It's started ! Price increases.

[vlebo]

Browsing through various retail sites today and noticed Telescope House are advertising the Series 5000 127 APO on the Internet at £1229.01 and in Januarys Astronomy Now mag they have it on their ad for £1099.00.

Methinks it has begun.

[vlebo]

Also just noticed the LX90 12" in the mag for £2548.99 and on their website for £2999.00.

EEK !!!

Glad I got all my gear in the Autumn.

[Andrew*]

The 16" Lightbridge has just hiked from £1099 (I think, about 4 weeks ago?) to £1800 :shock:

I wonder how this will affect S/H sales?

Andrew

[Kai]

I would say short term the S/H price will increase due to demand ,good if your selling....

[vlebo]

The 16" Lightbridge has just hiked from £1099 (I think, about 4 weeks ago?) to £1800 :shock:

I wonder how this will affect S/H sales?

Andrew

I cannot see how such a massive price hike can be justified. I expected prices to rise in the New Year but that is huge.

[MartinB]

The 16" Lightbridge has just hiked from £1099 (I think, about 4 weeks ago?) to £1800 :shock:

I wonder how this will affect S/H sales?

Andrew

I cannot see how such a massive price hike can be justified.

Because astro manufacturers aren't a charity they don't have to justify themselves to anybody. In the same way, you don't have to justify to them why you aren't buying their gear.

Shop around, compare brands, use the second hand market, enjoy the kit you have and see what happens to prices.

[rikyuu]

Must be due to global warming......everything else is! :sunny:

[Andrew*]

At least I think it was £1099 - I remember two significant drops from it's previous price of £1499.

In any case at one point it was £1299. Still a huge hike.

Andrew

[Kai]

I suppose if you are in the market for a 16 inch Dob , then where do you go ????

Also i have seen it quoted that due to the value of the Pound vs Euro alot of people from the continent are buying in the Uk , maybe this is a reflection of this.

[Doc]

£1800 for a 16" LB is stupid.

Yes it's a good scope but I wouldn't pay that much.

[MartinB]

£1800 for a 16" LB is stupid.

Yes it's a good scope but I wouldn't pay that much.

That's the nub of the matter!

If europeans are shopping in the UK then they are trading their euros for pounds which should have an interesting effect on the exchange rate

[Kai]

Just had a look at the Orion Optics 16 Dob , no i know it isnt a truss , but its now only £100 more than the Meade.

I know which one i would rather have (even with the poor QC and delivery)

[MikeP]

Take a look at what Telescope House say on their home page ......... http://www.telescopehouse.com/

Better get in quick.

Mike

[Doc]

£1800 for a 16" LB is stupid.

Yes it's a good scope but I wouldn't pay that much.

That's the nub of the matter!

If europeans are shopping in the UK then they are trading their euros for pounds which should have an interesting effect on the exchange rate

Only time will tell.

[lulu57]

The price hikes are seemingly universal.

Before Christmas, I would have sold my soul for a tete-a-tete with George Clooney.

Now, it's George Clooney and an all-expenses-paid visit to Beijing.

(Actually, I say George Clooney, but Gene Hunt would do).

[vlebo]

The 16" Lightbridge has just hiked from £1099 (I think, about 4 weeks ago?) to £1800 :shock:

I wonder how this will affect S/H sales?

Andrew

I cannot see how such a massive price hike can be justified.

Because astro manufacturers aren't a charity they don't have to justify themselves to anybody. In the same way, you don't have to justify to them why you aren't buying their gear.

Shop around, compare brands, use the second hand market, enjoy the kit you have and see what happens to prices.

If one week I could buy an item for £1099.00 and the next week it was £1800.00 the least I would expect from the retailer is a reason why . In my books that amounts to justification.

[GazOC]

You could always drop them an Email asking for the reason. Not that it will change anything...

[barkis]

I know it is a far cry from Astro equipment, but I tentatively explored advanced rail booking prices with a view to buying tickets to London for our annual break in August. Bit of a shocker. Getting there is not too bad, getting back is horrendous for price, even with a senior rail card. I venture to say, it is going to be National Express coach this time. No way am I paying that sort of money.

I love rail travel, and it has improved enormously, but not to justify the difference between going, and getting back. Especially when I am booking so far in advance. Abeit a simulated booking.

I'm afraid Astrofest is out for the same reason.

Ron.

[George]

You could always drop them an Email asking for the reason. Not that it will change anything...

Or vote with your wallet

I wont be surprised to see 1 or 2 astro retailers go to the wall this year, the astro market is small enough as it is in the UK. If UK astronomers start tightening their belts (inc me) there wont be enough business to go round.

[artyfarty]

The 16" Lightbridge has just hiked from £1099 (I think, about 4 weeks ago?) to £1800 :shock:

Hi Everyone, I purchased the 16" LB from Telescope House just before Xmas for £935.32 (including 10% on-line Xmas discount) and as I'm from Ireland I paid in Euro's and even with the sterling conversion it was a fantastic deal, so good I just couldn't say no even though I was not on the market for a new scope. Thank God for credit cards and understanding wives

[The Warthog]

There has been some serious erosion of the value of the pound in the last few months. The Canadian $ has dropped to about $0.80 US from parity earlier in teh year, and the £ has dropped to about $1.75 Canadian, from about $2.00 earlier. Take those together, and the Greenback has gone up a lot against the £. That is where a lot of your price increases are coming from. The 16" LB is about $2300 here, as it has been for a while.

[bazza]

But Telescope House has already increased it's prices because of the falling pound against the dollar, haven't they?

This took place shortly before the 2.5% reduction in VAT.

That increase took a Tak FSQ-85 from aroung £2100+ to around £2400+.

The new price now puts it at £2800+

Sorry, I won't be buying any gear this year - I wonder if the price will come down as quick when/if the strength of the pound goes up?

I think someone already said - vote with your wallet, I will.

Barry.

[ZOG]

There are a few factors to be taken into account. January is normally the month for manufacturers increases anyway. Remember they have employees who want pay rises as do the astro retailers. Add to this the falling value of sterling and the knock on effects of the high fuel prices a couple of months ago and you see significant price rises. For instance, my delivery company has went from £8.00 to £9.20 per parcel up to 30kg in the space of a month. Heavier items cost a lot more and even though retailers give you free delivery, they still have to pay the charges.

[Capricorn]

Been looking at a Skywatcher scope. If the price here is high enough I may just book a flight and short break to Toronto and buy one there

I may not save overall but I would at least get a short break out of it :laughing3: and see a bit of Toronto.

[Lady Isabella]

But Telescope House has already increased it's prices because of the falling pound against the dollar, haven't they?

This took place shortly before the 2.5% reduction in VAT.

That increase took a Tak FSQ-85 from aroung £2100+ to around £2400+.

The new price now puts it at £2800+

Sorry, I won't be buying any gear this year - I wonder if the price will come down as quick when/if the strength of the pound goes up?

I think someone already said - vote with your wallet, I will.

Barry.

I've just been looking at the Tak prices and it's shocking. The scope I bought not that long ago, now costs £940 more.