Ric Prices in the UK

[johnt]

OK chaps,
What the hell is going on?

For example a local guitar shop has a 340 Midnight blue, which was £1100 when I bought my first ric in Jan 08. (Which incidentally I paid under £900 for brand new)
Today they have that exact same 340 sitting on the shelf, and it's now £1880!!!
That's a 41% price increase in just over 18 months.
I though interest rates were LOW! 0.5% and the rate of inflation has remained below 5% since Jan 08! The new prices on Ebay are about as incredible . How can anyone justify buying a new ric in the UK at the moment?

[scotty]

Lust,greed and wanting

[electrofaro]

Lust, greed and wanting

Too bad though that prices are so high... RAS seems to hit me every third day!

[jps]

Lust,greed and wanting

Remember, no politics here!

[godber]

In fairness to the retailers I've spoken to, there are two factors to the increases in the UK. The exchange rate was a problem (especially if you get your stock when the rate is bad and then spend the next few months selling it under a new rate) and secondly RIC's strategy to reduce the backlog by increasing the price to drop the demand. One seller told me it was 20% increases for two years and it may not be over - £1699 for a new 330 as standard for example. There are sellers who have always been twice the price (we know who they are...), but even they are now looking competitive with the "real" prices. Hopefully it's working for RIC, I for one am priced out of a new Rickenbacker...but then I guess that you also have to look at the spiralling cost of high end Gibson and Fender "specials".

The good news is that it stops you collecting more guitars than you "need" and there are lots of great second hand guitars out there!

[schoolside]

Prices have dropped in the US. 1k for a 330, $1300 for a 360, $1520 for a 360/12.

[godber]

Cheers for that Dwight! That makes us feel much better

This "special relationship" is good innit!

[johnt]

Interesting points. I think it is actually cheaper to buy a new ric in the states, & pay shipping + VAT than buy one in the UK at the moment.

Having said that the price of a used ric has been pretty static and if anything dropped over the last 18 months.

[godber]

Interesting points. I think it is actually cheaper to buy a new ric in the states, & pay shipping + VAT than buy one in the UK at the moment.

Having said that the price of a used ric has been pretty static and if anything dropped over the last 18 months.

Don't forget the duty John. It's guitar + shipping + 15% (soon to go back to 17.5%) + 3.7% duty.

Used prices vary, there's a risk, but there are some good deals.

[scotty]

Prices have dropped in the US. 1k for a 330, $1300 for a 360, $1520 for a 360/12.

Dwight surely you are talking about secondhand models? I see no evidence of this as new instruments.The price for a new 330 in the US as suggest retail price is $1999 or am i totally wrong? Just wondering

[schoolside]

Those are prices some of us paid for new this year.

[scotty]

Wow thats a great price nice one.

[akhv]

Year is quite a long time really. When I was shopping for a 300 series 12-string in UK this april, you could find new 330/12 for 1200. Looks like prices have grown quite a bit since then. And pound rose too.

Regarding 340 could it be that prices were higher because 340s are no longer made?