A storm brewing?

[Whippy]

im with nightfisher on his point, bring in russian optics!, a new store, specialising in TAL telescopes has just opened in the states, we need one!

would be nice that

come on NPZ, get shipping!!!

just send the equipment to auntie FLO

But conversely, the only importer of Intes Micro into the U.S. has given up due to the difficulties and costs involved. My understanding is that the Russian manufacturers can be hard to build up a good working relationship with.

Fact is globally, we're not a big market so we are by and large at the mercies of what goes on around the world. If China's economy matures at the speed that it grew then we're all in for a tough time. Signs like the new Synta 6" APO that I think we all expected to be much cheaper than what it retails for, is foreboding. How many countries (and their workforces) are left for companies to exploit? It's times like these that people want to get their heads out of the sand and look around, there's a disticnt possibility that things may never be the same again.

Tony..

[NickK]

Where there's a shortage - there's an opportunity.

I think, although China is a power house and sits on a large portion materials, there economic inceases in China along with the development of new manufacturing companies outside (including relationships) that will result in either (a) a government crisis in china, or, ( the price of goods becoming just as expensive as products produced elsewhere.

The problem is that the chinese financials have extended into countries that could offer substitutes and those that wish to develop would require money from financial institutions that are dependant on chinese funding or where the chinese have a stranglehold in the cashflow.

I bought ATIK, although I have had issues, partly because they're a UK company. It's a shame that the production has to take place outside of the UK but the R&D and the knowledge develops the UK a little bit more.. The UK needs to focus on R&D.. however the money todo that.. is heavily influenced by external countries.

Personally I think the bigger problem is the deepening debt of the US at the same time..

[SlipperySquid]

Don't worry everyone...I just suggest we start panic buying immediately!

[Albireo380]

Don't worry everyone...I just suggest we start panic buying immediately!

I started doing that a while back. The bank balance has suffered a bit.

Tom

[gbealnz]

Me too, especially with the exchange rate being so favourable.

Gary

[mag10]

I must say I'm not surprised by your post.

Canada is rich in basic materials (metals, minerals, wood etc) and the Chinese are buying everything they can. There is even a wacky black market where statues and plaques in parks are stolen for the bronze, and electrical power sub-stations are raided for the copper wiring (sometimes resulting in the electrocution of the hapless thiefs).

The socio-economic situation in China has global repercussions, and we would be wise to keep an eye in that direction to see which way things are going.

Thanks FLO for the very informative post.

[ollypenrice]

Wouldn't it be interesting if dealers posted customer reviews

I know that the garage mechanics have a network of mutual warnings in Debyshire; 'Don't touch that welsh guy with the TVR,' etc!

A salesman friend said his fantasy job was Policemen - because there the customer was always wrong.

Olly

[philhas]

The good old *esco syndrome, they used to sell rejects in the 70's and now are one of the biggest companies in the uk. We the consumer are to blame, we've had it too cheap for too long on a range of products. I disagree with some of the comments here saying that if you give good service you should be alright, it doesn't matter as the consumer wants cheap and is happy to take the advice and go else where to buy (just look at your local shops vanishing after giving years of good service). The answer is as Steve suggests a bit of loyalty to those providers which provide a quality service after all it effects all of us in the end, I would rather buy something here where the tax gets spent in the Uk than import something from the States.

[pete_l]

I think we're all being a bit complacent about the quality of product that's coming out of China - and other "low cost" countries.

The popular products: mounts, refractors, dobs and all the others are infinitely better quality, both optically and mechanically, than the premium brands and product that came out of the USA in the 70s and 80s. Tthough those products would cost a month's pay or more: before tax: each!

Even the "junk" that comes from the far east is better than most of the stuff any amateur from 30 years ago could ever hope to afford. We've just become much more used to high quality kit and we don't realise just how much R&D and manufacturing goes into them - nor how much that all costs.

There was a time when japanese goods were considered to be cheap, inferior and merely copycat. You wouldn't say that about Takahashi products now. Maybe the reason the price of chinese atronomical products are rising is because the quality is improving, too and irrespective of the country of origin, they're still much better and cheaper than they've ever been in the past.

[adamsp123]

I think we're all being a bit complacent about the quality of product that's coming out of China - and other "low cost" countries.

The popular products: mounts, refractors, dobs and all the others are infinitely better quality, both optically and mechanically, than the premium brands and product that came out of the USA in the 70s and 80s. Tthough those products would cost a month's pay or more: before tax: each!

Even the "junk" that comes from the far east is better than most of the stuff any amateur from 30 years ago could ever hope to afford. We've just become much more used to high quality kit and we don't realise just how much R&D and manufacturing goes into them - nor how much that all costs.

There was a time when japanese goods were considered to be cheap, inferior and merely copycat. You wouldn't say that about Takahashi products now. Maybe the reason the price of chinese atronomical products are rising is because the quality is improving, too and irrespective of the country of origin, they're still much better and cheaper than they've ever been in the past.

I couldn't agree more with the above, as I was around then when I first started Astronomy as a hobby and had to pay these very high prices for kit that wouldn't stand up to todays offerings.

One of the major factors that we will see higher prices out of China is the massive wage inflation they are seeing out there, about 100% last year.

I use primarily two UK suppliers for my kit, FLO and MA, as they have always provided great support. However make no mistake even if you buy "British" goods they are only assembled here, the components will invariably come from China/far east/India.

Pete