Should I buy a new AGP now in case the price gouging returns/continues in 2021?

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thefloatqueen

thefloatqueen

Bronze Supporter
Dec 24, 2018
1,377
Columbus, Ohio
Pool Size
8000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
I’m sure many of you noticed in the spring and summer of this year, Intex-type pools were priced extremely high due to demand from the pandemic. I love my Intex (thank God I bought it in 2019 for less than half the price that it is selling for now!!!!) but want to upgrade to a more permanent above ground pool this upcoming spring. My Intex was my “starter pool” to see if I wanted the commitment of a more permanent pool. Needless to say, I passed that test with flying colors and the answer is a huge YES!!

My first question is, if the pool demand stays high and the pandemic continues well into 2021, should I just buy my “real” AGP now and wait until spring to have it installed? Lots of sales going on right now (Pool Factory and other online retailers) and everything isn’t out of stock! Love my Intex, but it has some VERY small and slow leaks (patched and unpatched) on the bottom from pavers shifting and a couple rocks (long story) so if I kept it another season, it will have to be drained and modified a bit, so that is a last resort since we really want a permenant pool to build a deck around. I won’t build a deck around my temporary pool.

Also, did the prices dramatically increase on “real” above ground pools this past summer also? Or was it only the “temporary” (Intex, Coleman, Bestway, Summer Waves, etc.) type pools? I only paid attention to the latter. I never checked if prices went up on regular pools or if they were out of stock. I know I’m thinking way ahead here but I need some guidance lol. I saw Intex pools selling on Amazon and eBay for more than a lot of “real” AGPs this past summer — and that scares me! People are CRAZY!!!!!! Thanks in advance! 🙂
 
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If there’s one thing we’ve learned this past year is that the only thing that’s garaunteed is the now. Tomorrow might be better, and it might be unprecedentedly worse. There is a small risk to buying early if you receive defective/missing parts, but there are even more supply chain worries looking forward to outweigh it IMHO.

It’s even possible that things are much better in the spring and *that* creates a shortage with everybody back to work and having the funds to splurge on a pool. 🤷‍♂️ A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush they say.
 
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swimcmp said:
Buy now install later. Currently fiberglass ingrounds are 15 weeks out for delivery. Our vinyl lined inground supplier says to get our sold pools ordered now to be able to get them. Aboveground permanent pools same way.
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People are seriously investing in inground and real (non-Intex) above ground pools due to the pandemic? That is beyond crazy!! Do these folks know what they are getting themselves into? Unless they’ve been wanting a permanent pool regardless. The Intex ones I can understand but I cannot understand why demand would suddenly be so high and stock so low for expensive, permanent pools that require a lot of maintenance, chemicals, etc.
Darn, I was really hoping this issue was limited to temporary AGPs. I guess I’ll begin my search.
 
Newdude said:
If there’s one thing we’ve learned this past year is that the only thing that’s garaunteed is the now. Tomorrow might be better, and it might be unprecedentedly worse. There is a small risk to buying early if you receive defective/missing parts, but there are even more supply chain worries looking forward to outweigh it IMHO.

It’s even possible that things are much better in the spring and *that* creates a shortage with everybody back to work and having the funds to splurge on a pool. 🤷‍♂️ A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush they say.
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Good way to look at it! I just can’t wrap my head around the demand being so high for non-temporary AGPs (and even crazier — fiberglass IG pools!!! WTH?!). Even during a pandemic — it is insane to me!!
 
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thefloatqueen said:
I just can’t wrap my head around the demand being so high for non-temporary AGPs
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Everybody wanted what they could afford but if it wasn’t available, many settled for the ‘downgrade’ to whatever was available. Big pool wishes became smaller and it trickled down to even ‘temporary pools’ just to get the kids out of the house.
 
Newdude said:
Everybody wanted what they could afford but if it wasn’t available, many settled for the ‘downgrade’ to whatever was available. Big pool wishes became smaller and it trickled down to even ‘temporary pools’ just to get the kids out of the house.
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I figured it would be the opposite!! If these folks wanted a pool, you would think they would’ve already got one before this started. And with people losing jobs and whatnot, the temporary pools are much cheaper and can easily be taken down and stored away for the winter. Pools are a huge commitment and very expensive to have and maintain. That’s why I can totally understand the Intex type pools being in high demand, but not the more permanent type pools. People are crazy!!
 
Mdragger88 said:
i had a beauty picked out @ the pool factory but no local installers available & I wasn’t ready to diy a 33’ round partially buried pool
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Case and point. A preferred partially buried became a full above ground. Somebody else couldn’t buy Mdraggers 33’ above ground and settled on a 24’. And on and on until the 12 foot inflatables were gone too. :)
 
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And you miss......... my/our friend...... not only ‘passed with flying colors’ but you graduated with honors. A perfect TFP success story that went from No-to-Pro in 1/2 of a season. Yet even more proof for countless future newbs that they too can get a grip on things when they seem out of control. Well done. Keep us posted as always. *shameless request for pics at build time*
 
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The price increase and scarcity of above ground pools was the result of the perfect storm covid 19 created, and not just for pools. The world wide shut down happened in the spring, when demand is ramping up every year. Since factories were shut down, no one was making more pools to replace the ones sold, so prices went up while the demand increased and supplies dwindled. For families with young kids who were used to going on long vacations, that was no longer an option. Also public parks and pools were shut down too. Considering the average hard wall above ground pool could be purchased and installed in the $5-8k range, it was one of the few recreational options for families used to filling up summer with camps, trips, and activities for their kids. The cost difference was probably a wash between permanent pool install and usual summer expenses. Depending on their usual activities they may have even come out ahead!
If the vaccines prove to be effective and enough people have been vaccinated you may see prices and demand for pools dropping back to normal levels this summer. I don't know if manufacturers have had enough time to catch up on creating stock so just finding what you want at all may be the best deal you can get.
 
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