Price Justification

[barrett50carrott]

Re: Price Justification

£70 a pop for a pair of sights, i would want them gold plated!

dont let kodiak see this...he'll have em on the desert eagle

[Grounded_Pilot]

Re: Price Justification

Heck, trying living in Australia, no Airsoft there mate.

Ohhh they even have it there... saw a Aussie news report on it... can't remember the feck where tho...

and wait, I feel the "UK retailers are mean " comments are being directed at me partially?? lol.. or is it a guilty conscience? !
I accept retailer's charges, because they have to pay for everything I listed:

you live on an island.

The EU hate us.

...We hate the EU (unless you're a hill-sheep farmer).

The US has an oversized paddling pool between us and them.

Asia has too much landmass between us, as well as Europe and water.

And the customs like our cash too.

= You pay top sterling.

The retailer then has to make a profit, say 15% extra, then we pay 17.5% VAT!

[LtPurcy]

Re: Price Justification

Are the prices outrageous ? in most cases the prices are the same amount in other countries for example 400 dollars 400 quid, there isnt much difference in price if you dont count the exchange rate obviously, they still have to shed over 400 dollars? so are our prices bad, in some cases yes.

[Caveira]

Re: Price Justification

It's basic economic theory. In a free market the price charged will continue to go up, even if the number of sales goes down, until the maximum profit is achieved.

If a retailer puts their prices up and their sales drops then they have to work out if the extra £10 per AEG (for example) cancels out the number of sales lost due to the higher price. If it does then they'll either stay at the higher figure, or even put it up again, but if it doesn't then they drop a little until they've found the perfect balance.

Bo**ocks to import duty, shipping costs, VAT and all the rest of that. They know that the vast majority of people can't be bothered to import themselves, so they charge what they believe they can get away with. If the profit margin is too low, they simply don't sell it.

[Grounded_Pilot]

Re: Price Justification

i have to agree.

I have seen the A&K Dragunov first come out on a certain action based hobby site, selling for a snip under £100.

sold out in hours. Then 3 weeks later, the price had jumped about £30! So yes, i can see how you mean, gauging price on sales figures.

[Bradley]

Re: Price Justification

It isn't just the airsoft hobby, it applies to all hobbies that require after market support. For example, In the RC hobby, someone will spend 300 on a car but the manufactures will purposely make crappy plastic parts that will break with a very small impact and thus require repairing but they will make the parts VERY expensive, because that is what people need to get their car up and running again! Same applies to airsoft and thus manufacturers can charge what they want, people will still buy it!

[Grounded_Pilot]

Re: Price Justification

It isn't just the airsoft hobby, it applies to all hobbies that require after market support. For example, In the RC hobby, someone will spend 300 on a car but the manufactures will purposely make crappy plastic parts that will break with a very small impact and thus require repairing but they will make the parts VERY expensive, because that is what people need to get their car up and running again! Same applies to airsoft and thus manufacturers can charge what they want, people will still buy it!

have you heard of Quality Checks?

And I'm sure they aren't Purposefully made to "break". Some parts are put under enormous force and will enivitably break eventually.

Tbh, if it isn't already illegal to sell faulty goods intended to break it should be. It's like driving on the motorway when you know you haven't got near enough fuel- which is illegal.

[seansamurai1]

Re: Price Justification

It stinks in this country for everything price wise though and not just airsoft, when I was in the states I bought a pair of Oakley sunnies for $80 and in this country they were £90, go figure, at the time the exchange rate was $1.48 to the pound, so I got them for half the price as near as dam it.
The real sucker is when the exchange rate is good and you see the price they pay and the price we pay and realise we are being ripped off, we can thank taxes, VAT which is the most pointless thing ever and should have gone years ago, import charges, customs charges then on top of all that, retailer profit.
But when the exchange rate sucks, then there isnt much differance in the cost they pay and we pay.

[B.E.N.]

Re: Price Justification

Guys, my previous life-consuming hobby was BMX riding. Compared to that, airsoft guns are CHEAP.

You can't get a "decent" BMX for anything less than about £800 now, and that will just about do you, as an off the shelf soloution. Anything customised or a bit special will set you back around the £1500 mark.

I spent this a few times over during the 15 years I rode a lot of bikes. I once spent £150 on a set of cranks (the bits the pedals bolt to, the arms) and the lasted 3 days before I snapped one.

I once spent £45 on a chainring, and it lasted a majestic ten minutes before I landed wrongly and turned it into an aluminum pringle.

There were no warranties or anything.

[seansamurai1]

Re: Price Justification

Yes Im a downhiller and a street rider myself, I find though the price in this case does reflect the quality, doesnt mean though its gonna survive a big stack. GT LTS1DH back in 1999, cost me a mere 4800 quid, great its a world cup racing bike, dam it Steve Peat rides one, 2 weeks it lasted before it blew the 800 quid Risse Terminator shock clean of the rear linkage leaving my pride and joy in 2 pieces.
I have a nasty habit of breaking expensiveness. Kona Stab Delux! Yep you guessed it bottom bracket ended up on the floor, however not attached to the bike, perks of 38 foot step drop to OUCH! overshot that one flat!
Sorry little off topic, but I think its the captive market on trains thing again, we can charge loadsawonga for this cos you really need/want it, and we know you wont complain, and wont go through the hassle of importing for fear of customs charges.

[Bradley]

Re: Price Justification

A lot of hobbies are very expensive. Especially if they are very rewarding and fun, thats why they can charge so much !

[B.E.N.]

Re: Price Justification

A lot of hobbies are very expensive. Especially if they are very rewarding and fun, thats why they can charge so much !

Yep, specialist markets and all that... It's the way it goes. If you enjoy it, it's worth spending the money on.

[Caveira]

Re: Price Justification

Retailers know that certain groups spend more than others.

Have a look at a bit of basic plumbing kit (for example a pack of washers) in a trade shop and you'll pay about 2/3rds of the price in a DIY store that the average member of the public will go to.

Put that same pack of washers in a camping store and the price will double. In a caravan store and it will double again. Sell it in a yacht chandlers and it will go for 4 or 5 times the cost to the plumber.

People still buy them, from all of the stores!

[Bradley]

Re: Price Justification

Retailers know that certain groups spend more than others.

Have a look at a bit of basic plumbing kit (for example a pack of washers) in a trade shop and you'll pay about 2/3rds of the price in a DIY store that the average member of the public will go to.

Put that same pack of washers in a camping store and the price will double. In a caravan store and it will double again. Sell it in a yacht chandlers and it will go for 4 or 5 times the cost to the plumber.

People still buy them, from all of the stores!

Very true. It is because people trust the after market service that retailers supply, if they say something is better than what they have already got, they will buy it "D

[Sabbath]

Re: Price Justification

An item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it