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  #31  
Old 7th May 2012, 08:43 AM
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MartyNL MartyNL is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlanJones View Post
One of our forum contributors, resident in Germany has commented on film and paper being cheaper there and this appears to be the case as I have looked on some websites. It is rumored that more of the old Agfa B&W films will be available soon, but nothing yet on www.lupus-shop.de
But then there is Adox, a firm favorite of mine years ago. There seems to be a case for a lesser cost saving initially and opting for no customs agro and fees by shopping in Europe.
[/B]
Alan, I think Germany is an exception on the continent and the cheaper pricing very much depends on the product, and even then I don't believe there will be very much in it.
I'm based in the Netherlands and do most of my shopping in the UK for both variety and cost and I dare to say that the majority of products (and most certainly Ilford items) are far more expensive for 99% of the countries on the continent than in the UK.
(At least if that wasn't the case I'm sure we would all have heard of it by now!)

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I was content to try to find a supplier in the UK who has all the things I need under one roof to supply me. This is difficult as they don't have all the items that they do, or can offer on their website. When they were e-mailed with my order, more problems and after phone calls can't find my order and then two requests, both answered, to confirm my delivery address. Then nothing for another week. Are they having a laugh I wonder? Definitely not a good was to conduct business.
The same applies here as above, you will be hard pushed to find the same or even similar assortment in most countries abroad as you have in the UK.
By the way, I can highly recommend AG Photographic. And I know from personal experience if they don't have something listed from a regular supplier they will certainly do their utmost to source it!
And their customer service is second to none.
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  #32  
Old 7th May 2012, 08:49 PM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is online now
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Just to add a fly in the ointment some of the large US dealers will handle the import taxes/VAT for you meaning there's no extra handling fees etc. That's how much they want our business.

Since this thread started I've exported a few items to the US and had three parcels of goods come in, not one was stopped for Duty/VAT.

I would far rather buy film etc from the UK but while dealers are being over-charged compared to US dealers, charges that they have to pass on, then I'll buy from the US or elsewhere when the savings are so significant.

If as Matt says Ilford raised UK prices because of goods being sold into the US by UK dealers they should now re-address the situation where it's so much cheaper for us to buy from the US and pay the extra shipping, Duty, VAT etc.

Ian
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  #33  
Old 8th May 2012, 01:48 PM
Dave miller Dave miller is offline
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I’ve just done a quick and dirty comparison on three film types between B&H in the USA and Ag Photographic. I’ve worked on the basis of importing 50 rolls of 120 film and taken the cheapest freight rate with the addition of 27% duty & VAT and a £10 clearance fee. Ag delivery would be free.
Delta 400 B&H= £229 Ag= £203 – HP5= B&H £229 Ag= £170 - Kodak Tmax400 B&H= £229 Ag= £187
Not a lot of incentive to import there, having said that some sizes of sheet film do offer a worthwhile saving. I guess the moral of this tale is check the prices and do the sums before ordering.
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  #34  
Old 8th May 2012, 06:06 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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It would seem to be in the area of sheet film alone that the worthwhile savings are which is what I had suspected.

Mike
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  #35  
Old 8th May 2012, 09:03 PM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike O'Pray View Post
It would seem to be in the area of sheet film alone that the worthwhile savings are which is what I had suspected.

Mike

If we buy 120 and subminiature films from say Silverprint there's discounts for volume, 10 rolls or more of 25% but if we buy the ludicrously small 25 sheet boxes of LF film there's no discounts and there's an unfairness from all UK suppliers here. Perhaps not all, I had the discount when in Cornwall 2 years ago in a store.

Ilford are treating loyal UK customers very unfairly, sure prices will differ in various countries but after taking into account tax differences that should be swings and round-abouts, sometimes cheaper sometimes more expensive not always very much higher prices in the UK.

Some people can afford the prices regardless, at the moment as a carer with no income I have to be very prudent. But even when I had a good salary I was buying carefully.

I guess some people don't notice, they buy a few films and the odd box of paper at a time, I tend to make bulk purchases which last quite a while. I still have a few hundred sheets of Forte Polywarmtone from the last production run also some 10x8 Fortepan 200.

