Maurice

I was looking through my Au Vieux Campeur catalogue (store in Paris) and noticed the comments for the BD Cobra ice tool and had to laugh a little. They said: High Tech materials, attention to detail and an astronomical price. In fact it is a minimum of double the price of about 15 different tools. 298 euros while the Axar is 143 euros or the Rambo 2 is 129 euros. In fact I checked Mgear and they sell it for 299$, so a guy with dollars would pay 30$ less for it in France. That's funny! Anybody who wants to compare some prices go to: au-vieux-campeur.fr

Alex I know only prices in France and Sweden, but am not surprised that you might say some places in Europe are expensive. But now that we cannot generalize about Europe, it's really going to get complicated.

Thanks Snowleopard I think I have got my answer now. The letter from BD is interesting and their arguments seem weak. I think they are implying that BD products are the only one to have design and production costs, as if others don't ?!?!

Alex It's interesting that you say Austria is expensive, but if you don't think France is any cheaper then go to: www.au-vieux-campeur.fr and tell me if the euro prices are not lower than Austria. This is the biggest store in Paris for equipment and I've bought lots there at their prices.

Erik I'm not following the relation between my question and your response. Are you promoting divergence from the subject?

Just to get a little more off subject. On utilise quoi comme sous vetements sur la face nord d'Hood? Commentaires?

I wonder if people that have ordered stuff from europe have had to pay duty.

Is it possible that Americans don't care that they pay astronomically inflated prices for boots, crampons, axes, etc?

I would like to know why climbing product prices are so high on french and italian products. In the US, we pay twice the french retail, while they buy our products for the same retail as we pay. Why is it unfair in this way? All the while they include a 20% sales tax in their retail prices and their currency has lost 20% of its value to the dollar over the last two years. Yet somehow their consumers are making off like bandits and we are getting the shaft and a poor selection. Could our import taxes be particularly high on this type of product? Anyone who knows, please fill me in. ------------------

Speaking of boots, I've a question. Why are european boots and alpine equipment twice the price in the US, when the american products have the same retail ( cheaper when adjusted for 20 % sales tax) in europe (france at least, as I know Sweden is spendy) Could the import taxes be so high? Also I've got La Sportiva K2 (I paid 160$ retail) and it took me only a one mile hike to break them in, the next hike up Adams was painless. I love them.