Hi all. New to modular. Just took a glance at your marketplace in here.
Fx. Intellijel Quad VCA for 150£. That’s more than new price from Thomann?
It seems to be the case for more than 80% of the listings - they are all very close to the new price (5-10% cheaper, tops) Whats going on with that?
Bought a DFAM last week in here. Ended up costing me 450€ - new it can often be found for 520€. Seller tells me this was an unheard of price, and I was very lucky he was in a good mood.
The thing about a Marketplace is that sellers can set the price they want and buyers can either choose to buy or not. If the prices stay high, it means there is sufficient demand for goods at that price.
Eurorack modules aren't made in great numbers for the most part. There are a couple of really successful modules out there that are the exception.
The prices stay high because of limited availability. "Out of Stock" is pretty normal on most dealers' websites.
I typically avoid used modules because you just don't know who's been messing with them and if all of the features work on the day you receive it and try to test it. Saving 20% isn't enough of an incentive to risk my 80% on a dud module and all the hassles that come along with it. Dealers will simply exchange a defective new module. A one-time sale from a third party is a crap-shoot.
Actually, Thomann UK is giving me a UK price for the Quad VCA of UKP 170.43, with VAT included. The same thing in EUR is 199. And when you switch those to $, you get 224.19 and 225.05 respectively. But if I use Thomann USA, then the same module is $188. So what gives?
Simple: there are going to be taxes and tariffs that vary from place to place. Intellijel, for example, is a Canadian firm. So let's look at Moog Audio (based in Montreal) where we find that module at CDN$ 250, which comes out to be $186.75. So...that's different, too. Therefore, it should be considerably more in the USA, right? Well...no, as Perfect Circuit has 'em at $189.
Sooooo...it's not merely the taxes and tariffs. In some cases, it comes down to an agreed-upon price for a module between manufacturers and retailers, too. Perfect Circuit is nowhere as huge as Sweetwater...but there, too, we find the Quad VCA in question at the same $189. And when you look further, you'll tend to see the same "street" prices from continent to continent. Looking at one place in Asia that has serious tariffs, we find that Clock Face (Tokyo) has that very same module for JPY 22,900, which comes out to $207.02.
This gets screwy all over the place. If you think you're getting overcharged for new Intellijel stuff, have a look at what new Doepfer gear costs at Schneidersladen...and then check the same things at Perfect Circuit or Analogue Haven. This problem is just an endemic effect of having manufacturers all over the planet.
It is true! Retailers are getting more impudent now. What can we do?
You can choose not to buy.
