Topic: Would it be cheap(er) to buy the gear in Europe?

[acidjack]

I'll be in Europe shortly for a brief trip, and it occurred to me that it could be a chance to buy some gear.  I am guessing that after Euro conversion, and if you pay duties on it when you leave, you don't come out ahead doing so, but I would be curious to know if anyone has had luck with this recently, or any other thoughts.

[stevetoney]

Sorry, but we've got it as good as anybody worldwide right here in the US.  Even if you don't have to pay import duty (I think you can bring $800 worth back without paying any duty, but don't quote me), electronics are cheaper here.  When I was traveling alot to Slovenia for 2 years (ended in early 2010) I consistently had Slovenians asking me to buy stuff from Best Buy and bring it back with me.  Saved them a TON...usually on the order of 30 to 40%.  Keep in mind that since they're an EU country, they could mail order from anywhere in the EU without exchange rate or duty fees, so I think it's safe to assume that the prices were consistent in Slovenia with what others see in other EU countries.

Even when I was in Japan recently, the electronics were about the same price as what we pay here.  I was in the market for an M10 or R09HR at the time I went and had some time to shop around the electronics district in Tokyo (can't remember what it's called right off the top though), and they were priced a little higher than B&H.  I even checked out the prices of ipods, digital cameras, SD cards, etc. and really nothing was cheaper than we can get from newegg or B&H.

Finally, I just went to Sweden 2 or 3 months ago and a ts.com member contacted me to bring a Sony M10 for him that he purchased via his own credit card from B&H.  It was shipped to me and I hand carried it to him in Sweden.  Not sure what it saved him, but obviously it must have been cheaper than what he was able to get in Sweden.

The one thing that I'm unsure about is if you were to buy from distributors in the same country as a euro manufacturer, say purchasing Schoeps in Germany or Milabs in Sweden.

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The one thing that I'm unsure about is if you were to buy from distributors in the same country as a euro manufacturer, say purchasing Schoeps in Germany or Milabs in Sweden.

Nagra and Sonosax come to mind as well.

Just make sure you get price quotes stateside before hand so you know what you're up against.

[stevetoney]

I'm not an international economist or anything, but I do know that the USDollar has been weaker in the world economy for quite a few years now than it was for a long time.  IF the dollar ever strengthens again, my earlier message might change where we'd be able to go somewhere else and exchange alot more yens/euros for bucks...this might make stuff cheaper again in Japan, which has typically had a far higher cost of living than what we have in the US...not so much lately.  But until our dollar strengthens internationally, I don't think you're gonna be able to get anything cheaper overseas than we get here...at least not on the basis of exchange rate fluctuations.

[anr]

Fund your holiday by bringing across a few Sony PCM-M10s!   $229 in the US, which is about £140 in the UK.  They are £300+ here.   

[page]

I'm not an international economist or anything, but I do know that the USDollar has been weaker in the world economy for quite a few years now than it was for a long time.  IF the dollar ever strengthens again, my earlier message might change where we'd be able to go somewhere else and exchange alot more yens/euros for bucks...this might make stuff cheaper again in Japan, which has typically had a far higher cost of living than what we have in the US...not so much lately.  But until our dollar strengthens internationally, I don't think you're gonna be able to get anything cheaper overseas than we get here...at least not on the basis of exchange rate fluctuations.

I think thats the case for lots of things (actually, the vast majority), but there are some specialty items that just aren't cost effective to get from an American distributor, some German mics being one of them, especially if you can dodge the import duty on the return trip.

I'd compile a list of everything I'd want, and prices from my favorite distributor stateside, and take that with me. That plus an idea of what the import duty would be would allow for a quick whittling of the list while sitting in a shop. You might find one item that's worth it, but still, thats something.

[John Willett]

I'll be in Europe shortly for a brief trip, and it occurred to me that it could be a chance to buy some gear.  I am guessing that after Euro conversion, and if you pay duties on it when you leave, you don't come out ahead doing so, but I would be curious to know if anyone has had luck with this recently, or any other thoughts.

You don't say where you are??

If you are in the USA you get about the cheapest prices in the world - if you are in Israel or Australia it's very expensive.

[TimeBandit]

Roland r-05 are cheaper here then in the us ...

other things make no sense. even buying from from US + adding maybe tax for recording gear they are cheaper.

[nl]

Keep in mind that if you buy equipment in the EU, you can claim back the VAT you paid in the airport if you are a resident outside the EU. Keep those receipts!

[rastasean]

If you're buying milabs omni caps, check this out:
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=114343.msg1882286#msg1882286

[TNJazz]

Buying gear and bringing it back might be a good option - it also would depend on if it were new or used.

Buying new might not be a good idea because not all manufacturers offer a worldwide warranty.  If you have to ship the item you will likely have to pay duties on it as well.

In some cases even paying the extra cost for overseas shipping and the customs fees can still save a bundle though.  About 15 years ago I bought a new pair of SKM140 from overseas and even with the customs fees and shipping I saved almost $500 over buying them from a stateside seller.  It doesn't always work out that way though.

[sunjan]

Finally, I just went to Sweden 2 or 3 months ago and a ts.com member contacted me to bring a Sony M10 for him that he purchased via his own credit card from B&H.  It was shipped to me and I hand carried it to him in Sweden.  Not sure what it saved him, but obviously it must have been cheaper than what he was able to get in Sweden.

The one thing that I'm unsure about is if you were to buy from distributors in the same country as a euro manufacturer, say purchasing Schoeps in Germany or Milabs in Sweden.

Thanks tonedeaf, I still owe you one!  Like others have said, the M10 would have cost me about USD 390 (incl sales tax) over the counter in Sweden. That's a 41% saving!

When it comes to gear made in EU, it all depends on what policy the manufacturer has on overseas pricing, and which distribution it has in the US. My Line Audio CM3 mics for instance can't be bought in the US because the manufacturer hasn't got a proper US distributor. A similar scenario for Marenius, who has some form of US distribution for selected models, but not really an agent representing them AFAIK.  This might also affect what warranty and service agreement you get if you buy EU gear in the US. Purchases in EU typically have a 24 months warranty.

[DSatz]

If you are buying an item for which you may need service or support at any point, the price that you pay includes some amount (usually moderate) to keep your country's portion of the service/support network in existence. It's in all of our interest to have those networks in place and functioning.

I don't want to name names but currently, it's well known that some rather good microphone manufacturers don't have U.S. distributors to handle repairs or to supply their dealers with stock. If you make a living with your microphones--or if it's as important to you for personal reasons as it is to someone whose livelihood depends on keeping their recording equipment in good working order--then distributor backup is a very important "feature" of the product.

If on the other hand the company sells disposable crap and there's no service or support available anyway, then by all means just go for the lowest possible price. But if you buy equipment that's meant to sound good and last a while, and the manufacturer has a decent support network (or better) and yet you go around it just to save a few bucks in the short term, then you're not only gambling with your own investment, you're also undermining the rest of the taper AND professional recording community by pushing the manufacturer in the direction of making disposable crap and offering no service or support.

So I would suggest that people keep the bigger picture in mind and not do that in general, if you have a choice in the matter.

--best regards

P.S.--tonedeaf: Is it "Akihabara" that you were trying to remember?