greg@olivej.UUCP (Greg Paley) (06/23/84)
Having returned from a trip to Europe (Italy, Germany, Switzerland & England), I was appalled by the difference in stereo equipment pricing there and here. A Thorens 160 Super table sells (using current dollar to English Pound, D-Mark, or Swiss Franc) for approximately $200 list-price, depending on the country (the variations between European & UK prices are relatively slight). The same table here sells for $395. A Thorens 147 sells there for approximately $300. Here it costs $525. These are all list prices, subject to discounts there as they are here (which are, if anything, easier to find there in the case of Thorens). This might be somewhat easier to take if it seemed to work the same way in the other direction. However, the new AR turntable, which costs $300 (armless) here costs the same in England and Germany. Hafler gear is somewhat more expensive there, but not by a factor nearly as high as that applied to European equipment sold here. Furthermore, much Japanese equipment sold in Europe is significantly less expensive than here: the Dynavector 23R cartridge sells for under $200 there. One possible explanation that I can see is that, at least in the case of Thorens, prices were set for the American market three or four years ago, when the dollar was quite low and these prices have remained even though the dollar has climbed considerably against the Swiss Franc. Does anybody have any particular insights into the policies involved? - Greg Paley