higher prices for premium armors will have to be taken into consideration.

John Hilde is a historical weapons and armor collector and owns his own online store selling authentic armor and weapons. Please visit http://www.armorvenue.com to learn more.