What the hell happend to RH timer prices!!

[Firestarter]

They were around £200.00 now they are over £300.00 ( British pounds )

I see on the website the company has changed hands and can understand a new owner restructuring prices etc but an increase of over 50% is nothing short of taking the mick!!!

 

[mr rusty]

Prices are certainly up, but not 50%. I think I paid about £265 for my analyser pro a year or so ago, and they are now £330. OK, still a hefty price rise, but at least this superb kit is still available. My guess is that the products were being manufactured on a "semi-hobby" basis with low overheads, and now they have to stand on their own as commercial products. That means all costs have to be covered plus a reasonable margin. No-one can criticise anyone for retiring, and full marks to SDS for taking the range on board.

 

[Firestarter]

And I always thought Irish moms taught decent manners to their kids.

They do, but even people with manners don't like being taken for a ride

 

[Firestarter]

Prices are certainly up, but not 50%. I think I paid about £265 for my analyser pro a year or so ago, and they are now £330. OK, still a hefty price rise, but at least this superb kit is still available. My guess is that the products were being manufactured on a "semi-hobby" basis with low overheads, and now they have to stand on their own as commercial products. That means all costs have to be covered plus a reasonable margin. No-one can criticise anyone for retiring, and full marks to SDS for taking the range on board.

What you are saying makes sense but I still think the increase is going too far. SDS even state on their homepage how they have low overheads etc :confused: My rant is in no way aimed at the original owners of RH, excellent people to deal with.

The Stopclock pro is listed at £200.00 here

http://www.silverprint.co.uk/ProductByGroup.asp?PrGrp=1042

Now it's around £300.00 so that makes it a 50% increase by my calculations.

 

[polyglot]

I designed and built a timer. It would not be commercially reasonable to do it for any less than what they are charging now; the old prices were unprofitable hobbyist-manufacturer levels.

 

[BMbikerider]

RH designs is not (or was not) far from where I live and met the gentleman who was the owner and maker of these little devices when I went over to buy one from him. Indeed he had low overheads because he was a 'one man band' working from home, but if he has sold out then all sorts of shenanigans will be going on with prices + availability etc

 

[Noble]

What you are saying makes sense but I still think the increase is going too far. SDS even state on their homepage how they have low overheads etc :confused: My rant is in no way aimed at the original owners of RH, excellent people to deal with.

The Stopclock pro is listed at £200.00 here

http://www.silverprint.co.uk/ProductByGroup.asp?PrGrp=1042

Now it's around £300.00 so that makes it a 50% increase by my calculations.

Thanks for posting that link. Coincidentally I have been looking into RH's products but the price for any single piece of equipment is more than I paid for my entire dark room with two enlargers! I'm in the US so those pound Sterling prices are eye watering! Are there any other websites selling these devices at the old prices? I'm just wondering if I missed some others... just in case inventory sells out or prices shoot up I want options.

Seriously though, thanks for your help.

 

[PKM-25]

The Stopclock pro is listed at £200.00 here
http://www.silverprint.co.uk/ProductByGroup.asp?PrGrp=1042

I just ordered a Stopclock Pro from them, hopefully they have stock and honor the price. I already have a Stopclock Vario, Zonemaster-II, Processmaster-II and Paper Flasher so this will really set me up for workshops in a couple years..

But wow...Richard getting out of it so no more innovation and Ralph Lembrecht bowing out of analog...what a unnerving time in the analog tech world. Even Nova Darkroom nixed their brilliant 5 Star LED safelights right after I got a set of four....

 

[Chan Tran]

It has to do with the volume too as I don't think they sell a lot of them.

 

[ic-racer]

McDonalds ice cream sunday is now $1.50 USD where I live, up from $1.00 last year. I'm sure we all got a raise in salary of the same proportion at the beginning of the year, right Ha, ha, ha.

