Klarinet Archive - Posting 000650.txt from 1997/01

From: "David C. Blumberg" <reedman@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: The current cost of things in France
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 15:42:59 -0500

When I went to Paris in 1992, the Airline lost my luggage. The ytold me
that I could go and buy more clothes, and they would reimburse me 50%. I
thought - Cool! Shopping spree on the airline! Until I went into a store
and realized that shirts cost $100 (oh, about $70 more then I usually
spend). Shoes were around $300, and suits, I couldn't even read the price
it had so many $$$$ in front of them.

At 10:28 AM 1/28/97 EST, Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu wrote:
>Unless one is going to France (or Germany), the nightly news reports
>on the soaring US dollar goes in one ear and out the other. But I
>lived in France for a number of years and am very sensitive to the
>matter. The last time I was in France I got 500 francs for $100.
>As of this moment I can get 580 francs for $100 so for those of you
>going to France to buy things, this nets out to about a 20% reduction
>in the price of goods there. If you export something, additional
>advantages await you but you must confirm with the shopkeeper that you
>have the correct documentation. Then when you leave France, you present
>that documentation and you get and additional 20% "detaxe pour
>exportation!!"
>
>Bottom line: now is the time to buy. And if the dollar keeps going up
>to a stagnant France, it will be better tomorrow.
>
>I am going to be in France this summer as well as Germany and
>Austria (for the Salzburg festival) and this year the pinch should
>be a lot less!!
>
>
>
>====================================
>Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
>(leeson@-----.edu)
>====================================
>
>
David C. Blumberg
reedman@-----.com
Principal Clarinet Riverside Symphonia
Adjunct Woodwind Instructor Univ. of Penn,. Bryn Mawr College