Lumber/Plywood

That's just inflation. It ain't just Breyers ripping you off. The Snickers bar has been slowly shrinking in weight, and most people have not noticed. Along with every other candy/confectionery.

As for Lumber? *shrugs* For as long as I can remember, a 2x4 was always 1 3/4 by 3 3/4 inch, or whatever, due to a milling process. It had nothing to do with the type of wood.

But I would not know, I was not alive 100 years ago when they were felling old growth trees.

Your first assessment of shrinkflation is accurate, your second about lumber could include the distinction ‘rough cut.’
 
That's what my retarded uncle has always said. Some people just can't comprehend logic. They rather break things down into convoluted units
I love prime numbers. Given the choice I'd divide a foot into 17 inches.
 
And it's proven time and again that the metric system is the superior way to measure things. The rest of the world thinks so, the entire world's scientific community thinks so. So, you need to forgive me when I say that a few Americans got it horribly wrong. Like education. Like gun laws. Like health care.
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I own a couple of old houses built around 1920 with old growth wood using true 2x4's. The old studs are 2 inches by 4 inches as opposed to the 1.5 inches by 3.5 inches. Even the pine from back then is stronger and heavier than current oak lumber. What a scam. My newer house built late 90's is twice as big but easily weighs less than that the two older houses combined since they are also on plaster/lathe vs drywall.
Go up in the attic in of those houses and try to pound a nail in one of the rafters.
It can't be done.
 
1. USD73.25 for a sheet of less-than-half-inch plywood?
2. Why is our measure of plywood in 32nds? Are the plywood makers moonlighting as bond traders? FRACTIONS!!!


I know this is not at the top of everyone's list.
But if I could mandate one social change for the U.S., I would insist that we change to the metric system.

The rest of the world uses it.
We lose billions of dollars in export revenue because our machinery is tooled to the standard English system and not metric.
Besides, it would bond us a little closer to the rest of the world.

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