Re: [Leica] London travel report (long)

[Martin Howard <marho@ikp.liu.se>]

jahudson wrote:
> 
> Going from a sales tax / VAT environment of 25% [?] to one of 17% that
> tells me that England must indeed be expensive!
>

The price of new gear in England is better than that of Sweden, possibly
due to the 17% VAT rather than 25% (as here in Sweden).  However, I
think the main difference is the very low volume of Leica sales here in
Sweden and the almost total absence of any offers, deals, promotions, or
anything else.  For example, I don't think I have EVER seen an ad for
new Leica cameras or lenses in Sweden.  Dealers NEVER advertize what
the stuff costs: you have to ask them.  Bit like RR: If you have to ask
what it costs, you cannot afford it.

However, the SH market in England has, IMO, inflated prices.  I don't
know the reasons for this, but taking into consideration the 13.40 SEK
to the GBP, SH cameras and lenses turned out horrendously expensive by
comparison, VAT or not.  For example, a pretty badly worn Leica II in
black and nickel was going for GBP 299, which is close to 1.5 times the
price in Sweden for the same stuff.

Of course, this could be London and specialist camera shops.  I imagine
that England has one great benefit over Sweden: Car boot sales.  They
virtually do not exist here, or at least not that I know of.  In some
way this is compensated for by the odd auction where finds can be made,
but dealers are starting to get invited to these and they jack up the
prices by simply buying everything in sight... ;-(

M.

- -- 
Martin Howard, Grad. Schl. for Human-Machine Interaction,  |
HMI/IKP, Linkoping University, SE-581 83 Linkoping, Sweden.|    Just
Tel: +46 13 28 5741; Fax: +46 28 2579; ICQ: 354739         | say "DOOH"
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