Widefield 1.25" Eyepieces

[John]

It's a shame that the prices are escalating. I sold my mint condition ES 24mm / 68 about 18 months back for £65.00 which included delivery. I think they cost about £110 new back then.

 

 

 

[Jiggy 67]

1 minute ago, John said:

It's a shame that the prices are escalating. I sold my mint condition ES 24mm / 68 about 18 months back for £65.00 which included delivery. I think they cost about £110 new back then.

 

 

 

£155 now with a 40-60 day wait from FLO. I’ve looked everywhere on the internet, it’s surprising how few retailers sell them and those that do haven’t got any stock, RVO told me no chance for a couple of months!!! It’s ok, I’m a patient guy and it will arrive when it arrives and it will cost what it costs 😀

[jetstream]

5 hours ago, Dantooine said:

You still could be all over that. The next lot coming from China will probably price hike anyway. 

I have had very good luck ordering internationally.

[Louis D]

4 hours ago, Jiggy 67 said:

£155 now with a 40-60 day wait from FLO. I’ve looked everywhere on the internet, it’s surprising how few retailers sell them and those that do haven’t got any stock, RVO told me no chance for a couple of months!!! It’s ok, I’m a patient guy and it will arrive when it arrives and it will cost what it costs 😀

I don't know how the reverse works, but I like buying from the UK because the retailers don't collect the appropriate state sales tax like US retailers do, and they don't charge UK VAT against me.  That, and as long as the value is under $800, there's no import tariffs.  Plus, the USD has been fairly strong against the GBP for the last few years.  Shipping on small items like eyepieces isn't too bad from the UK to the US, either.

[John]

2 minutes ago, Louis D said:

I don't know how the reverse works, but I like buying from the UK because the retailers don't collect the appropriate state sales tax like US retailers do, and they don't charge UK VAT against me.  That, and as long as the value is under $800, there's no import tariffs.  Plus, the USD has been fairly strong against the GBP for the last few years.  Shipping on small items like eyepieces isn't too bad from the UK to the US, either.

When I've bought things from outside the EU in the past I've mentally added 25% to the costs that I pay up front to cover the UK handling charges and import duty and that seems to have been approximately what I did end up paying.

I think the value that you can import without duty is much lower here - maybe £32.00 GPB ?

 

[Jiggy 67]

20 hours ago, Louis D said:

Astronomics (CN sponsor) just got the 24mm ES-68s back in stock.  Hurry if you want one.

Just ordered from Astronomics in the US, thanks @Louis D.........free shipping!!....strangely,  so total cost - £145, £10 cheaper than UK!!.....bit nervous really, never ordered from the US before

[John]

7 minutes ago, Jiggy 67 said:

Just ordered from Astronomics in the US, thanks @Louis D.........free shipping!!....strangely,  so total cost - £145, £10 cheaper than UK!!.....bit nervous really, never ordered from the US before

Is that including the UK import duties / handling charges ?

 

[Tiny Clanger]

5 minutes ago, Jiggy 67 said:

Just ordered from Astronomics in the US, thanks @Louis D.........free shipping!!....strangely,  so total cost - £145, £10 cheaper than UK!!.....bit nervous really, never ordered from the US before

Better read this https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad

20% VAT added on top of that by customs will make it considerably less of a bargain.

[Louis D]

6 minutes ago, Jiggy 67 said:

Just ordered from Astronomics in the US, thanks @Louis D.........free shipping!!....strangely,  so total cost - £145, £10 cheaper than UK!!.....bit nervous really, never ordered from the US before

Let us know if you get hit with VAT and import duties.  I think the US decided that the cost of the bureaucracy it would take to check every last package entering the US would far outweigh the revenues collected.  That, and individual states would have to figure out how to collect sales tax since the federal government is not responsible for collecting state taxes.

[Jiggy 67]

2 minutes ago, John said:

Is that including the UK import duties / handling charges ?

