Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I've noticed that the prices of used Rics in the US is actually very reasonable, and there are some real bargains to be had. If you have a bit of cash to spend you could get yourself a very respectable collection of lovely Rics.

Unfortunately, here in the UK it's a very different story, there seems to be a new culture of 'collectors' who seem to buy up anything interesting as an investment.

To me it's criminal that people buy these beautiful guitars and then just store them away in the hope that they're going to be able to sell at a profit in years to come. I know a man that has 11 different Rics and he doesn't even play guitar! All of them were bought as an investment, and he's still doing it.

Unless Rickenbacker decide to open a factory in the UK, (which would actually be a brilliant idea as they could supply the European market, and I could go and look through their windows every day with my hot breath on the glass ) I'm going to have to emigrate to the US.

Grrr!

Rob,Youve got to realise than in the UK the price of rics are more expensive.Now let me stop there are they really.I used to think so but now im not so sure last week i picked up a brand new 08 360 for £799 now thats a bargain if i went directly to Ric the price would be ($2499.00accoring to the RIC forum) which is 2,499.00 US Dollar = 1,264.97 British Pound.So is it a different story? If im wrong i`ll hold my hands up but i dont think its too bad.There is always a deal out there its just knowing where to fish. Loved the hot breath on glass.You and me at the window Rob.
I hope this post doesn't get me into trouble im not sure if im meant to be discussing prices! Peter if im wrong feel free to edit the post.

Yeah I know some prices are good. I got my new 360/12 for an absolute steal. And there's plenty of 330's and stuff around.

I'm really on about the more unusual and 'collectable' guitars, like the 700 acoustics etc.

Didn't realise it was taboo to talk prices, we'll leave it there as I don't wanna get thrown off another forum.

Cool no problem Mate! I know what your saying! lets invade the USA you and me rob.

Yeah, lets do it.

We'll make a boat out of an old guitar and be the first to cross the atlantic in a 700 comstock.

Like this.....



Sorted

Mateybob wrote:Yeah, lets do it.

We'll make a boat out of an old guitar and be the first to cross the atlantic in a 700 comstock.

Like this.....



Sorted

Love it! I sure hope that was waterproof glue used in that prototype!

I always feel for the guys back home. Rics are generally hard to come by and expensive, but bargains can be certainly had. The rare stuff is always going to fetch premium, and that's in USD or GBP. While the idea of collecting is not everyone's cup of tea, it's still a valid topic, simply because one can....

hmm....

But the UK economy is twice as strong as the US economy. The pound is worth twice what the dollar is (and all the other perks that come with a strong economy etc..)

While that doesn't help much with Ric dealers and new rics, I think it gives Brits the edge in the used market. You can just as easily pick up a Ric off Ebay (provided the seller will ship abroad which many, including myself, are quite willing to), and comparatively pick it up for "less money" than we can here in the states, even with $100US shipping etc...

just my .02 worth..

Cheers,
-Collin

Yeah, the exchange rate is good for the Brits at the moment, but importing from the US has hidden horrors for the unwary.

I got stung once when I bought a Roland 24 track recorder from the US.

It was a great price, even with the shipping it was about £200 cheaper than in the UK so I bought it. Then I got a letter from the courier saying that I needed to pay Import tax, VAT and an extra import charge to the courier company before they would deliver.

It ended up costing me £300 more than if I'd bought one in the UK.

I'd guess that you need to add at least 30% onto any price when ordering from outside the UK. When you do that, the US prices unfortunately don't look too good.

Yep, there's nothing left for me to do but to emigrate.

I've not been over to the states before, where should I live?

Probably best for me not to be too near the Ric factory or we'd be back to the hot breath on the window again......

Go to Santa Monica, half of England either lives there or around there, and you'd be right on the Pacific. Rick factory about an hour away depending on traffic(which you can always depend on there being traffic)Surfs up brah

whojamfan wrote:Go to Santa Monica, half of England either lives there or around there, and you'd be right on the Pacific. Rick factory about an hour away depending on traffic(which you can always depend on there being traffic)Surfs up brah

Then I think the other half lives up near Seattle (including my family of Brit ex-pats..). I think it's cos the weather is closest to English...ie it rains every day..

Cheers,
-Collin

Mateybob wrote:Yeah, the exchange rate is good for the Brits at the moment, but importing from the US has hidden horrors for the unwary.
I needed to pay Import tax, VAT and an extra import charge to the courier company before they would deliver.
....

whoops! Sorry Rob, I forgot all about that little detail. Surprisingly, it doesn't seem to stop many. I sell guitars often on Ebay, and always ship worldwide, it seems maybe 60-70% of them end up going outside the US, often to Europe and many to the UK. Do they have the same tax restrictions in the rest of Europe?

I've heard Australian taxes are a nightmare too!

Cheers,
-Collin

whojamfan wrote:Go to Santa Monica, half of England either lives there or around there, and you'd be right on the Pacific. Rick factory about an hour away depending on traffic(which you can always depend on there being traffic)Surfs up brah

c'mon very few europeans stayed in santa monica, it got so expensive and ugly five-six years ago that everybody left. that is a city poluted with nouveau riche these days. it was one of the worst days of my life when i realized it is going down the tubes forever there. from nice cooky small pacific coastal town right to "pro-business and condo growing on every lot, no gardens left" faceless place full of hospitals and elderly services. residential areas and beach side slowly started looking like pre 1989 eastern germany. some of my friends got clue earlier and left for new mexico and arizona, the rest of us left around 2003 to east coast. yes there are some english people left there - mainly film and tv crowd but is is not what it used to be any more.

Mateybob wrote:Yeah, the exchange rate is good for the Brits at the moment, but importing from the US has hidden horrors for the unwary.

I got stung once when I bought a Roland 24 track recorder from the US.

It was a great price, even with the shipping it was about £200 cheaper than in the UK so I bought it. Then I got a letter from the courier saying that I needed to pay Import tax, VAT and an extra import charge to the courier company before they would deliver.

It ended up costing me £300 more than if I'd bought one in the UK.

I'd guess that you need to add at least 30% onto any price when ordering from outside the UK. When you do that, the US prices unfortunately don't look too good.

Yep, there's nothing left for me to do but to emigrate.

I've not been over to the states before, where should I live?

Probably best for me not to be too near the Ric factory or we'd be back to the hot breath on the window again......

your best bet is not move here (to us)- you need to find people who will take delivery for you here in usa instead and bring it over on their journey to uk.

Move to Guam and you'll be IN the Pacific. Still, you have US Post for less of the courier tax hassle, US dollar and beaches and sun. There's even a Brit pub called Tower of London. Pack now.

Best,

Manta

grazioso wrote:

whojamfan wrote:Go to Santa Monica, half of England either lives there or around there, and you'd be right on the Pacific. Rick factory about an hour away depending on traffic(which you can always depend on there being traffic)Surfs up brah

c'mon very few europeans stayed in santa monica, it got so expensive and ugly five-six years ago that everybody left. that is a city poluted with nouveau riche these days. it was one of the worst days of my life when i realized it is going down the tubes forever there. from nice cooky small pacific coastal town right to "pro-business and condo growing on every lot, no gardens left" faceless place full of hospitals and elderly services. residential areas and beach side slowly started looking like pre 1989 eastern germany. some of my friends got clue earlier and left for new mexico and arizona, the rest of us left around 2003 to east coast. yes there are some english people left there - mainly film and tv crowd but is is not what it used to be any more.

G'head...tell us how you really feel.