Replacement Lamps: Effects of a Sagging Economy

Owning a projector can be a great deal of fun when the projector is meeting or exceeding performance expectations. The light source, also known as the replacement lamp should be kept fresh in order to ensure the best picture possible. Often, outside factors influence the cost and availability of replacement lamps, and here are a few examples of how and why that happens.

Often, replacement lamp manufacturers and dealers are willing to offer free ground shipping in order to win your business. Small package carriers (we all know the big two) raise their transportation charges approximately 2-3 times per year. In addition, the carriers charge a fuel surcharge, at times in excess of 20% on top of the basic package charge. That means that as the cost to ship items increases, it may eventually be passed on to the lamp buyer, either through a higher sales price, or a flat rate charge for ground packages.

As the cost of fuel rises, dealer purchase prices rise as well. This happens as Manufacturers incur additional shipping costs from overseas to U.S. ports. Overseas lamp makers also turn to sea-going freight as a way to limit transportation costs. This will affect the availability of product in the U.S. due to the longer transit times to our distributors.

More and more consumer electronics are made from plastics in some way, and replacement lamps are no exception. One of the base ingredients for manufacturing plastics is oil. It takes no rocket science to figure how that can take a toll on production costs, regardless of industry. Throw in the increased cost to operate automation and machinery at production plants and one can easily see how prices rise.

In the end, replacement lamps are and will continue to be available. As the global economy continues to fluctuate, be sure to pay attention to warning signs of lamp life failure in your current projector. This will allow you to forecast when a replacement is needed, and secure the best price and shipping method.