I don't know how many people here keep an eye on shipping costs when buying, it's always that little bit extra on top of the price of an item that spoils it for you...
Well the Royal Mail in the UK are increasing their prices again and it is going to be very noticable on some items... best advise at the moment is, if your thinking about buying off a UK dealer, buy it now quickly and save yourself a bundle, as I know that I shall be forced to increase my shipping cost, and I am donig my buying now for my own collection (and buying in bulk).
Making hay while the sunshines me thinks it's called... and here in the UK the sun is rather glorious today.
The trouble is though, whether it be in the U.K. or other European Countries, regarding shipping prices, they are already kind of high to begin with. Even with your current shipping prices over there in the U.K., I could have at least bought a common record or two with the way shipping prices are in the U.K. at my local record shop.
The only time I usually purchase anything outside of the U.S., is when I absolutely cannot purchase it anywhere but the U.K. Unfortunately, if you say the prices are going to go up higher, I cannot exactly say that this is going to help an already unstable economy in my book to begin with. What you might end up seeing is stability in sales for now, but if the prices of shipping go up any further, my estimation will be that you might see less foreign customers, especially in the U.S., where people are already in one of the worst economical declines in American history. Sure, if people have nice pocket books, I would fancy they would be most likely to spill the $$$$. However, in any case or event, why couldn't sellers from overseas just lower their prices on vinyl, making the deal, despite higher shipping prices, much more sweeter? I mean, in realization I do understand people have to make a living,however, other people have to be able to make money to spend money. So, the prices go up on things that people cannot technically or barely afford to begin with, or if the prices go up on things like shipping, basically, sellers are going to have to get creative as to how they market their product price wise. I say, let's just hope things get better for everyone in the world. I hate to be the pessimist party pooper, but things are not looking too good for a lot of people right now at the moment.
I agree totally with you, shipping cost are two high... but this is pretty much regulated by the prices the postal services impose on us to ship the items.
Apparently the cost of stamps for sending a 7" single from UK to an EU country is around the £1.50 mark, soon it will cost nearer £3.00, and it has to be paid for somehow... plus the costs of mailing envelopes, sleeve, card, etc... all of which has to be bought in (and shipping paid for on that)... plus the seller has to spend a little time cleaning and preparing etc...
Best advise is try and buy as local as you can to keep the prices down, but also, look out for combining your purchases, if you want to buy off a dealer, see what else they have, get a few records or CDs in the same bundle, this spreads the cost and makes it a little easier.
True Jason, this is what I normally do with my U.S. sellers these days. I basically combine items to save on costs. Like I said though, let's just face it, there are certain U.K. items such as collectible NWOBHM stuff that have never seen a release here in the states. For example, classic bands like Savage & Dark Starr, which are two items that can be found nowhere here in the States, unless of course there is a seller/collector here that is willing to part with their collectible U.K. New Wave Of British Heavy Metal Albums. Other than that, you are pretty much stuck having to purchase overseas.........
Another example would be of U.S. metal bands, that which for whatever apparent reason could not get a U.S. release, and only had their music released on labels outside the U.S. This would be the case with some of the Roadrunner or Roadracer releases, which would be released domestically here in the U.S. on CD. However, just to purchase the damn thing on vinyl, you had to search abroad outside the U.S. just to get it. In fact, I think the Roadrunner & Roadracer titles may have only been released in Holland? Black Dragon records was another heavy metal record label who had some U.S. metal bands, but yet, the label was French, and the only way you could get a hold of some of the records was to get them imported here to the states.
I think one of the big factors as to why many metal bands were signed overseas, may have had a lot to do with the U.S. corporate major record labels unwillingness in the 80's to sign metal bands. Bands like Omen or Manowar, for example, could not even get major record label contracts and had to go overseas just to get signed! Sadly, here in the states, if you were signed to a major record label during that time, it was only because you were commercial enough for MTV.
Anyway, without getting too much off base from the subject, foreign record labels do have certain things on offer that record connoisseurs want, but they have to be matched by reasonable market prices, so that consumers are not scared off by the shipping prices to boot........
With respect, a bit of scare mongering from Jason I feel!
The U.K. shipping price hike will mainly hit the part-time/amatuer dealers - those who still go to their local Post Office and buy over the counter, or print off online.
Any professional seller worth their salt uses either metered mail or has PPL account with Royal Mail and the price increases for us aren't as bad. We don't intend to raise our shipping prices for the most part, maybe only to Australia, and certainly not within Europe.
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