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Chockstone Forum - For Sale

Buy and Sell Used Climbing Gear Please do not post retail SPAM.

 Page 2 of 5. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 40 | 41 to 60 | 61 to 80 | 81 to 81
Author
BD Cams for Sale - morphed to gear markups.
citationx
4-Nov-2009
6:07:30 PM
On 4/11/2009 nmonteith wrote:
>This is a very worthy topic! Thanks for being so honest Garbie.

I've said it before and i'll say it again, a vertically integrated outdoor store i used to work for would mark up the importing price by 100% to come up with the "wholesale price". They then claimed a breakthrough when they "convinced" their retail arm that a 100% markup on the wholesale price was a fair RRP. HA!
looking around I figure pricing works pretty much like this:
if AUD retail = 100%, wholesale = 50% AUD retail, import = 25% AUD retail = US retail.

and i've had around $1300 in new climbing gear sent in without being charged customs, maybe i was just lucky.
Fish Boy
4-Nov-2009
10:22:00 PM
They charge that much for wholesale because there are a lot of other costs for them as an importer.

Several years ago STS stopped the monopoly of BD being sold exclusively through Paddy Pallin when they dropped the prices 50% which was wholesale....

Anyway....

mattjr
5-Nov-2009
7:54:34 AM
On 4/11/2009 Fish Boy wrote:
>They charge that much for wholesale because there are a lot of other costs
>for them as an importer.
>
>Several years ago STS stopped the monopoly of BD being sold exclusively
>through Paddy Pallin when they dropped the prices 50% which was wholesale....
>
>Anyway....

"other costs" ?
Rock Climber
5-Nov-2009
4:30:11 PM
Steve from Rock Hardware, Bendigo here. :-)
This is my first post on the Chockstone website! Some would say long overdue and others may not? As the official sponsor of this website, I did not want to create a perceived conflict of interest and I have remained anonymous until now. Considering the nature of this topic, I could not stay silent!

It's tough enough in Retail and small business without having people in our own Industry giving away private information to try and make a point. I consider myself a positive person and I will endevour keep my comments, positive and to the point.

There is a huge trade in direct goods coming from overseas these days while our dollar is strong. This is the current trend, however, I do not believe this will last forever.
I am an optimist and I believe most people do understand the logistics of why Australian prices are higher. Not all climbers buy on price alone and to these people, I am greatful. I believe I have a fair understanding of the environment in which I operate, however, at the end of the day, it all comes down to the price! While I am competative, Rock Hardware will continue to exist and sponsor this website. I will do everything in my power to stem the flow of buying direct from overseas, if I can? Rock Hardware's future, my children and the local economy depend on you keeping your hard earnt dollars in Australia. If I can buy better, I will pass on the discounts! Buy local please! :-)

Regards Steve.

IdratherbeclimbingM9
5-Nov-2009
4:38:26 PM
Welcome to Chockstone public Forum, Rock Climber.

In my opinion it is your service which sets your product apart, though we appreciate your prices too! ;-)
I have not had need of a warranty claim, but if I ever did, I'd prefer to be dealing locally with that side of things as well.

nmonteith
5-Nov-2009
5:09:42 PM
Welcome Steve! Your input is long overdue...

Li
5-Nov-2009
5:29:46 PM
I have bought most of my gear from Rock Hardware. I have to say that when I started out
climbing and knew absolutely nothing about it, Steve was extremely helpful in guiding me
towards the right gear for what I wanted to do at the time. As I progressed with my
climbing, Steve continued to be most helpful...as well as giving me his best price (which I
though was quite reasonable). It is this kind of service, along with reasonable prices, that I
will continue to purchase through Rock Hardware (and I like to support local business as
much as I can).

garbie
5-Nov-2009
6:13:33 PM
On 5/11/2009 Rock Climber wrote:

>
>It's tough enough in Retail and small business without having people in
>our own Industry giving away private information to try and make a point.
>I consider myself a positive person and I will endevour keep my comments,
>positive and to the point.
>
>
Hi Steve I'm amazed I was the one to drag you out into the open at last! I guess you're referring to my
outing of STS's ridiculous price that they charge me for these cams. I'm unrepentant I'm afraid. Firstly
maybe I'm being ripped off compared to what they charge other retailers - if they charge you a different
price, I haven't published it here anyway. But in THIS case how exactly do retailers lose by customers
knowing how high my costs are? It would only show them how small my margin was if I chose to
charge less than RRP.

If retailers meekly accept the prices charged by local distributors, who seem happy to pocket the extra
they make from the strong A$, then they're condemned to lose out to people buying direct. I reckon all
us retailers should get together and make a bulk order from that website! With the discount they might
give us, and the saving in freight, we'd be able to make a small retail margin and actually sell
something!
patto
5-Nov-2009
7:09:59 PM
On 5/11/2009 Rock Climber wrote:
>Steve from Rock Hardware, Bendigo here. :-)
First off, Welcome! While I haven't bought from you I know others who have and I have heard only good things.

