I've noticed DiMarzios going up in price as well, to my disappointment. I think everybody builds great models and everybody builds so so models. The slightly cheaper price of DMZ was my main temptation to try them, but with almost every passive at close to the same price now, there isn't much difference among them save whether you like the tone. Very competitive market indeed.
One would think that used DMZs would be cheaper since the retail versions were at a lower price, but those may already have been sold through. I think for people who buy new and then sell used, they're taking bigger losses than ever before.
As far as boutique winders driving price up, I'm not so sure. Demand could increase prices but also production and competitive forces to keep prices down in response to that. I guess I look at raw materials production as being something where you could make a moderate profit on fewer sales, or increase production and make a slimmer profit on more sales, making up the difference. That would encourage cheaper raw materials production processes since there is more winder demand out there than there used to be.
I have to wonder, as well, if the pickup market is saturated because, for someone who knows what they're doing and with a bit of capital to buy machines, it's fairly easy to do and the profit margins are higher compared to other parts of the industry. I don't think sourcing metal is as expensive as sourcing wood. At the same time, pickup builders and others have to pay for the main thing that's going up--labor costs rising to keep up with living costs. Hopefully it will be much easier for them to do this than for struggling guitar builders who are finding it harder to find quality wood and are thus keep their prices down.
All conjecture. But I was hoping others had noticed what I had noticed. It would just be nice to find sets of passives for $100-120 too.
For that reason, price, you won't find me on what my friend calls the "Bareknuckle hipster bandwagon." Their casings look cool though. British taxes and import duties must be a factor in those pickups' price.
Regarding Demanic's post about the 80s being vintage, I don't think it's true vintage, yet, although stuff from that era is definitely becoming popular to 80s metal fans like me who like old ESP/Jackson/Charvel/BC Rich/Ibanzes from that period. It's not considered the same value as 50-70s Fender/Gibsons, though. I see 80s Charvels going for $200 or so.
