Bush re-election good for musicians?

Doctor J

While it's possibly the most depressing news I've heard in a long time that those idiots have re-elected W, every musician must bear this in mind:

The man will drive the American economy into the ground and the dollar will devalue accordingly, meaning cheaper imports for us all. So start saving because cheap guitars are going to get cheaper!

Just trying to attach a silver lining on the blackest of clouds

mr_angry

Cheap technology imports of all kinds really. Maybe that cheque "drawn on US funds" isn't such a bad idea after all!

It wasn't me!

Four more years worth of Bush quotes too!

Still, the savings might be better spent on a bomb shelter.

"Now that Al-Quaeda's out of the way, mobilise the bombers. We're going to teach the IRA a lesson!"

thanks Dr.J the only good piece of info about today so far. how long will i have to wait to get my amp now though?

Doctor J

Depends how long it takes to get a DNA sample outta ya

Doctor J

It's already happening

1.00 European euros = 1.27 US dollars

Exchange rate: 1.270851
Rate valid as of: 11/2/2004

Waltons

I got HiHats off ebay but got fvcked on VAT and Customs last time I bought from America. Must be more clever with next transaction. Or maybe their crap exchange rate will just make up for it?

Doctor J

Doctor J wrote:

The man will drive the American economy into the ground and the dollar will devalue accordingly, meaning cheaper imports for us all. So start saving because cheap guitars are going to get cheaper!

hmm, a theory

Doctor J wrote:

It's already happening

1.00 European euros = 1.27 US dollars

Exchange rate: 1.270851
Rate valid as of: 11/2/2004

The oracle has spoken

He knows all and can see distant paths

feylya

No he can't. That's just the acid talking...

samey samey

My name is Mud

well apparently Music123 are having a bit of a clamp down on the old international orders. A mate was ordering a Gibson Lucille (i think...), and only when he went to the "purchase" button, it came up that they cant ship it international. He got a full list of what cant ship international... heres the mail


"We can ship anywhere in the world but certain restrictions do apply. Certain manufacturers will not allow authorized dealers to ship their products overseas (specifically, ESP, Roland/Boss/Edirol, Fender/Gretsch/Jackson/Guild/Squier, Yamaha, Ernie Ball, Gibson/Epiphone, Paul Reed Smith, Rickenbacker, Behringer and Line6). Also, we cannot ship oversized items.

We do ship to the UK, but certain restrictions do apply. Certain manufacturers such as Roland/Boss/Edirol, ESP, Fender/Gretsch/Jackson/Guild/Squier, Yamaha, Ernie Ball, Gibson/Epiphone, Rickenbacker and Korg/Marshall/Vox will not allow authorized dealers to ship their products to the UK. Also, we cannot ship oversized items."


Methinks the manufacturers are copping onto this cheap mechandise for us Europeans...

so in a nutshell, there is no silver lining... unless you get stuff shipped to a mate in the US and get them to UPS it to you...

Doctor J

Rickenbacker have had that restriction for years. When I got mine second hand from the states (back in 99?) I was told he wasn't allowed ship new ones over here. It doesn't apply to second hand instruments thankfully, so the scope is there to get half price gear, it's just a little more work. I'd guess this is initiated by the dealers in Europe whining about it being cheaper for folks to buy from abroad. Bastids.

Have your mate take a look at http://www.gbase.com/gbase.asp

It's a network of dealers with new and second hand/vintage gear, he might find Lucille in there.

Then there's the good folks at Ishibashi, should have my 62 Jazz RI fretless in a week or so Fender Japan don't mind shipping internationally, apparently.

WetDaddy

A little bird (honestly) told me that you don't have to pay import tax on anything you've bought second-hand (i.e. eBay, I'd imagine) or if something is shipped from a private US address to a private Irish address and is declared as a "gift"...

Any truth in this?

feylya

It's right about the gift and the second hand thing makes sense so I'd imagine that's right but don't take this as Gospel!

Eoin Madsen

deathfunk wrote:

A little bird (honestly) told me that you don't have to pay import tax on anything you've bought second-hand (i.e. eBay, I'd imagine) or if something is shipped from a private US address to a private Irish address and is declared as a "gift"...

Any truth in this?

Unfortunately, no. All imports (from outside the EU) over the value of 22 euros - including second-hand items - are eligible for VAT and customs duty. Items marked as a gift are liable once they're over the value of 45 euros. I've spoken to Revenue about this.