 

[RH Designs]

I can't comment on the price changes as that's down to SDS, however yes, I have decided to retire later this year and SDS are taking over the manufacture and sale of RH products. I was able to keep prices lower for longer because I don't have big overheads but the hidden costs of making anything on a commercial basis these days are getting higher all the time. Insurance is a major factor, plus compliance with regulations (and expense!) for waste electrical appliance disposal etc all adds up. You can buy products made elsewhere for less than the cost of the parts to build them in the UK, but unfortunately the market size these days makes it completely unviable to manufacture in, for example, China. Volumes have dropped over the last couple of years too. The main thing is that they will still be available for the forseeable future.

 

[Muihlinn]

We can rant about capitalism & globalization, but as a long time RH customer, what I'd like is to wish a active retirement to Richard, in whatever he chooses to do with his well earned time.

 

[Firestarter]

Well I would like to wish you a long and happy retirement Richard.

Printing just wouldn't be half as much fun without your timers. Yes it is great that they will still be available, just a shame the prices had to increase so sharply and so suddenly.

 

[mr rusty]

Yes, all the best Richard. Hope you enjoy a long and happy retirement, from a very happy Analyser Pro customer.

Simon

 

[resummerfield]

Richard, your products have changed, for the better, the way I print. Thank you!

 

[PKM-25]

Looks like Silverprint honored my order the best I can tell, I will be glad to connect my Zonemaster directly to the new Stopclock, the Vario will do nicely on the mural enlarger....

I love this stuff, so many features to allow me to grow as a printer. Thanks Richard for all your hard work and commitment.

 

[Jerevan]

Richard is a gentleman, and I wish him a splendid, well-earned retirement.

 

[Jerevan]

But what is this SDS company, really? Anybody know? It is a really generic homepage, with no information about who is behind the company. Not very reassuring, I am sorry to say. I wish someone like Silverprint could've fronted this instead.

 

[fotch]

If you don't know anything that is not desirable about them, why assume that is not going to be good?

 

[PKM-25]

But what is this SDS company, really? Anybody know? It is a really generic homepage, with no information about who is behind the company. Not very reassuring, I am sorry to say. I wish someone like Silverprint could've fronted this instead.

Never heard of them either but maybe this will put them on the map since it looks lik the RH Designs site will stay up. That being said, I ordered the second Stopclock as a just in case ( looks like S-Print is already out of them ) and might do the same for a spare temp probe and footswitch...:confused:

 

[R.Gould]

SDS is a well known and reliable seller of second hand and new darkroom equipment and supplies in the U.K., they have been established for many years and have a very good reputation as one of the biggest seller of new/used darkroom equipment, in the U.K., so I would tend to thin k that the R.H equipment is in safe hands for the forseable future.
Richard

 

[pentaxuser]

I totally endorse what Richard Gould has said about SDS. It is in analogue for the long term and has sold RH Designs products for a good number of years. There would have been little point in taking over RHDesigns if it didn't intend to be in the analogue business.

I think you should have no concerns in dealing with them. Just expect to pay more for the stuff for reasons already mentioned.

pentaxuser

 

[PKM-25]

Excellent to hear, thanks!

 

[RH Designs]

I can assure you all that if I thought for a moment SDS were not going to be able to keep RH products on the market and support them reliably I wouldn't have let them take them on . Thanks all for your good wishes!

 

[David Brown]

It is unfortunate that the prices have risen, but that's likely not something we can control. Face it, we're spoiled. Prices for used timers (and almost everything else) on the market are fairly cheap; but have you priced, say, Gralab timers new? How about the MSRP on that enlarging lens you got for $50? Considering what RH timers will do over another timer, the price difference - new to new - is not that startling. It's just that there aren't many used RH on the market. Try pricing out everything in your darkroom at new prices, and the timers won't seem so bad.

I love my Stopclock Pro. "F/stop" timing was a revelation. I know one can do it with any timer, or a metronome even, and charts, but the Stopclock and its ilk just make it easier. It has been more than worth it to me!