Many online stores are clearing their 2012 inventory, the Ibanez 25th Anniversary models included. A quick check revealed a USD699 price tag for the above RG3XXV. Say you decided to buy this online so a typical total cost consideration would be: Guitar price + shipping charges = Total price. So coming back to the RG model above: USD699 + shipping = SGD866 + SGD240 (max possible charges) = SGD1,106 & that doesn't include a bag for it. The RG3XXV retails for SGD980 here. I'm not trying to extinguish online buying enthusiasm but sometimes we need to re-think our purchase considerations.
It's never a winning formula buying Ibanez online from USA-based stores because Ibanez products are not manufactured there, they are heavily taxed just by making their way there & when the final item price sets in, they can cost more than American made guitars. Personally, I will only look up to online discounts for American brand instruments like Fender & Gibson (among others) because that reflects a true 'better price' compared to the prices here.
3 comments:
Sub, you usually advise people not to buy intruments without 1st testing it.
Can share with us what made you decide to ship the instruments in yourself?
Not forgetting it is cheaper to ship in dean guitar rather than buy in locally. Dean guitar price in Singapore is ridiculous.
@LG: yes, bro. that still stands- try before buying, even revered brand names won't guarantee anything pertaining to QC. many factors contributed to my online buying:
1. I need the experience :-) I am skeptical when it comes to shipment, i somehow don't trust nameless faces to deliver the goods but these days, there are reputable entities who are more obliging that those with shopfronts but try too hard to please
2. Product availability- there are just some things which will not be made available here due to commercial reasons. the stores here are business entities, they are geared towards making money so the ones which are highly likely to sleep on the shelves & die won't be brought in. these days i prefer getting stuff which serve my needs not just because they are readily available at the stores...
3. Prices- there will be times when the online entities would offer ridiculous discounts & they can afford to do so because of the volume of goods they move & the economies of scale in doing so. the local stores here simply can't match those discounts so it's a wise move to get them just by virtue of price considerations alone
@Godsmen: bro, some stores here manifest price awareness because they know we can easily bypass them & engage in better deals online. they know they got nothing to lose if they peg prices reasonably according to the online market but others don't do so because they are in it with limited interest & enthusiasm
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