After the initial slowdown last March, we have seen interest in amateur astronomy grow significantly. Stargazing is definitely a hobby you can do while social distancing, and we have seen a lot of new people jump into the hobby and discover (or rediscover) a passion. 2020 turned out to be a record year for telescope sales across the industry, and this year continues to see both record demand and significant supply constraints. Effectively, by last July, manufacturer warehouses were empty. The products we received in August and September that would normally be in support of Christmas sales were sold within a week or two!
This year, 2021, represents MHA's 3rd year in business, and I'm happy to say we are continuing to grow. Despite inventory availability issues, what was our showroom was quickly overtaken by shipping and inventory after the shutdown in March 2020. In short, we had run out of space.
Fortunately, the storefront next door was vacant, and we have been able to lease it to double our warehouse and showroom footprint. We are growing from a combined 1400 sqft to 2800 sqft! Our address and everything else will stay the same, but our warehouse space and showroom will each double in size.
This does mean we are going to keep our doors closed a little while longer. We need to let the contractors do their thing, and then we will finish off the larger retail space. We expect this will take another couple months, and we will announce a reopening date in the future as we get the larger space closer to completion. We know it's been a long wait, but we hope it will be worth it when we can welcome you back into our expanded showroom!
That's the good news, now let's talk for a moment about the supply situation. Telescopes are a small industry when you compare it to most hobbies like cycling or photography. If you happen to be a cyclist, you probably know that industry too is experiencing record demand and supply shortages. At this point, so is the computer industry, auto industry, and many other segments of the economy. Demand is outpacing supply, and there is no more production capacity immediately available. This has some unfortunate implications for manufacturing. Mainly, that there simply isn't the ability to keep up with demand. The shipping industry constraints have added to this issue, with container shipments experiencing significant delays and becoming unpredictable.
We have a significant backlog of orders with our suppliers, some extending 14 months out. This has particularly impacted Celestron, Meade, and Sky-Watcher products, but has impacted every manufacturer in at least some of their product lines. If you can't find the telescope or accessory you want right now, please understand this is across the industry, and manufacturers are already at capacity. The supply issues, shipping capacity issues, and component supply issues are all leading to increases in prices. Many vendors have already instituted price increases, and I expect the others will before the end of the year.
In short, I don't expect these supply issues to let up until mid 2022, or 2023. I've placed much larger than normal orders, so we do have a lot of stock, but may not have a specific product. As always, our website is up to the minute accurate with inventory.
Due to all of these supply issues, we are explicitly only offering for purchase what we have in stock. We are not taking pre-orders, because we can't provide accurate ETAs. We have fortunately managed to keep a reasonable supply of entry level telescopes, and a good selection of accessories. For astro-imagers, we currently have a strong stock of William Optics scopes, including the elusive RedCats! If there is a specific product you want that is out of stock, make use of the Notify When Available button on the product page, which will email or text you when the item you want becomes available.
Thank you for your ongoing support through these past three years. It's been a rollercoaster, but it always brightens my day when we can help introduce someone new to astronomy, help someone get started in astrophotography, or find the right accessories to enhance their experience. With our expanded space, we will continue expanding our product offerings, including a wider range of binoculars and spotting scopes, and a continued focus on providing expert guidance and support.
As always, clear skies!
- Sorin
]]>We have had many requests to reopen the store to customer visits. Unfortunately we will remain closed for the remainder of the year and into 2021.
While many other retailers are reopening, we are choosing to take a research-based, safety-first approach. Based on what the available research is telling us, with our particular space and typical customer visits, we cannot safely operate in store shopping. I thought it was worth taking the time to outline why, after consideration and analysis, we have come to the conclusion that we cannot conduct in store shopping safely.
]]>We have had many requests to reopen the store to customer visits. Unfortunately we will remain closed for the remainder of the year and into 2021.
While many other retailers are reopening, we are not a typical retail store. We are choosing to take a research-based, safety-first approach. Based on what the available research is telling us, with our particular space and typical customer visits, we cannot safely operate in store shopping. I thought it was worth taking the time to outline why, after consideration and analysis, we have come to the conclusion that we cannot conduct in store shopping safely.
Some background information: Before we closed in-store shopping in March by State order, our average customer visit typically lasted 30-60 minutes, with many stretching to well over an hour. We offered a hands-on shopping experience, which included ongoing interaction and information sharing throughout the visit. It's clear that when we re-open, this will still be the expectation.
Now, please consider that our retail space is quite small - only about 600 square feet. This doesn't allow for a lot of air circulation, or for social distancing. Research suggests (references below) that exposure risk increases drastically in enclosed spaces, for time periods of as little as 10 minutes. Even with properly worn masks (and we continue to see very poor mask adherence in public) this only extends the effective relatively safe period by another 5-10 minutes. That's about half the length or less of our average customer visit. That means the risk of transmission from an unknowingly infected individual, including potentially one of us, is in the very high risk segment, similar to a dine-in restaurant or bar. We've all observed what's been happening as these establishments reopen, and infections spike, forcing states to then reverse course and close these businesses again. We care too much about the health of our customers, and our own health, to take such risks.
By that same token, only one of us is working the store on a given day. We cannot achieve social distancing and a comfortably safe environment with both of us working at once, which would be a prerequisite before we would consider reopening for customer visits. We are also taking steps to clean and disinfect contact surfaces daily, as well as regular hand washing, and adherence to proper face masks and social distancing. This applies to curbside pickups, and our interactions with delivery carriers.
