Are Uke Sales Up?

Ukecaster said:

I just checked Mim's site. She opened for new orders again on Friday morning, and her order cap for the week was met in 5 hours.

Click to expand...

I saw that! I’m going to guess she had hearty sales to meet a relatively robust cap this week, but as mentioned before we really can’t know.

Mim’s weekly Cap isn’t fixed; she adjusts it regularly, if not weekly, depending on a variety of factors, including projected commitments or other situations outside our view.

~ S.
(Who helped Mim meet her Cap the previous week....)

Over here in Europe there were a few newspaper articles about the surge in ukulele sales. That 'coronaboost' applies to guitars and pianos as well, but not so much to wind instruments and the violin family, perhaps because learning those by yourself or through online courses isn't so easy or seems more intimidating.

ukulelekarcsi said:

That 'coronaboost' applies to guitars and pianos as well, but not so much to wind instruments and the violin family, perhaps because learning those by yourself or through online courses isn't so easy or seems more intimidating.

Click to expand...

They also tend to be very loud and relatively unpleasant when beginners are starting to learn them. With everyone being home, neighbors included, this probably plays a role, too.

Guitars and ukes are relatively quiet, and pianos at least produce an in-tune note when someone presses a key. I found it difficult to practice recorder because you really can't do it quietly, and even a tenor recorder (which isn't screechy) is loud in the upper registers. Ukulele on the other hand I can play quietly, and for the banjo I have a mute that reduces the volume substantially.

Mivo said:

They also tend to be very loud and relatively unpleasant when beginners are starting to learn them. With everyone being home, neighbors included, this probably plays a role, too.

Click to expand...

This is probably why wind synths are growing in popularity. You could use one to emulate your tenor recorder, too.

Ukecaster said:

I just checked Mim's site. She opened for new orders again on Friday morning, and her order cap for the week was met in 5 hours.

Click to expand...

I was tracking it all morning and was surprised to see only one Naupaka sold before the cap. I'm new to the hobby and seriously overestimated how quickly they would sell given that KoAloha only puts them out once in a blue moon.

Veritas99 said:

I was tracking it all morning and was surprised to see only one Naupaka sold before the cap. I'm new to the hobby and seriously overestimated how quickly they would sell given that KoAloha only puts them out once in a blue moon.

Click to expand...

Mixed wood tops are a pretty niche thing. Most people don't really want one.

Kaelrie said:

Mixed wood tops are a pretty niche thing. Most people don't really want one.

Click to expand...

Strangely, I really want one, but I can't quite justify it. I already own a KoAloha concert in koa and one in mango.