The reality is my next paper and film order will be large well over £1500 so that money has to be spent wisely to maximise my purchasing power.

Ive already decided to break that down between 2 or 3 suppliers, Sheet film the US, 120 films & B&W Papers Europe (not the UK). But the point I'm trying to make is I shouldn't need to do this.

Ian
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  #36  
Old 9th May 2012, 01:39 AM
paulc paulc is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike O'Pray View Post
It would seem to be in the area of sheet film alone that the worthwhile savings are which is what I had suspected.
Did a very quick'n'dirty comparison of FP4+ 5x4/25sh against Freestyle in the USA, Macodirect.de, and Silverprint/Ag Photographic - Based on ten boxes, Freestyle is about £32, Maco ~£33, and UK is £35. With the Euro exchange rate heading south, there may well be a bigger incentive to buy from Germany. Unless one is purchasing substantial quantities, the £3 per box saving with Freestyle isn't really worth the hassle.
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  #37  
Old 9th May 2012, 07:12 AM
Dave miller Dave miller is offline
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I agree Ian, you shouldn't need to import materials, certainly not home produced stock like Ilford. As one that no longer uses Ilford products I know that it pays to shop around to obtain the best price and import where necessary. When anyone of us puts together an order there is nothing to stop them putting in a counter-offer to a sponsor to give them the opportunity to match or better a price. Refusal should not offend.
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Last edited by Dave miller; 9th May 2012 at 07:17 AM.
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  #38  
Old 9th May 2012, 07:17 AM
Dave miller Dave miller is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paulc View Post
Did a very quick'n'dirty comparison of FP4+ 5x4/25sh against Freestyle in the USA, Macodirect.de, and Silverprint/Ag Photographic - Based on ten boxes, Freestyle is about £32, Maco ~£33, and UK is £35. With the Euro exchange rate heading south, there may well be a bigger incentive to buy from Germany. Unless one is purchasing substantial quantities, the £3 per box saving with Freestyle isn't really worth the hassle.
I think that you have made the point that an order has to be sizable, several hundred pounds at least to make it worthwhile importing, but for some that will be achievable.
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  #39  
Old 9th May 2012, 06:08 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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This thread has made me "spot" threads on another site, largely populated by our U.S. friends, with respect to prices of photographic materials. A new thread there is on Kentmere glossy VC fibre paper rolls and what appears to be regarded as a good price in the U.S.

Well I just did a bit of arithmetic and it appears that in roll form you will get about 44 sheets of 20x16 inch for the equivalent of £96.
However Matt at AG will sell you 50 cut sheets at the same price so at least in this product prices do not favour our U.S. friends.

I suspect that in areas other than sheet film in larger quantities the U.K. v U.S. situation may be a "mixed picture"

Mike
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  #40  
Old 10th May 2012, 12:34 PM
Neil Smith Neil Smith is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paulc View Post
Did a very quick'n'dirty comparison of FP4+ 5x4/25sh against Freestyle in the USA, Macodirect.de, and Silverprint/Ag Photographic - Based on ten boxes, Freestyle is about £32, Maco ~£33, and UK is £35. With the Euro exchange rate heading south, there may well be a bigger incentive to buy from Germany. Unless one is purchasing substantial quantities, the £3 per box saving with Freestyle isn't really worth the hassle.
I looked into importing Ilford from the US. B and H offer a service where you pay taxes and import duty at the time of the order and they pay the relevant taxes and duties collected to HMRC.

If you order 1 box of 100sheets of FP4 in 5x4 it works out around £136 including postage taxes and duties. The price in the UK is around £134 plus postage if not free with an order of that amount.

2 boxes costs around £227 so a saving of about £20 a box

3 boxes cost around £315 a saving of about £29 a box

4 boxes around £404 a saving of about £33 a box

5 boxes around £490 a saving of about £36 a box

So if your prepared to spend a bit of money or share the order with people there are big savings to be made importing where sheet film is concerned. These savings can be made on 5x7 and 10x8 also.

This was the reason I stopped using Ilford, I felt like they were ripping their UK customers off.

Neil
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