>It's tough enough in Retail and small business without having people in
>our own Industry giving away private information to try and make a point.
People in your industry have every (unless contracted otherwise) to let others know what their costs are.

>
>There is a huge trade in direct goods coming from overseas these days
>while our dollar is strong. This is the current trend, however, I do not
>believe this will last forever.
>I am an optimist and I believe most people do understand the logistics
>of why Australian prices are higher.
Yes it seems that monopoly distributors are charging very high wholesale prices for climbing gear. As a retailer you can either accept this or you can try to change it. If you accept this you can't blame customers for choosing to save money. You should be asking why the current movements in the dollar aren't being passed on.

>Not all climbers buy on price alone
>and to these people, I am greatful. I believe I have a fair understanding
>of the environment in which I operate, however, at the end of the day,
>it all comes down to the price! While I am competative, Rock Hardware will
>continue to exist and sponsor this website. I will do everything in my
>power to stem the flow of buying direct from overseas, if I can? Rock Hardware's
>future, my children and the local economy depend on you keeping your hard
>earnt dollars in Australia. If I can buy better, I will pass on the discounts!
>Buy local please! :-)
>
I will happily buy local but at this current stage the price premium is just not worth it especially for a big set of cams. By buying from you we aren't 'keeping our money' in Australia we are giving our money away to the local monopoly distributors.

Now don't get me wrong. I understand that this is you livelihood. I'm not a fan of buying from big US mail order. But at the same time it is wrong to blame the customer for choosing to save a buck. All of my purchases have been local except my set of BD C4s 0.3-3 for $350 and matching biners. At that price I would be a fool to buy local, beside I was in the US at the time.

On a side note I believe www.climbinganchors.com.au direct import lots of their stuff and thus their prices are much more comparable to overseas prices. I have purchased a fair amount of gear from Steve of Climbinganchors and been happy with it all.
Rock Climber
5-Nov-2009
7:14:20 PM
Dear Mike,

Thanks for making me laugh with your first comment. It has been a pretty serious day. Perhaps the point is Mike that there are just some things that should not be discussed in an open Forum like this? Stating actual wholesale prices does not help anyone! IMO Customers do not need to know the actual cost price! You could have said that your cost price is higher than what you can buy them for direct OS and leave it at that? People do not generally like discussing how much they earn for a living? It's private.
Climbers only want to know YOUR sell price!

Importers, Distributors and/or Wholesalers also take the good with the bad with fluctuating exchange rates, just like Retailers. We all have to be price competative. Pay what you believe is a fair price. The Importer is not the enemy here. Work with them and not against.

Consumers will pay for what they can afford. It is up to us to offer great gear at great prices. It all comes back to the sell price and not the cost price. I still make a margin at my sell price, because my buy price is good. The rules are open to negotiation for everyone. I have to keep re-inventing the way I conduct business to keep up with the pace that is this rapidly changing world. :-) (Margin = Profit = Jobs!!!)

Regards Steve.

foreverabumbly
5-Nov-2009
8:04:19 PM
since moving to Bendigo, Steve has been awsome to me, and to all the other Outdoor students at Latrobe, Yes I could get the same stuff overseas cheaper. Yet the amount of service Steve supplies is pretty damn hot. Im even saving up to buy a new pair of ski's from you!
Mike Bee
5-Nov-2009
8:44:04 PM
On 5/11/2009 patto wrote:
>I will happily buy local but at this current stage the price premium is
>just not worth it especially for a big set of cams. By buying from you
>we aren't 'keeping our money' in Australia we are giving our money away
>to the local monopoly distributors.

Actually, in the case of buying BD gear in Australia, it is keeping the money in Oz, as the importer, Sea to Summit, is Australian owned.

Not only that, you would be supporting your local climbing shop, allowing them to stay open, and continue to offer you advice, service and the ability to try stuff on before you buy it.

bundybear
5-Nov-2009
9:14:32 PM
On 5/11/2009 patto wrote:
>On a side note I believe www.climbinganchors.com.au direct import lots
>of their stuff and thus their prices are much more comparable to overseas
>prices. I have purchased a fair amount of gear from Steve of Climbinganchors
>and been happy with it all.

I agree here. Steve (Hawkman) is a top shelf dude, and a smart dude with good business acumen. He thinks outside the square and sells awesome gear like moon, flashed, tendon ropes, cheapest dude in AUS for any DVDs you may need. Not to mention bolting gear, and has the biggest range of climbing holds in AUS.

He is always my 1st choice for anything climbing related. He is local, gets gear that u dont get in main stream shops, and extremely price competitive.

Rock Climber
5-Nov-2009
9:23:58 PM
Those Ski's just got cheaper Jono! lol.

