Why prices are so different?

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Do you know why here in Europe some (I'd say almost everythinhg) hi-fi related items have so different prices compared to USA?

I take as example some tweeters I wanted to buy, the Bohlender Graebener NEO3 (faceplate version):

Europe : 85 €
USA: (PartsExpress): 48.66 €
Canada : 79 CAN $ (53 US $)

Dayton PT2

Europe: 70 €

USA: 27.5 $

Even considering taxes it is clear that in Europe such items are a bit overpriced, don't you think?

Cheers

Andrea
 
Andypairo said:
Do you know why here in Europe some (I'd say almost everythinhg) hi-fi related items have so different prices compared to USA?

I take as example some tweeters I wanted to buy, the Bohlender Graebener NEO3 (faceplate version):

Europe : 85 €
USA: (PartsExpress): 48.66 €
Canada : 79 CAN $ (53 US $)

Dayton PT2

Europe: 70 €

USA: 27.5 $

Even considering taxes it is clear that in Europe such items are a bit overpriced, don't you think?

Cheers

Andrea

Taxes AND customs?

Very often prices also reflect what level of exclusiveness the supplier wants his products to be.
 
Clearly, you haven't had experience with fine American cheeses. I'll put Humboldt Fog up against anything made in Europe. Ditto Bulk Farms, Cougar Gold, Grafton Cheddar...

How about comparing the prices of European-made drivers from one place to the other. What do Scan-Speak tweeters go for over there?
 
SY said:
Clearly, you haven't had experience with fine American cheeses. I'll put Humboldt Fog up against anything made in Europe. Ditto Bulk Farms, Cougar Gold, Grafton Cheddar...

How about comparing the prices of European-made drivers from one place to the other. What do Scan-Speak tweeters go for over there?


I have to admit I haven't tried those cheeses. When I was in the states I found that there were very few cheeses to choose from. But I went to the southwest. probably not the best place to find good food. Maybe the worst place in the world to find good food...
 
The key is not where you are, it's where you shop. There are some superb cheeses made in the Southwest (especially Mexican types). It's just that mass-market cheese is as tasty as mass-market beer.

That being said, I do crave St-Marcellin and Rigottes de Condrieu when I'm away from France.

I wonder about differences in tube prices, also. Are Eastern European and Russian tubes cheaper over there?
 
Peter Daniel said:
So what is it, that is cheap in Europe? We might do some free trading.;)

Wine, for example... :drunk: in Italy we have some of the best wines of the world, and if you know where to look for them you can grab some good deals...
Unfortunately artistic beauties and food specialities are non-exportable... ;)

What can I trade for a pair of Neo3?

Cheers

Andrea
 
Bordeaux is cheaper in the US

at least the big labels (say a Lynch Bages) so are the Cotes d Rhone and Burgundies-- as I said, if you are looking at the big exported labels anyway. Well, with the limited time over there, at least for me it's only 10 days at a stretch, you aren't going to drink something which you can get at home.

If you go just slightly to the left or right you find phenomenal bargains in France, but you have to drink them.

OT - Best wine stewards -- for some reason there are quite a number of South African wine stewards in the south of France who are very knowledgeable and mindful of economics.
 
Bordeaux is a special case, since the distribution systems have been set up for a century to prevent anyone from getting a bargain. Champagne, ditto. But look at the difference with other wines: Côte-Rôties that sell for $60-80 here are available ex-cellar for $15-20. Montrachet that would cost me $500-1000 a bottle in the US sells for under a C-note (if you can convince the winemaker to sell you some; my charming country French with a horrible American accent worked well). Old Loires that are just unobtainable in the US are available for $20 or so at the cellar. The key, as with cheese in the US, is to avoid shops and buy direct.
 
Andypairo said:
Do you know why here in Europe some (I'd say almost everythinhg) hi-fi related items have so different prices compared to USA?


Even considering taxes it is clear that in Europe such items are a bit overpriced, don't you think?

Cheers

Andrea

You may not like this explanation, but I think that Europeans as a group basically like it that way. ;) They have elected governments that:

- Pass laws supporting social programs placing a big burden on employers. In Germany for instance, unemployment is about 11% because it's better not to work than to take a job with modest compensation, and employers see employees as a huge potential liability (it's extremely expensive to fire someone if they're a poor performer or if business contracts).

- Have enacted EU legislation (the CE thing) that discourages competition from outside Europe, especially the US.

Additionally, the current currency exchange rates make prices in US low relative to Europe. The exchange rate has shifted by something like 16% (I believe) in the past year making US dollar denominated goods appear much cheaper.
 
Taxes are levied by the states (not Federal Government) on consumption, and they vary significantly. 0% in some places (New Hampshire and Delaware come to mind) and up to about 8 or 9% in New York. Actually, there, the city is responsible for 1 or 2% of that. Typically in the 5-6% range. Your prices are quoted with the VAT included, whereas ours are without the sales tax. If we buy something from another state by mail, we don't generally pay tax. Though our own state would like to have it, they don't have any way to collect it, exc. for automobiles and such that get registered with our home state.
 
Trade barriers

I used to work for a company with sites in both the US and the EU. Both locations imported materials from Japan. There was almost no import duties bringing it in to the US. Into the EU the duties added 25% to the cost. On top of EU fees, there were also German fees.

I can only guess that the EU feels more threatened by Japanese competion than we do.
 
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