Mystic ships plans price increase !

[BrianY]

This may be old news to folks here, but I thought I'd mention it anyway....

I just noticed that Mystic Seaport is now charging $40/sheet for copies of the plans in their collection...they were $25/sheet last winter.

At that price, they really should produce a catalog with a lines plan of each boat along with the description so that you can know exactly what you're buying...or at least make some provision for reduced price study plans.

Oh well, I guess that puts an end to my "addiction" of buying a plan or two evey now and then just out of curiosity. :(

[RodB]

$40/page is ridiculous... jeesh! You are right... that will stop many many folks from buying plans out of curiosity... I think Mystic will see a drop in plans
sales because of this. How many on this forum would drop $200 to $300 for a few pages of plans they may or may not build someday...? Perhaps if they see an
overall drop in revenue of plans sales they will drop the price back down.



RodB

[Layzboy2011]

I thought it was a little ridiculus as well...

[JimM]

Since the seaport museaum operates mostly on donations they are probably hurting in the present economy, just like we all are. they are probably trying to offset some of their cost of maintaining the plan library. The new price will unfortuately reduce my buying plans also.

[Wayne Jeffers]

Ouch!

I wonder what the Smithsonian is charging these days. I have their catalog of ship plans, 1998 edition, and most plans were in the neighborhood of $3 to $5 per sheet at that time.

Wayne

[rbgarr]

You can turn your old plans in at the Smithsonian in their new "Dollars for Dreamers" stimulus program.

[JimConlin]

It's been clear that Mystic is in financial distress. I just wonder whether their profit is maximized by raising or lowering prices for plans. My impression is that they've done a decent job of cataloging some of their plans holdings and that if they were to provide a convenient method to buy 'em, they'd be buried in orders.
Their collection is a treasure trove- The cataloged designers include Arthur Robb, Charles Mower, Charles Schock, Eldredge-McInnis, Henry Scheel, Henry Nevins, L. Francis Herreshoff, Philip Rhodes, Ralph Winslow, William Garden. The full list is HERE (http://library.mysticseaport.org/catfind/shipslist.cfm).

Who might we pester to encourage them to see the volume potential for plans prints?

[Bill Perkins]

There's a 10% discount for members .Those interested in buying plans might as well join .

[Yeadon]

Many years ago they put out a catalog like the one you're talking about, though it only has photos of the particular boats.

I do wonder why they raised the price per sheet. I also wonder just how much revenue they make annually from plans, and how much manpower it takes to run that small corner of the operation.

[rbgarr]

It could be that each department is being tasked with 'floating on it's own bottom' and generating more funds for their individual budgets.

[Ethan]

FWIW, I think with the new higher price, you get plans printed from a plotter instead of the old blueprint style. Hence, the big inventory sell off of plans at the '08 WBS.

[Alex Low]

Some of the plans are just photo copies. That is a wild price for a photo copy. They have also (at least last time I inquired) discontinued their research request programme.... so if you want some research done on a certain boat, you have to go there in person.

Bit of a shame.

Alex

[grousehunter]

I was just there and they, like many other service providers and businesses, had to lay off about four-fifths of their workforce. In spite of this, their workload has not lessened very much and neither has their personal service (Mindy personally helped me sift through nearly half of the designs of a particular architect without once showing any impatience in spite of her workload) They are feeling a huge pinch and I guess I feel exactly opposite from most of the respondents here. I went home and immediately placed an order for a couple of sheets, mostly of course because I intend to build the particular boat but also because I wanted to try to carry some of the load and hopefully do my part to keep them going. They are an amazing resorce whos value can not be underestimated.