Saxophones Why do you guys get hammered (not alcohol)

[Phil]

I mentioned it in my introduction but Im wondering why the European market pays such outlandish prices for musical gear. I looked up mouthpiece prices and many of you pay nearly as much for an out of the box stuffy Link than I generally charge for a hand faced and customized piece (pardon my shameless plug). So what's the snag...is it greed or taxes...or both. Ive wondered this for a while and found it very odd. It has to make GAS very painful!

 

[kevgermany]

Phil, It is/was the same with a lot of things - cars, cameras, electronics, fuel.

The drop in the dollar over the last few years has added to it. Our taxes are generally higher, which accounts for some of it, but I think the rest comes from restrictive trade practices which prevent proper competition. e.g. it's not legal to import and retail an item directly from a cheaper source - retailers must buy from the local importer (although not all do). If a private guy does a private import, the chances are he won't get local warranty support.

 

[thomsax]

I live in Sweden and we're suffering really hard from the bad economics and a weak currency. Since we are not a part of or connected to the EMU (European Monetary Union) and the currency Euro, is even worse. In August 2008 I payed c 6.00 s e k for a $,today is 8.30 sek. The investigators and other people who are trading currencies sales off a small currency like ours and the valeu is sinking and sinking ..... .

If I buy a saxophone or a moutpiece from USA I have to pay c 29.5 % on top of the invoice value + some other smaller fees that comes when you import. I bought a new mouthpiece a Rovner Deep-V and the price was c $ 325 + freight + 29,5% (25% Swedish sales tax 4,5% costum fee) + costs that you have to pay for the company/costum that calculate what you should pay totaly. The Rovner should cost me about $ 500.00. A lot of money for a guy who is playing for fun!! I got my Rovner but I chose another way to get it to Sweden.

Then I wanted Rico Plasticcover baritone reeds to my Rovner. I look around in Sweden and I couldn't find them. The agent in Sweden do not carry bari Plasticcovers. They have them in their catalouge but it's a photo of the reeds with the dark red packege. And the recommended price is c $ 43.75 (350.00 s e k)!! I can buy them from BW&WW in South Bend for about $ 18.00/package! When I ordered them online I got a message that they are not allowed to send to Sweden! They don't say why. So I bought the plasticcovers from BW&WW but chose another way to get them to Sweden.

A Dukoff tenor mpc is about 2200 sek ($ 275.00) here in Sweden and I bought a new Dukoff for X-model in US for c 1100 s e k ($ 125.00)!!

Values under c 1200 s e k ($ 150.00) is usually not charged any sales tax or costum fee. You are allow to recieve something under that amount as a gift. But a company can't send as a gift!?!?

Thomas

 

[Saxlicker]

is it greed or taxes...or both?

Hi Phil and welcome!

Both, is the answer.....
Many U.S. transactions have taken place with my GAS and even after paying import duty and VAT I can save money. It's more difficult right now with the £/$ exchange rate but still viable in some cases.

As an example, I wanted a backing track CD some while ago and it cost under £12 total to order in from the states. To order here in the UK it was £14.99 plus postage and packing which was about another £4.
Regards....

 

[Moz]

Hi Phil and welcome!

Both, is the answer.....
Many U.S. transactions have taken place with my GAS and even after paying import duty and VAT I can save money. It's more difficult right now with the £/$ exchange rate but still viable in some cases.

What is GAS (apart from several obvious answers)?

Martin

 

[Saxlicker]

What is GAS (apart from several obvious answers)?

Martin

Gear Aquisition Sydrome 🙁

 

[jonf]

High prices in the UK

It's not just taxes. Simple market forces, don't you love 'em? The smaller the market, the higher the unit price. Most European countries have a very small market for sax kit, which ups the price. Supply and demand, simple schoolboy economics.

 

[Phil]

When I looked at the prices the other day I understood why I have been getting more and more orders from overseas. Evereywhere from Singapore to S. Africa...thats a long way from home!

 

[Moz]

Gear Aquisition Sydrome 🙁

I see. I had that but I got better (that baritone still calls to me though) ;}

Martin

 

[half diminished]

I mentioned it in my introduction but Im wondering why the European market pays such outlandish prices for musical gear. I looked up mouthpiece prices and many of you pay nearly as much for an out of the box stuffy Link than I generally charge for a hand faced and customized piece (pardon my shameless plug). So what's the snag...is it greed or taxes...or both. Ive wondered this for a while and found it very odd. It has to make GAS very painful!

We get hammered here for everything in fact I believe we pay more for a Jaguar motor car that is built here than you guys do and it has to be shipped thousands of miles to get to you!

I also noticed recently that Adobe charge more for their Photoshop CS4 software in the UK than in the US and then they add 21.5% VAT - which is nice as VAT is only 15%! Oh and they add £8 if you want to download rather than get the CD, manual and box!

Works for me. 🙁

 

[Pjonah]

Rip off Britain springs to mind.

Don't get me started!

🙁

 

[Justin Chune]

Hi Martin. Take my advice, answer the call and buy that baritone. They are great fun.

Jim.

 

[jonf]

I also noticed recently that Adobe charge more for their Photoshop CS4 software in the UK than in the US and then they add 21.5% VAT - which is nice as VAT is only 15%! Oh and they add £8 if you want to download rather than get the CD, manual and box!

Works for me. 🙁

I think Adobe add on import dutes and VAT, which give's this amount. Charging extra for downloads is outrageous, though. Whatever, this does bring us to the flip side of market forces - you can always get something else, and with photo software there are loads of options, some of which are excellent freeware.

 

[old git]

Come, come Jon, we must explain to Phil that there are workers and gentleman over here. The difference is that workers are expected to pay for everything, no matter what price and gentleman simply don't pay if they think it is overpriced after delivery.

Phil, must hasten to add that Jon and I are workers.

 

[half diminished]

I think Adobe add on import dutes and VAT, which give's this amount. Charging extra for downloads is outrageous, though. Whatever, this does bring us to the flip side of market forces - you can always get something else, and with photo software there are loads of options, some of which are excellent freeware.

Last time I paid import from the US it was 4% so the math still doesn't add up. Also I dont believe you need to pay import duty either. As for market forces - well that don't make it right.

I haven't bought it nor will I but then thealternatives are not cheap either.

 

[Moz]

Last time I paid import from the US it was 4% so the math still doesn't add up. Also I dont believe you need to pay import duty either. As for market forces - well that don't make it right.

I haven't bought it nor will I but then thealternatives are not cheap either.

I bought a didgeridoo, a genuine termite-hollowed one, from Australia. It cost 160 UK Pounds after exchange rates. By the time it arrived on my doorstep the cost had risen to £260. I had to pay import duty on a musical instrument even though it was described as an Aboriginal artifact and should have received a much lower rate. The government then charged VAT on the adjusted price so I paid tax on a tax. Worse than that, the VAT thieves then estimated the cost of transport from Heathrow to my home in Cornwall then charged me VAT for that as well (the cost of all transport was included in the cost price).

****************

At this point I had to stop and delete many things I had written so as to respect Pete's rules about politics. Nevertheless, the example goes a long way towards showing why we have to pay so much more for things than those in other countries.

Cheers

Martin (who would love another Aussie didge but doesn't wish to line others pockets to get it).