Also during this period, we will not be accepting trade-ins or consignments.
We are still here to help, and provide the same level of guidance and assistance as before. We will continue to offer curbside pickup and shipping, as well as phone and online support and consultation throughout this period. Jon and I both look forward to being able to return to business a usual and welcome you back into our store when we consider it safe for ourselves and all of our customers and community.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
The Risks - Know Them - Avoid Them
COVID-19: Straight Answers from Top Epidemiologist Who Predicted the Pandemic
]]>We’ve also been saddened by the experiences of Christian Cooper and so many other people of color who have experienced racial profiling and harassment while trying to enjoy the experiences of the outdoors that so many of us take for granted. Astronomy falls into this same category today of predominantly white and predominantly male.
Diversity benefits us all in every aspect of life. We would love to see many more people, from all backgrounds, experiencing the night sky and the awe and wonder it brings. As we say in our mission statement:
Meaningful Connections - We believe that when someone gets a glimpse of the cosmic perspective, they become more empathic. That empathy helps build a stronger and more inclusive community, both locally and globally. (Astronauts call this the Overview Effect.) We believe in connecting people, through events, classes, local organizations, and educational outreach.
With all of this in mind, and the support of you and our whole astro community, we will be donating 1% of June sales to the NAACP, and an additional 1% of our June sales to the National Society of Black Physicists scholarship program for minority students majoring in physics.
We see you. We hear you. You are always welcome here. ❤️
I personally recognize this is a challenging topic. I want to encourage everyone to share empathy, and make an effort towards understanding and mutual respect. Racism is deeply engrained in our culture in this country. Writing this as a white male, who grew up in predominantly white neighborhoods, and has participated in predominantly white professions and hobbies, it takes an effort to understand and relate. I also understand that I don't fully understand, and never will, what it is to be a minority. This is emotionally and personally challenging, but it's worth the effort to grow, learn, and come together.
Some further reading:
Finally, don't forget to love each other. ❤️
Thank You!
Through 2% of our June sales and 100% of donations, we have been able to contribute a total of $2,276 to these two organizations ($1,136 each to the NAACP and National Society of Black Physicists).
#BlackLivesMatter #BlackInAstro
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March kicks off a few new sales, including the Advanced VX telescopes from Celestron, and a sale on Meade wide angle eyepieces.
Note: From October 28th - Store open, no local pickup or phone support will be available while we are busy setting up and moving into the new space!
We will be located in Lakewood, Colorado at the intersection of West Colfax and Kipling. We will be located on the NE corner of West Colfax and Kipling in the same development as the Disguises costume shop, towards the west side of the building.
Store Address:
9797 West Colfax #3vv
Lakewood, CO 80215
Right now, the contractors are building out the space, and we have a target of a mid-November grand opening. As we get closer, I'll share specific opening day details!
While we're getting ready to relocate to the new store, local pickup hours will be very limited. Please call ahead before visiting until we can open our new location! Order shipping will continue as normal, with the potential for a one-day delay as we begin relocating inventory to the new store.
We will have a range of telescopes on display, along with eyepieces, binoculars, books, science toys, and other accessories. It will be your opportunity to see some of our favorite telescopes up close and hands on.
The right telescope for you isn't the right telescope for everyone else. Astronomy is a diverse hobby, and our goal has always been to help you explore the cosmos with your goals and budget in mind.
Our store and staff are friendly and approachable, no hard sells, no commissions. Our space is being designed as a place for you to explore and discover the wonders and inspiration of the cosmos. We cater to everyone from first timers wanting to dip their toe into stargazing to advanced astro-imagers and everyone in between.
Our catalog is rapidly expanding as we continue adding new brands. By the time we open, I expect to have over 1,200 products in our catalog, and immediate stock of over 200 individual products, and over 50 different telescope models available for immediate pickup. Most items we may not have in stock typically arrive within 5-7 business days after ordering.
This is a constantly expanding list, but presently, here are the major brands we carry as of October 2018. If you don't see a brand or product you are looking for on our website, give us a call!
We will also stock a curated selection of books and charts. You won't find everything under the sun, only those items that we feel deliver real value and have earned 5-star ratings from actual customers. This includes children's astronomy, space, and astronaut books for all age groups!
We get asked a lot if we will be offering telescope repair or collimation services. This is something we will evaluate after the holidays.
We do plan to offer regular group classes and other in-store events and activities, including some telescope and astronomy basics classes. I expect we will be ready to start offering these in January or February.
I want to say a huge and heart felt THANK YOU for your support and patronage! The level of interest since I launched this business in March – just eight months ago – is what is allowing this kind of expansion to better serve you. I can't wait to have you come visit the new showroom. I hope to make each visit an experience in itself – this will not be your average telescope store!
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#OptUp is our way of encouraging you – yes, YOU – to step outside on those clear nights, and turn your gaze skyward. It doesn't matter if you have a telescope, binoculars, or just your eyes, there are amazing wonders up there waiting for you to discover them. We created the hashtag #OptUp based on inspiration from REI and their #OptOutside events every Black Friday. Their goal and ours is to get you outside and exploring.
Check this space for blog posts about what to see up there, and how to see and experience what the wider universe has to offer. If you've had an #OptUp experience, use the hashtag when you share on social media, and please tag us @MileHighAstro on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We want to hear your stories and see your pictures.
How will you choose to #OptUp?
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