Guitar replacement values

IceCreamMan

If you, like myself, insure your guitars and have had them for a couple of years or more then check the current replacement costs of those guitars. I recently went through an exercise to update the replacement costs for insurance and got a bit of a fright as to how much the price of guitars has increased in the last 3 years.

V8

...Or the value of the rand has nose-dived?

1 Dec 2012 : ZAR : USD -> 8.9 : 1
1 Dec 2013 : ZAR : USD -> 10.2 : 1
1 Dec 2014 : ZAR : USD -> 11.1 : 1
1 Dec 2015 : ZAR : USD -> 14.3

I recall a set of Ernie Ball Slinky's @ around R70, now around R115 and a set of D'daddario Pro Arte's moving from R150 to R220.

ezietsman

V8 wrote: ...Or the value of the rand has nose-dived?

1 Dec 2012 : ZAR : USD -> 8.9 : 1
1 Dec 2013 : ZAR : USD -> 10.2 : 1
1 Dec 2014 : ZAR : USD -> 11.1 : 1
1 Dec 2015 : ZAR : USD -> 14.3

I recall a set of Ernie Ball Slinky's @ around R70, now around R115 and a set of D'daddario Pro Arte's moving from R150 to R220.

By the way, Strings and Beyond sells 10 packs of strings for the equiv of R51 per set. Works out great (except I think it goes through the post office, still waiting for mine).

IceCreamMan

V8 wrote: ...Or the value of the rand has nose-dived?

1 Dec 2012 : ZAR : USD -> 8.9 : 1
1 Dec 2013 : ZAR : USD -> 10.2 : 1
1 Dec 2014 : ZAR : USD -> 11.1 : 1
1 Dec 2015 : ZAR : USD -> 14.3

I recall a set of Ernie Ball Slinky's @ around R70, now around R115 and a set of D'daddario Pro Arte's moving from R150 to R220.

absolutely, the increase in cost is not a result of increase in value.... scary though... case in point, strat costs 3 years ago would of been around 12k after discount..now they 36k before discount ...with a healthy discount you still going to pay around 25k which is double ... (American standard)

V8

IceCreamMan wrote: Absolutely, the increase in cost is not a result of increase in value.... scary though... case in point, strat costs 3 years ago would of been around 12k after discount..now they 36k before discount ...with a healthy discount you still going to pay around 25k which is double ... (American standard)

Yeaahhh, I suspect the local distributors/retailers have used the exchange rate to hike prices a little more than the exchange rate changes...but I havn't crunched the numbers (shipping, local inputs costs - E.g. rental salaries). Merely a suspicion.

ez wrote: By the way, Strings and Beyond sells 10 packs of strings for the equiv of R51 per set. Works out great (except I think it goes through the post office, still waiting for mine).

And that is a GREAT option. That (I suspect) is slightly less than the local distributor prices! Does that per price include shipping & vat? (I'm doubtful?)

I have more instruments than talent and each one seems to prefer a different string. I'm trying out the long life Ernie Balls and Dáddario's over elixirs (cheaper & apparently the DÁddario's ground properly, which the elixir's don't).

And I'm still working through my way through the choices on classical strings - Just popped on a set of Aguilar's (very nice), and they'll be followed by a set of Pro Arte's flamenco's (my previous favourite).

Come to think of it...I could do a bulk set of hannabach's, they are lovely!

If you do another bulk buy, poke me - we can spilt the shipping?

ezietsman

V8 wrote: And that is a GREAT option. That (I suspect) is slightly less than the local distributor prices! Does that per price include shipping & vat? (I'm doubtful?)

It includes shipping, there shouldn't be duty on it, just VAT.

V8

ez wrote:
V8 wrote: And that is a GREAT option. That (I suspect) is slightly less than the local distributor prices! Does that per price include shipping & vat? (I'm doubtful?)
It includes shipping, there shouldn't be duty on it, just VAT.

Yip, I figured there will be no duty - just vat. A rather fine deal - reckon it'll work out to a little under local distributors prices with vat. Which from a small volume order is very fine going, makes one wonder how the distributors are creaming it...they'll be getting larger discounts on their volumes. Hmm...gets one to thinking.

ezietsman

V8 wrote:
ez wrote:
V8 wrote: And that is a GREAT option. That (I suspect) is slightly less than the local distributor prices! Does that per price include shipping & vat? (I'm doubtful?)
It includes shipping, there shouldn't be duty on it, just VAT.
Yip, I figured there will be no duty - just vat. A rather fine deal - reckon it'll work out to a little under local distributors prices with vat. Which from a small volume order is very fine going, makes one wonder how the distributors are creaming it...they'll be getting larger discounts on their volumes. Hmm...gets one to thinking.

I've stopped thinking about it. I guess they make most of their money from the small items so they mark those up higher, and everyone charges more or less the same. Paid R220 for 3 sets of EB today (that's a special, apparently). These strings are eating into my beer money, alternatives must be found ?