Thanks to those who have made generous and positive comments. I really appreciate it.

Keeping money in Australia is not just about supporting Local Distributors. It is also about supporting Australian Climbing Magazines, Climbing Guide Books and Printers with advertising and making donations of time and gear to School Groups, Climbing Clubs and Voluntary Organisations. Sponsoring climbers and worthy projects is part of our Mission. Always open to positive suggestions. Perhaps a word from our Sponsors about Warranties on OS purchased products would be a useful insight? ;-)
pete_w
6-Nov-2009
7:02:45 AM
Just out of interest: what is the difference between buying from an Australian or US Mail Order? A couple of days delivery? I might as well buy from the US and just hand over the extra cash to some random I don't know in QLD...

For the record I haven't bought from OS and by preference by from Steve H / Climbing Anchors because his gear is well priced as he puts a heap of effort / money into bolting / rebolting in NSW.
patto
6-Nov-2009
7:45:58 AM
On 6/11/2009 pete_w wrote:
>Just out of interest: what is the difference between buying from an Australian
>or US Mail Order? A couple of days delivery? I might as well buy from
>the US and just hand over the extra cash to some random I don't know in
>QLD...
>

None. In fact in its better because it cuts out the middle men and the inefficiencies of the local market. It keeps more money in australia. In fact giving the money to yourself is better.

That is why many of the arguements of buying Australian is a crock of shit. We got rid of protectionism for a reason. Retailers should do less complaining and start asking the tough questions. As Mike suggests if retailers start thinking about parrallel importing then maybe they could start being more competitive. Seriously WHY not do it? Sure there are a couple disadvantages but at the current price difference I would have thought that it would be tempting. Of course Mike has less to worry about as selling gear is merely a sideshow to the main gig, Aussie mail order companies are obviously more threatened by US mail order.

I have never bought US mail order and I don't plan to. I'll probably continue to buy from Steve H @ Climbing Anchors and phil from Natimuk. Rock Hardware is a great site but I normally don't do mail order so it so far has missed out on my business.

mattjr
6-Nov-2009
8:12:34 AM
On 6/11/2009 patto wrote:

>That is why many of the arguements of buying Australian is a crock of
>shit. We got rid of protectionism for a reason. Retailers should do less
>complaining and start asking the tough questions. As Mike suggests if
>retailers start thinking about parrallel importing then maybe they could
>start being more competitive. Seriously WHY not do it? Sure there are
>a couple disadvantages but at the current price difference I would have
>thought that it would be tempting. Of course Mike has less to worry about
>as selling gear is merely a sideshow to the main gig, Aussie mail order
>companies are obviously more threatened by US mail order.
>

Some interesting points. When it comes right down to it I will opt for the best deal, perhaps if I lived in Bendigo I would shop from Rock Hardware and make use of the personalised service and advice. I live in Melbourne and all the retail prices for climbing gear are ridiculous in comparison to online stores OS.

Trad gear ain't cheap and I'm not rich.

IdratherbeclimbingM9
6-Nov-2009
10:02:30 AM
It would be good to hear STS's point of view on this topic/thread.




Re original post. Good luck climbingurl with the sale of your items.
I note you are a relatively new User-ID on Chockstone and as such, may not know that although thread-hijack is sometimes frequent on this site; ~> when it happens, it generally returns to topic and things turn out well.
As a long time frequenter of this site I can say that this is the first time since the inception of Chockstone that this topic has been discussed with such frankness by some key players in the game, and many of us climber-gear-buyers are grateful to have the insight your thread has turned to providing.☺


garbie
6-Nov-2009
10:55:30 AM
On 5/11/2009 Rock Climber wrote:

>People do
>not generally like discussing how much they earn for a living? It's private.

But in this case its how much we don't earn - we can't sell cams at these prices.

>Climbers only want to know YOUR sell price!

So you're agreeing with me. They don't care what someone's margin is, high or low, and
don't care what I'm buying it for. Except as a discussion topic on Chockstone of course,
its interesting.
>
>Importers, Distributors and/or Wholesalers also take the good with the
>bad with fluctuating exchange rates, just like Retailers.

Not in my experience. Their price seems to be a ratchet, it goes up, but never down.

Re buying Australian, Patto summed it up - better the money's in your own pocket to
spend on other "aussie" goods than in the distributor's pocket.
Duncan
6-Nov-2009
1:20:49 PM
I've bought stuff from both Rock Hardware and Climbing Anchors and would efinitely do so again. Both Steve's provide outstanding service and sell great products. I would also never buy shoes online. However, when it comes to cams I have absolutely no qualms going overseas. It's abundantly clear that someone is charging too much. If it's not the retailer then it must be either the distributor or manufacturer. The manufacturer can afford to sell their equipment for cheaper - otherwise it wouldn't be so cheap in the US/Europe. So, by the process of deduction...

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There are 81 messages in this topic.

 

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