Location and prices

Ian Grant · Dec 4, 2012

I went to my local framing suppliers today for some mountboard but also bought some blades for my mat cutter they come in 5's only. No issues here but they don't stock many,

When I got home I did a search as I'd like to buy 50 or 100. What shocked me was the price differentyials between the UK, US and Australia for the mat cutter itself.

Amazon.com (US) Dexter mat cutter US $27.25

Amazon.co,uk (UK) £38.31 - US $61.67

Australian ebay AU $65.50 - US $68.58

The replacement blades were actually not far off the same price which was surprising.

Ian

pentaxuser · Dec 4, 2012

Ian Grant said:
Amazon.com (US) Dexter mat cutter US $27.25

Amazon.co,uk (UK) £38.31 - US $61.67

Australian ebay AU $65.50 - US $68.58

Ian

Now be fair Ian. Amazon pays very little corporation tax in the U.K. so presumably has to charge this kind of price here so it can use the revenue to pay its taxes in those countries such as the U.S. where the tax authorities are not asleep and have not read Mr Dickens' "Christmas Carol", do not believe in ghosts of Xmas, be they past, present or future and still eat gruel

It seems like we are back to "what the market will bear" scenario which is where we came in when we discussed other pricing differentials between ourselves and the U.S.

pentaxuser

squinonescolon · Dec 4, 2012

Yep, just moved from US to Australia for a job. I lived in the UK for a year about a year and a half ago, and silly me, I thought UK was expensive. Was I in for a shock when I got to here! Thing is, I didn't mind it in the UK, it seemed to me being where I was (London), you get what you paid for in general, I found the UK 'rate of return' to be fantastic. Here, the jury still out.

mrsmiggins · Dec 5, 2012

I, like many others here, buy photographic bits from overseas, usually from the US, simply because they can't be found here. Those few items that can be purchased in Oz are about 3 times more expensive. Thank God for the internet and the mail service!
(.... miss those Holborn camera stores from the 70's)
/Frank

Ian David · Dec 5, 2012

I would not have though that an eBay price, for an item that is not widely available here, is a very reliable indicator of anything. That being said, retail prices in Australia do often seem scandalously high for a lot of stuff - especially photographic equipment.

The good news is, we can escape the mark-up by buying online from overseas. So I get all my film and most other photo gear from the US.

Alternatively, on those rare occasions when the UK has something at a sensible price, I can order from there. The Australian GST-free threshold for imported purchases is AU$1000. So if I buy something from, say, Silverprint in London, I don't pay the 20% UK VAT, and the cost of shipping to Australia is often less than the UK VAT saved. If the order value is less than $1000, I don't pay any tax at this end either. The result is that I can generally get goods from the UK sent to my door in Australia more cheaply than a Brit can buy them on the street there himself. Strange but true.

Ian

Ian Grant · Dec 5, 2012

Ian, I should have added that the normal UK price for this item is £54 so more than 50% higherb than the UK Amazon price.

What frustrates us is some items made in the UK are so cheap in the US and even allowing for shipping, import duties, then the 20% VAT all of which compound it's still cheaper to buy from the US. So much for free trade which was supposed to equalise market prices to a certain extent.

So it's cheaper for me to buy Ilford films from the US and even with taxes I make a considerable saving.

Ian

pdeeh · Dec 5, 2012

I find that quite extraordinary, Ian.
Would that be for bulk reels or quite large quantities of rolls/sheets?

Noble · Dec 5, 2012

Ian Grant said:
Ian, I should have added that the normal UK price for this item is £54 so more than 50% higherb than the UK Amazon price.

What frustrates us is some items made in the UK are so cheap in the US and even allowing for shipping, import duties, then the 20% VAT all of which compound it's still cheaper to buy from the US. So much for free trade which was supposed to equalise market prices to a certain extent.

How many people in the UK have $100K student loan bills at 22? How many people in the UK go into bankruptcy because they got cancer or were in a bad accident?

The socialist safety net needs to be funded somehow. Personally I would gladly trade my student loan payments and health insurance payments for a 20% increase in the price of film. I know the socialist system doesn't explain all of it but you have to take a holistic look at expenses.

pdeeh · Dec 5, 2012

wow you really are the master of the non sequitur aren't you?

Noble · Dec 5, 2012

pdeeh said:
wow you really are the master of the non sequitur aren't you?

That 20% VAT exists for a reason. I've lived in the US and in Europe. I've budgeted in both. I've also had friends that came over and visited and were astonished by the cheap price of one thing or another. They sobered up a bit when I pointed out things like the cost of education and healthcare.

Anyway England and Australia are islands. Not sure how much that factors into it. I know that on mainland Europe there are some deals to be had. A friend of my actually stocked up in Germany on Agfa APX. They picked up some HERE.

Chris Nielsen · Dec 5, 2012

Noble said:
That 20% VAT exists for a reason. I've lived in the US and in Europe. I've budgeted in both. I've also had friends that came over and visited and were astonished by the cheap price of one thing or another. They sobered up a bit when I pointed out things like the cost of education and healthcare.

Anyway England and Australia are islands. Not sure how much that factors into it. I know that on mainland Europe there are some deals to be had. A friend of my actually stocked up in Germany on Agfa APX. They picked up some HERE.

I think you will find Australia is a continent...

Ian David · Dec 5, 2012

Ian Grant said:
What frustrates us is some items made in the UK are so cheap in the US and even allowing for shipping, import duties, then the 20% VAT all of which compound it's still cheaper to buy from the US.

