Comparing 2000 to 2019 Astro Equipment Prices

[John]

Just out of interest I've been leafing through an old year 2000 Telescope House catalogue that I have. Comparing the prices then to those now is quite interesting. I looked up the culmulative inflation rates for the period between 2000 and now and it seems that the figure is around 60% so £1 in 2000 is roughly equivilent to £1.60 today, or therabouts.

Just taking a few items at random:

4 inch ED doublet refractor on equatorial mount:

2000 price (Meade 102mm F/9 ED doublet): £1999 > Apply inflation: £3,198 > Actual in 2019 (Skywatcher ED100 on GOTO EQ5): £1260

8 inch dobsonian:

2000 price (Meade Starfinder 8): £559 > Apply inflation: £895 > Actual in 2019 (Skywatcher Skyliner 200P): £275

Zoom eyepiece:

2000 price (Meade 8-24 zoom): £239 > Apply inflation: £382 > Actual in 2019 (Baader Hyperion Zoom): £185

Premium Ultra Wide Eyepiece:

Tele Vue Nagler T5 16mm: £285 > Apply inflation: £456 > Actual in 2019 (Tele Vue Nagler T5 16mm): £309

 

Conclusion: We have never had it so good folks and the products are probably even better quality than in 2000 !!!!!

 

 

[Ruud]

That's good news!

Imagine: 200 years from now, a pizza will be more expensive than a Dob.

[MarsG76]

Great that equipment is cheaper but most of us were collecting hardware during the expensive years.... I guess that as things fail, it'll cost less to replace.

[Demonperformer]

Not only are your examples cheaper than the inflated figure, most are cheaper than the original figure.

Doesn't totally surprise me. A new 1600MMPRO is now cheaper than the version 2 I bought a couple of years ago. But I have had the use of it, so I'm not particularly bothered about having paid more. Back in the late 1990s when I was getting more into computing I remember someone saying "whatever hardware you buy today, you will be able to get bigger and faster for less in six months time, but in six months time the same will be true" - he was right.

[Craney]

..... but also apply the negative 'condensation' factor....   i.e.      its cloudier these days,    which will bring the price down a notch or two.   

 

[RobertI]

Nice analysis John, just confirms how lucky we are these days, I marvel at the bang some equipment provides for the buck. The obvious question is why? I am guessing that, in part, the internet is responsible - it has increased sales by making it easier for retailers to reach customers, and easier for customers to research and buy. Also it is so easy to sell secondhand equipment now (again partly thanks to internet) that people don’t see it as such a major purchase. What they call a ‘virtuous circle’. Just my theory of course.....

[dannybgoode]

Interesting analysis and I largely agree that most ‘technology’ (I’m lumping Astro gear in here) has become relatively, if not actually cheaper. 

I wonder though whether quality has diminished somewhat also. Price is driven largely by manufacturing costs and scopes etc are now made in huge numbers but has quality taken a hit? Or, have advances in accurate mass production techniques meant things like mirrors and lenses are actually better than they were?

I suspect the answer lies somewhere in between. The mass produced cheap optics are probably of optically better quality albeit the rest of the assembly may be less good but overall the bang for buck is better. 

At the higher end-the more specialised instruments are still chuffing expensive but still things of beauty and desirability. 

[Highburymark]

Great post John. I remember that crazy expensive Meade zoom. It was two and a half times the price of a full set of  Meade 4000 Plossls -  which consisted of at least eight eyepieces covering every base. I opted for the latter.