 

No , VAT pluss 2.5% duty to pay on arrival

Edited January 29, 2021 by Jiggy 67

[Louis D]

1 minute ago, Jiggy 67 said:

No , VAT pluss 2.5% duty to pay on arrival

At least that's cheaper than US duties on optics of 8% for valuations over $800.

[Jiggy 67]

6 minutes ago, Tiny Clanger said:

Better read this https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad

20% VAT added on top of that by customs will make it considerably less of a bargain.

Yeh, well you know I said i'm a patient guy........

5 hours ago, Jiggy 67 said:

, I’m a patient guy and it will arrive when it arrives and it will cost what it costs 😀

........Turns out i'm not!!!.....😀

[John]

10 minutes ago, Jiggy 67 said:

No , VAT pluss 2.5% duty to pay on arrival

Plus an handling charge of £8 or so I think. That was the 25% that I was on about.

 

[Jiggy 67]

2 minutes ago, John said:

Plus an handling charge of £8 or so I think. That was the 25% that I was on about.

 

That will make it an extra £40 odd on top of the price which is £30 more than the UK price, I'll just have to take it on the chin. I waited 3 months for a scope that I was told 30-40 days so I'm not confident with the lead times retailers are giving at the moment. The industry is in a bad way due to covid, brexit etc, not the retailers fault but I'm not planning to buy anything else any time soon

[Dantooine]

51 minutes ago, Jiggy 67 said:

That will make it an extra £40 odd on top of the price which is £30 more than the UK price, I'll just have to take it on the chin. I waited 3 months for a scope that I was told 30-40 days so I'm not confident with the lead times retailers are giving at the moment. The industry is in a bad way due to covid, brexit etc, not the retailers fault but I'm not planning to buy anything else any time soon

It is what it is. If you want something you have to pay for it. It’s a very good eyepiece and like everyone keeps saying they will all go up soon enough anyway. Once you look through it everything will make perfect sense. Congratulations on actually finding one 👍

[Louis D]

3 hours ago, John said:

Plus an handling charge of £8 or so I think. That was the 25% that I was on about.

 

I've never gotten hit with handling fees importing into the US because I've stayed under the $800 limit.  I've heard UPS and other private shippers charge a usurious percentage of value "brokerage" fee to clear customs, so I tend to avoid them on international shipping.

[jetstream]

4 hours ago, Jiggy 67 said:

That will make it an extra £40 odd on top of the price which is £30 more than the UK price, I'll just have to take it on the chin. I waited 3 months for a scope that I was told 30-40 days so I'm not confident with the lead times retailers are giving at the moment. The industry is in a bad way due to covid, brexit etc, not the retailers fault but I'm not planning to buy anything else any time soon

Congrats for a fine eyepiece! It doesn't matter a few pounds (or dollars) either way IMHO, you'll have a very good piece of glass to look through.

[John]

On 29/01/2021 at 21:03, jetstream said:

Congrats for a fine eyepiece! It doesn't matter a few pounds (or dollars) either way IMHO, you'll have a very good piece of glass to look through.

The original question was whether the TV Panoptic 24mm was worth double the price of the ES 24 / 68. If the OP pays £200+ for the ES 24 / 68 then the Panoptic 24 is 1.5x as expensive. 

Probably a similar answer to the question posed for some but it is a slightly different question now

I bought my mint condition Panoptic 24 used for £160.00. Still a lot more than I sold the 24mm ES / 68 for. No regrets though - as you say, it doesn't matter a few pounds ...... 

 

Edited January 31, 2021 by John

[John]

1 minute ago, John said:

 

Edited January 31, 2021 by John

[jetstream]

11 hours ago, John said:

I bought my mint condition Panoptic 24 used for £160.00. Still a lot more than I sold the 24mm ES / 68 for. No regrets though - as you say, it doesn't matter a few pounds ...... 

Yes buying used seems a good way to bypass the VAT over there!

Maybe the OP is really forward thinking- I paid $118.00 (roughly) for the 24mm ES 68 and now they list at 189.00 USD. Televues prices are escalating as well and I think they will continue to do so.

Personally, a flurry of purchases were made when our exchange rate was friendly and the items were on sale which gives a very nice buffer.