We are spared that particular indignity as Australia no longer manufactures anything...

Noble · Dec 5, 2012

Chris Nielsen said:
I think you will find Australia is a continent...

From the Australian government...

The continent of Australia is referred to as an island because it is surrounded by ocean. However, Australia is actually made up of more than 8,000 islands, including the island state of Tasmania. As an island, Australia is a natural quarantine zone.

I'm not Australian. Who am I to question the Australian government?

Maris · Dec 5, 2012

My last lot of Dexter Mat Cutter blades came from Eckersley's art supplies in Brisbane, Australia. Price out of the discount bin was $1 for a pack of 5 blades. I was overcome by acquisitiveness so I bought 5 packs. But I did not buy all they had.

My latest encounter with price outrage was CR2032 button cells. From the local electronics store $4.31 each, from China via Ebay $0.179 ea. Someone is making a motza and I doubt that the Chinese are losing on the deal.

Ian Grant · Dec 5, 2012

Noble said:
How many people in the UK have $100K student loan bills at 22? How many people in the UK go into bankruptcy because they got cancer or were in a bad accident?

The socialist safety net needs to be funded somehow. Personally I would gladly trade my student loan payments and health insurance payments for a 20% increase in the price of film. I know the socialist system doesn't explain all of it but you have to take a holistic look at expenses.

That's your issue not ours, if you don't like it protest and get it changed. There's probably no other country in the world with such a disfunctional system of government who are so afraid to make the better off pay a decent level of tax in order to benefit the country as a whole.

It has nothing to do with why prices in the US are so low compared to the rest of the world because even with the tax element added the differential is still large.

Ian

Noble · Dec 5, 2012

Ian Grant said:
That's your issue not ours, if you don't like it protest and get it changed.

I'm sorry I didn't mean to imply that US budget and tax policy was any Englishman's issue. I was just making a factual statement. Lower taxes often translate into reduced prices for the end consumer in a competitive environment. But that is not the whole story. There is no free lunch.

Poisson Du Jour · Dec 5, 2012

Maris said:
My last lot of Dexter Mat Cutter blades came from Eckersley's art supplies in Brisbane, Australia. Price out of the discount bin was $1 for a pack of 5 blades. I was overcome by acquisitiveness so I bought 5 packs. But I did not buy all they had.

My latest encounter with price outrage was CR2032 button cells. From the local electronics store $4.31 each, from China via Ebay $0.179 ea. Someone is making a motza and I doubt that the Chinese are losing on the deal.

What makes you sure that the Chinese made crap is more reliable than the real deal?
I don't mind paying for the major brand name in batteries when the reputation is rock solid and proven. I spend $80 on lithium AA batteries for my EOS1N; I wouldn't dare put Chinee/grey market stuff in. Never take shortcuts with things like batteries when you could be left "dead in the water" at a critical time.

Stan160 · Dec 6, 2012

Noble said:
How many people in the UK have $100K student loan bills at 22?

Since fees tripled last year, this will become common in the UK when the current generation of undergraduates complete their courses.

16 years ago when I graduated all tuition fees were covered by the state, they provided a small grant to help with living costs, and the option to borrow more at 0% adjusted for inflation if required.

Ian

benjiboy · Dec 6, 2012

Ian Grant said:
Ian, I should have added that the normal UK price for this item is £54 so more than 50% higherb than the UK Amazon price.

What frustrates us is some items made in the UK are so cheap in the US and even allowing for shipping, import duties, then the 20% VAT all of which compound it's still cheaper to buy from the US. So much for free trade which was supposed to equalise market prices to a certain extent.

So it's cheaper for me to buy Ilford films from the US and even with taxes I make a considerable saving.

Ian

Manufacturers price goods to the market., that's business, they are willing to make a reduced profit margin to attract large volume sales, it's the supermarket principal.

AndreasT · Dec 6, 2012

Talking about Loacation and prices I am alway shocked at how expensive Ilford Photopaper is here in Germany. The price is about 50-60% higher than in England. Only Ilford paper. The others are the same. When I need Ilford I let it get sent to me. But surely there something rotten here that someone somewhere is adding too much for his own profit.

Poisson Du Jour · Dec 6, 2012

AndreasT said:
Talking about Loacation and prices I am alway shocked at how expensive Ilford Photopaper is here in Germany. The price is about 50-60% higher than in England. Only Ilford paper. The others are the same. When I need Ilford I let it get sent to me. But surely there something rotten here that someone somewhere is adding too much for his own profit.

Point the finger at the Euro...

AndreasT · Dec 10, 2012

Poisson Du Jour said:
Point the finger at the Euro...

Maybe but Kentmere paper made by Ilford is not really cheaper in England than here. I just thing the traders say hey it's the Ilford brand name lets make some money on it big time.

benjiboy · Dec 11, 2012

Poisson Du Jour said:
What makes you sure that the Chinese made crap is more reliable than the real deal?
I don't mind paying for the major brand name in batteries when the reputation is rock solid and proven. I spend $80 on lithium AA batteries for my EOS1N; I wouldn't dare put Chinee/grey market stuff in. Never take shortcuts with things like batteries when you could be left "dead in the water" at a critical time.

Most of the major brand leading batteries are actually made in China, if you read the small print on the packaging.

benjiboy · Dec 11, 2012

Poisson Du Jour said:
Point the finger at the Euro...

There's an old saying in business "it's the profit that makes it deer".

Location and prices

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