Klarinet Archive - Posting 000057.txt from 2005/01
From: "David Glenn" <davidglenn@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] buffet prices
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 10:38:13 -0500
> Happy new year, all,
>
> I went today to the islands sole buffet seller,
> to look about getting a (R13 level) horn, at last.
> They did not have R13s, but did have RCs, RC-Prestiges,
> and E11s... I tried all of them, and in the end
> preferred the RC. I had looked up online the prices
> of R13s, in the UK, America, and so on, out of interest,
> and was expecting to pay approx. 1000 CYP (eq 2,356 USD,
> or 1,237 GBP) . However, the RC here in Cyprus was being
> sold at 1600 CYP (eq 3,770 USD, or 1,980 GBP), with no
> chance of matched price. It would be cheaper for me to
> fly to the UK and buy one and fly back than pay this
> here... So I have decided to postpone buying a clarinet
> until we next visit the UK (months away...). The company
> in the UK who we know (MIR, Halesowen) offered to allow us
> to buy and them ship it to us, but I am a bit wary of this,
> it is better to try the clarinet first-hand, isn't it?
> Are prices normally this variable, country to country, or is
> it just Cyprus?
>
> cheers,
>
> Dan
>
>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hi Dan,
Never heard of clarinetists on Cyprus but I knew there must be some because
I was able to buy reeds in Nicosia in Aug. 1973 (before the invasion). I had
a great time there and even left a mark. With the music group I was with
(from London) we recorded something for the CBC. Do they still exist?
But what you were asking: When I bought my previous Eb clarinet in the late
1980's, I looked in Basle at Musik Oesch. Couldn't get one in Freiburg. I
found a very nice instrument at Oesch but the price was around 3000 DM (I
reckon in DM because I was living in Germany and that was the currency
then.) I had a look at Hawecker in Strasbourg (I think he no longer exists?)
and found that he could get me one for about 2000 DM. I asked Oesch if he
couldn't sell me his cheaper but he said there was nothing he could do about
the prices because Buffet dictated the prices for each country. The VAT was
higher in France than in Germany so I imported it legally and saved another
40 DM or so in that manner.
So as the Germans say, "long speech, short meaning". Yes, the prices can
vary tremendously from country to country. Since you are now in the EU you
can shop freely in UK or France for your clarinet without worrying about
import duty like I had to back then. Good luck!
David
P.S. Did you check the prices in Israel? I bet they're cheaper there.
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