If you've been watching the news—or your 401(k)—you know things are getting weird out there.

We're in the middle of a trade war, tariffs are flying like confetti, and the stock charts look like an Etch A Sketch dropped down a staircase.

We’re adjusting to a new reality.

For professional editors, colorists, and home theater perfectionists who actually care about getting it right, we’re doing everything we can to stay sharp without cutting corners.

The short version?
Importing into the U.S. has gotten stupid expensive—and that's before we even get to manufacturing, freight, or basic overhead.

A 170% tariff here, a 170% tariff there, and suddenly you’re talking about real money!
We’re absorbing as much as we can, but 170% tariffs don’t just destabilize the playing field—they dig a crater in it. So we’re digging out as best we can. 

We’ve raised U.S. retail prices by up to 25% on many key products.
Even then, we're eating a ridiculous amount of the cost ourselves—cutting margins, tightening hours, and shifting focus to international markets where tariffs don't raise our prices. 

Some good news:

• MAESTRO, DIT lamps, desk lamps, and bulbs are holding their prices, thanks to stockpiles from smarter days.

• Spears & Munsil nudged up a little, but not by much.

• LX1 is still hanging on at close to pre-tariff pricing—only $2 higher—for now. Once this batch is gone, that’s it. Tariff economics don’t leave room for budget products with low margins.

Will we bring prices back down? We'd love nothing more.
Predicting trade policy right now is like budgeting for a dinner party where the menu changes every five minutes. Is it good policy? Which one?

Regardless of political views, businesses need a stable environment to plan. And for anyone still unsure: the exporting country doesn’t pay U.S. tariffs — importers like us do. We pay them upfront, and they flow straight through. That’s the reality.

If you buy now, just know: we can’t issue retroactive refunds if tariffs drop.
(Spoiler: they haven’t yet—and nobody's holding their breath.)

BUT:
We’re offering a merchandise credit—up to $50 per order, $200 per customer—if tariffs drop back to 2024 levels within six months.
If they get halfway there, you'll still get a partial credit. Fair is fair.

Example: Pay $30 more today?
Get a $30 credit toward a future order. No minimums. No fine print.
(Just shoot us a message before your next order—we're good for it.)

This pricing mess only affects U.S. customers.
If you're international, congrats—you’re basically living in a utopia compared to this.
Dealer pricing overseas remains unchanged! Our USA price increases solely cover USA tariffs. 

Also coming soon:

• Direct China Post shipping for smaller international orders.
  (Cheaper, but duties aren't prepaid, and China Post might move slower than a DMV line. Still, it's an option.)

People keep asking: "Why not just manufacture in the U.S.?"

Short answer: We'd love to.
Long answer: We can't.

• No U.S. factories make the kind of LEDs we use.

• Even if they did, they’d still need imported parts and pay the same tariffs. 

• Costs would be 2-3x higher with longer lead times because it would just be me and someone else soldering, not a whole factory. 

• Also: your TV wasn’t made here either—the last U.S. TV factory shut down in 2005. (When American TVs make a comeback, we'll be right behind them.)

If tariffs cool off soon, we’ll ride it out.
If they stick around longer, we’ll try to adapt. Maybe become prog rockers again or something. ;)

We’re realistic, not panicked—and more determined than ever to do things right.

For now:

• We're still here.

• We're still shipping.

• Our service is a little slower (thanks, reduced hours), but we’re answering every email.

• We're still obsessed with keeping your image looking perfect.

• Tariffs can bite us.

We’ll keep the surround dim, the color dead-on, and the lights exactly where they need to be. And no—don’t call the bagpipers, and don’t bother picking up the dry cleaning.

We’re still standing—and if history’s any guide, the good days always come back around. Hang in there. 

Keep creating. Keep shining.

Jason Rosenfeld
President
Scenic Labs | MediaLight