Buying from the US...

[NancyJohnson]

Given the current slide of the $, down over 9% since the end of January, are we approaching a golden age of buying from the US?

 

Obviously you're going to need to factor in shipping/duties, but by way of example if you're in the US A Fender Player II Jazz bass.  Guitar Center $800, Andertons £750; at current exchange prices the Guitar Center version at £600.

 

 

[tegs07]

Personally the only thing I will be buying from the US is equities and not  until Trump attempts to remove Powell and totally trashes the $ and the stock and bond markets in the process.

[Geek99]

42 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

Given the current slide of the $, down over 9% since the end of January, are we approaching a golden age of buying from the US?

 

Obviously you're going to need to factor in shipping/duties, but by way of example if you're in the US A Fender Player II Jazz bass.  Guitar Center $800, Andertons £750; at current exchange prices the Guitar Center version at £600.

 

 

Are you factoring in shipping, vat and duty? 

[Earbrass]

I'd rather my money stayed in the UK, Europe, or went to Canada or the far east than to the US. Whenever there's talk of targeted tariffs against the US, they tend to mention whiskey and motorcycles, and I often wonder why they don't also include musical instruments and associated gear. 

Edited 20 hours ago by Earbrass

[prowla]

Tariffs mean you pay more for the items and so you're really fining yourself.

Choosing not to buy the items is a zero-cost approach.

[NancyJohnson]

9 hours ago, Geek99 said:

Are you factoring in shipping, vat and duty? 

 

First sentence, second paragraph.

[neepheid]

Pfft, the golden age was when it was £1 == $2.  I visited the US then (2009?) and chuckled heartily about getting on a bus for 50p ($1).

[fretmeister]

11 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

Given the current slide of the $, down over 9% since the end of January, are we approaching a golden age of buying from the US?

 

Obviously you're going to need to factor in shipping/duties, but by way of example if you're in the US A Fender Player II Jazz bass.  Guitar Center $800, Andertons £750; at current exchange prices the Guitar Center version at £600.

 

 

 

So $800 is (at the exact moment) £597.82.

 

Shipping from the USA would be in the region of $100, so that's another £74.73. But might be as much as $200 (£149.49)

Using the lower sum that's £672.55 that is subject to vat at 20% being £134.51 = £807.06.

Then there's 3.5% duty on the guitar bit as well - another £20.92

Running total is £827.98 + about £13 for the courier admin fee. So £840.98 delivered to a UK buyer assuming the lower end shipping fee.

 

So there could be a saving of about £77.45 compared to Andertons if it sneaks though without getting pinged by customs, and about £100 more than Andertons if it gets caught. I've had small stuff get through, but never anything as big as an instrument.

 

I'm not sure whether Fender UK would deal with any warranty problems for a personal import or not. I'm guessing not.

 

[fretmeister]

15 minutes ago, neepheid said:

Pfft, the golden age was when it was £1 == $2.  I visited the US then (2009?) and chuckled heartily about getting on a bus for 50p ($1).

 

It was about that in 1990/1 as well.

 

I came back with a new wardrobe of jeans and trainers.

[NancyJohnson]

16 minutes ago, neepheid said:

Pfft, the golden age was when it was £1 == $2.  I visited the US then (2009?) and chuckled heartily about getting on a bus for 50p ($1).

 

Last time it was anywhere near $2.00 was over 33 years ago (just prior to the Black Wednesday Sterling crisis and the UK leaving the ERM). 

 

In truth, back then (globally) there was probably little caché in 60s-80s kit, it wasn't vintage or particularly desired, it was just old/used.

[neepheid]

6 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

 

Last time it was anywhere near $2.00 was over 33 years ago (just prior to the Black Wednesday Sterling crisis and the UK leaving the ERM). 

 

In truth, back then (globally) there was probably little caché in 60s-80s kit, it wasn't vintage or particularly desired, it was just old/used.

 

Did you miss the part where I said I was physically there?  My bad, I got my year wrong, it was 2008.

 

Edited 9 hours ago by neepheid

[Hellzero]

Subprime crisis in 2008, no?

[Geek99]

2 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

 

First sentence, second paragraph.

Yes, thank you, I saw that. My comment should have read “have you factored them in fully ?  you would probably break even “

[kodiakblair]

13 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

Guitar Center $800, Andertons £750; at current exchange prices the Guitar Center version at £600.

 

Browsing GC's site, finally a Brexit bonus.

 

In the years before GC blocked browsing from IPs in EU countries, that way they'd avoid rather hefty fines for selling your details to 3rd parties without permission. 

[Misdee]

The golden age  of buying from the USA was in the late 1980s when you got about 1.8 dollars your pound and shops in the States were packed with great gear.

 

Nowadays the world is a smaller place, and international shopping is far more common. .

 

Give the potential pitfalls, it makes no sense to save a couple of bob buying equipment from the USA unless it's stuff that is otherwise unavailable in the UK. There's more to consider than the sticker price on the goods, and so much hassle it would have to be something special to peak my interest.