You can get an exemption if you're changing residence from one country to another, and you can get an official permit if you're carrying items into a country with the intention of carrying them back out again when you leave. That's about the extent of it, legally.

WetDaddy

Reckon you could enter the country with a €50 Squier Strat and leave with a genuine Strat worth a lot more, in that case?

Dammit, I *really* wanna get a Mesa-Boogie, but there's no way I'm paying the cost of buying it here...

It wasn't me!

Find it cheap elsewhere and then just pay the import and VAT. Comes to about 25% altogether methinks.

Correct me if I'm wrong but sometimes things are just let through without being charged as far as I know.

Doctor J

It wasn't me! wrote:

Correct me if I'm wrong but sometimes things are just let through without being charged as far as I know.

Sometimes, but don't count on it.

Eoin Madsen

Of four things I've bought from the US in the last month, 3 have been taxed. Two of the items were ebay purchases. The one that wasn't taxed was the only one that was second hand, funnily. But more to the point, came from a private seller, not a shop.

I reckon you could more than likely enter the US with nothing and leave with two guitars, and you'd probably not be bothered over it.

I suspect that there comes a point where it would cost more to pay people to check certain things than they would make from extracting VAT and duties, hence a rather lax attitude on anything existing in said grey area.

Shiminay

I just had a *big* order to music123.com delivered a couple of weeks ago - 2 cymbals (Chinese and a 17" Splash I think), a stand and "double adaptor" (I dunno what you call them for drum sets - allows 2 stands into 1 slot on the kit), a Cobra double kick pedal and an ESP 5-String Bass (all of this for my mates who were just using my credit card). Total order was $1350 which translated into €1170 and then we had a customs and VAT bill to pay C.O.D. of just under €200.

Should give you ball-park figures to work with anyway if you're thinking of importing.

edit: Whilst it basically worked out at $1 to €1, it was still a mental saving. My drummer mate said that the Crash and Chinese would've been something in the region of €450 each and the bass would easily have been around the €800 mark, so why would you even waste your time buying anything here when you can get it elsewhere? Pity about the product restrictions though...

mr_angry

Happy days if you're importing...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3999825.stm

feylya

Fantacular!

Doctor J

Did we vote for him or what's going on? I pledge allegiance, to the United Guitar Importers Of Europe...

feylya

We could make a fortune...

Doctor J

1.00 European euros = 1.29 US dollars

Exchange rate: 1.290501
Rate valid as of: 11/9/2004

Go on, ye murdering wacko!

Squall

My name is Mud wrote:

well apparently Music123 are having a bit of a clamp down on the old international orders. A mate was ordering a Gibson Lucille (i think...), and only when he went to the "purchase" button, it came up that they cant ship it international. He got a full list of what cant ship international... heres the mail


"We can ship anywhere in the world but certain restrictions do apply. Certain manufacturers will not allow authorized dealers to ship their products overseas (specifically, ESP, Roland/Boss/Edirol, Fender/Gretsch/Jackson/Guild/Squier, Yamaha, Ernie Ball, Gibson/Epiphone, Paul Reed Smith, Rickenbacker, Behringer and Line6). Also, we cannot ship oversized items.

We do ship to the UK, but certain restrictions do apply. Certain manufacturers such as Roland/Boss/Edirol, ESP, Fender/Gretsch/Jackson/Guild/Squier, Yamaha, Ernie Ball, Gibson/Epiphone, Rickenbacker and Korg/Marshall/Vox will not allow authorized dealers to ship their products to the UK. Also, we cannot ship oversized items."


Methinks the manufacturers are copping onto this cheap mechandise for us Europeans...

so in a nutshell, there is no silver lining... unless you get stuff shipped to a mate in the US and get them to UPS it to you...

Hmmm some of those restrictions are new. Mate of mine bought a Yamaha Absolute Birsh kit off music 123 in stages ( as in several orders) and they never sent him anytihng like that. Was over a year ago though. Bit pants really

Eoin Madsen

http://cchart.finance.ukl.yahoo.com/z?s=USDEUR=X&z=m&t=3m

Gizzard

good for nobody

Eoin Madsen

I disagree. So far, the value of the Euro is holding. They're going down, but they're not taking us with them. Right now is a very good time for buying proaudio from the US!