Help me out, should I bid?

[bassmonkey]

Some of you may know I recently joined the fold after 20 odd years of misguided purchase. I bought a used frettless SR4. I'm so impressed with this bass that I am really hankering after a fretted to keep it company. It has a birdseye maple neck which I really love the look of. This just appeared on eBay. I am sorely tempted to bid. However, it is not exactly what I am looking for. I really want either vintage/honeyburst or burnt apple with a birdseye maple neck. I had a similar dilemma when I bought my fretlees. A week before a fretless came up and I was all ready to bid, but something inside me said, no hold out for what you want. Lo and behold a week later my current bass came up on eBay.

So what should I do? Bid or bide my time?

 

[Aussie Mark]

UK680 opening bid? Ouch. That's US$1,250. Used Stingrays go for $600-$1,000 every day of the week in the US, and you can have one shipped via insured UPS Air Mail, neck removed, for around $100. How much are import duties and taxes on basses coming into the UK?

If you wait a week or two, there's sure to be one crop up in a colour you like.

Here's one on ebay that includes worldwide shipping, for US$1,148 ....

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/MUSICMAN-STI...7348810466QQcategoryZ4713QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

This one starts at US$750 (US$999 BIN) and the seller will ship worldwide ....

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Music-Man-Er...7349636892QQcategoryZ4713QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Almost new honeyburst, seller will ship worldwide ....

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/2005-Music-M...7350037876QQcategoryZ4713QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[LowDownDave]

I was checking that bass out myself yesterday. She's a beaut, but I'm not in the market for a new one (due to lack of funds) and will be holding out for a SR5 in any case. I too bought my SR4 on ebay here in the UK, and at the time looked into potentially buying one in the US and having it shipped. The import duties are HUGE. I was originally somewhat annoyed (being a former Canadian resident) to find the huge price differences of EB basses when comparing North American retail prices and the ones here in the UK, but when I did the math(s), adding in shipping costs and import duty, the prices were correct and there was no mark-up on the prices here. I couldn't have afforded a new SR4 here so went the ebay route and it all worked out in the end, even if I paid almost double what I would have paid for a used SR4 in the US.

 

[dlloyd]

This might be useful to anyone in the UK looking to buy a used bass on ebay. Obviously the exchange rate is fluid so the final figure will vary a little.

Price			$600.00    $700.00    $800.00
Shipping		$100.00    $100.00    $100.00
Subtotal		$700.00    $800.00    $900.00
£1 = $1.82		£384.62    £439.56    £494.51
Import duty at 3.2%	£396.92    £453.63    £510.33
VAT adjustment 		  £6.00      £6.00      £6.00
Subtotal		£402.92    £459.63    £516.33
VAT at 17.5%		£473.43    £540.06    £606.69
UPS fee			£10.00      £10.00     £10.00
Total			£483.43    £550.06    £616.69
Dollar equivalent	$879.85  $1,001.11  $1,122.37


Price			$900.00     $1,000.00
Shipping		$100.00       $100.00
Subtotal		$1,000.00   $1,100.00
£1 = $1.82		£549.45       £604.40
Import duty at 3.2%	£567.03       £623.74
VAT adjustment 		£6.00           £6.00
Subtotal		£573.03       £629.74
VAT at 17.5%		£673.31       £739.94
UPS fee			£10.00         £10.00
Total			£683.31       £749.94
Dollar equivalent	$1,243.63   $1,364.89

 

[Aussie Mark]

Thanks Dave, interesting stuff. So you Poms pay more than 20% VAT? To Oz, there is no import duty, just a 10% GST (VAT with another name). Even so, the price difference between the US and Australia makes importing many different basses into Australia a very cost effective proposition.

Of my current herd of 18, 13 have been imported from the US and Japan. On most of them I saved hundreds of dollars compared to the going price in Australia. eg, The paisley Precision cost me around US$600 included all taxes, shipped from the US, when at the time the Australia retail price was around US$1200. My used black Stingray made it downunder for under US$800, whereas used Stingrays here start in the vicinity of US$1200.

 

[bassmonkey]

Good replies.

LowDownDave-yes, it looks like a very nice bass. TBH I'm not that fussed about paying a couple of hundred pounds compared to getting one shipped, providing it is the right bass. I'm not keen on all natural though, and I'd certainly put the black pickguard back on if I bought it.

Dave-Thanks for the table, it might actually be worth getting one shipped if the price was right. I thought the duty was 3.9% though?

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

The Natural with Maple and clear pg is a fine l@@king Bass

 

[dlloyd]

Dave-Thanks for the table, it might actually be worth getting one shipped if the price was right. I thought the duty was 3.9% though?

I've seen both figures quoted. If the 3.9% figure is correct, you can add between an extra £3 to the total of the $600 bass to an extra £5 for the $1000 bass.

 

[dlloyd]

And just for "fun", here's what it would cost to import a bass at a retail price of £1700...

Price                 $1,700.00
Shipping                $100.00
Subtotal              $1,800.00
£1 = $1.82              £989.01
Import duty at 3.9%   £1,027.58
VAT adjustment            £6.00
Subtotal              £1,033.58
VAT at 17.5%          £1,214.46
UPS fee                  £10.00
Total                 £1,224.46
Dollar equivalent     $2,228.52

That's pretty close to the retail price here... see, it's not Strings and Things' fault after all!

 

[arrowheadguitar]

I work to 4% plus 17.5% VAT (shipping seems to vay widely between carriers though - I've paid anything from $75 to $150)


P.

 

[LowDownDave]

That's pretty close to the retail price here... see, it's not Strings and Things' fault after all!

That's what I was gettin' at (but I didn't show my "work" so I suppose I won't get full marks on this calculus exam).

 

[dlloyd]

That's what I was gettin' at (but I didn't show my "work" so I suppose I won't get full marks on this calculus exam).

LOL... sorry, I'd missed that.

To get a more accurate estimate of how it works in practice, we'd have to figure in the distributor's markup, delivery, retailers markup and the final VAT bill as well*. I guess there's a good reason we don't see the same deals that can be had on new gear from US dealers.

*I think.

 

[SteveB]

So what should I do? Bid or bide my time?

I'd bide my time and order the exact bass that you want. You've been playing a long time, you deserve a bass that's everything you've ever wanted!

 

[Steve Dude Barr]

Gotta say..that's a nice grain pattern on the body though...

 

[dlloyd]

Gotta say..that's a nice grain pattern on the body though...

Yup...

It's up there with the sterling I was lusting after for a while...

 

[Fuzzy Dustmite]

oooh I like that sterling. (I'm a rosewood kinda guy)