Edited 4 hours ago by Misdee

[fretmeister]

53 minutes ago, Misdee said:

The golden age  of buying from the USA was in the late 1980s when you got about 1.8 dollars your pound and shops in the States were packed with great gear.

 

Nowadays the world is a smaller place, and international shopping is far more common. .

 

Give the potential pitfalls, it makes no sense to save a couple of bob buying equipment from the USA unless it's stuff that is otherwise unavailable in the UK. There's more to consider than the sticker price on the goods, and so much hassle it would have to be something special to peak my interest.

 

That's my view too.

 

I've had a few bargains buying from Japan - but always for used items that were impossible to find in the UK or just over-priced.

[Pseudonym]

1 hour ago, Misdee said:

The golden age  of buying from the USA was in the late 1980s when you got about 1.8 dollars your pound and shops in the States were packed with great gear.

 

Nowadays the world is a smaller place, and international shopping is far more common. .

 

Give the potential pitfalls, it makes no sense to save a couple of bob buying equipment from the USA unless it's stuff that is otherwise unavailable in the UK. There's more to consider than the sticker price on the goods, and so much hassle it would have to be something special to peak my interest.

 

That pretty much sums it up. Certainly it doesn't make much sense if one thinks one's time has value. That said, it is entirely possible that buying goods from the US might become easier and/or cheaper in the nearish future, and of course it is becoming relatively cheaper to use sterling to buy otherwise unobtainable US goods.

[Steve Browning]

7 hours ago, fretmeister said:

 

So $800 is (at the exact moment) £597.82.

 

Shipping from the USA would be in the region of $100, so that's another £74.73. But might be as much as $200 (£149.49)

Using the lower sum that's £672.55 that is subject to vat at 20% being £134.51 = £807.06.

Then there's 3.5% duty on the guitar bit as well - another £20.92

Running total is £827.98 + about £13 for the courier admin fee. So £840.98 delivered to a UK buyer assuming the lower end shipping fee.

 

So there could be a saving of about £77.45 compared to Andertons if it sneaks though without getting pinged by customs, and about £100 more than Andertons if it gets caught. I've had small stuff get through, but never anything as big as an instrument.

 

I'm not sure whether Fender UK would deal with any warranty problems for a personal import or not. I'm guessing not.

 

Pedant alert. VAT is the final charge and goes on the cost after Duty is charged. 

[kodiakblair]

45 minutes ago, Pseudonym said:

That said, it is entirely possible that buying goods from the US might become easier and/or cheaper in the nearish future

Not if my idea comes to pass.

 

Told the lad in the local takeaway to send a letter home suggesting they convert their held treasuries, 760bn USD, into brick and mortar then build a wall around Trumpland.

The orange BAM may talk but let's face it China perfected wall building centuries ago.

[fretmeister]

10 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

Pedant alert. VAT is the final charge and goes on the cost after Duty is charged. 

 

I didn't think the duty attracted Vat?

Ah well - makes the comparison with Andertons even worse then.

[Pseudonym]

10 minutes ago, kodiakblair said:

Not if my idea comes to pass.

 

Told the lad in the local takeaway to send a letter home suggesting they convert their held treasuries, 760bn USD, into brick and mortar then build a wall around Trumpland.

The orange BAM may talk but let's face it China perfected wall building centuries ago.

 

Some backchannel communications are more direct than others.

[fretmeister]

28 minutes ago, kodiakblair said:

Not if my idea comes to pass.

 

Told the lad in the local takeaway to send a letter home suggesting they convert their held treasuries, 760bn USD, into brick and mortar then build a wall around Trumpland.

The orange BAM may talk but let's face it China perfected wall building centuries ago.

 

Are you just a simple tailor by any chance? [/DS9]

[Terry M.]

7 hours ago, neepheid said:

Pfft, the golden age was when it was £1 == $2.  I visited the US then (2009?) and chuckled heartily about getting on a bus for 50p ($1).

I'm a collector of vintage clothing and I went crazy during this period ordering stuff from the states via Ebay. Good times 😁

[Misdee]

Regardless of current turbulence, the pound is unlikely to recover historical strengths against the dollar. It might be a bit better than piss-poor, to use a technical term, but no one will be filling their boots with cheap American luxury goods in any foreseeable future. Trade deal or not, American goods such as musical equipment will remain priced at a bit more than they are actually worth. 

 

Just an aside, when you see the state of some of the people dining in Greggs nowadays , I think accepting American chlorinated chicken as part of a trade deal is the least of our worries. We've already accepted far worse in terms of diet and food habits.

[neepheid]

4 minutes ago, Misdee said:

Just an aside, when you see the state of some of the people dining in Greggs nowadays , I think accepting American chlorinated chicken as part of a trade deal is the least of our worries. We've already accepted far worse in terms of diet and food habits.

 

Don't you dare chlorinate my sausage rolls!