Buying Overseas

Hold tight.....

holding tight, hopefully fingers won't start going white.

my voting finger is ready!

OK, go!

For me of course, overseas is UK, but I am trying to support my local (french) model shops

ernie

Usually only for stuff not available in UK - e.g. Davis Diesels in USA

Considering some A123 LiFe packs and harnesses form a USA specialist but will be over the limit (£18) so a bit worried about the amount that duty and handling chargewill add on

Voted. Think I've said why before but: Occaisionally I'll buy overseas, and mostly UK - when I find I need something I tend to need it NOW.....

Sometimes I just can;t find what I want at a price I'm willing to pay or will have the luxury of time so then I'll go overseas.

same as Olly, UK if it's available and at a reasonable price, otherwise overseas.

HobbyKing!

I am somewhere between Occassional and Never.

Now settle on buying in the following order..

1. Most of my stuff from my LMS = support your LMS!! (approx 80% of my budget)

2. He can't stock everything so mail order from UK based discount retailers eg G-S and various UK eBay retailers.

3. Overseas eBayers but that is vary rare and has to be a compelling reason. Saving 10% isn't compelling enough.

4. Never tried Hobbyking. I like to build my stuff and I can get anything I want using steps 1-3 above..

In the past 12 months I have only bought one package set from overseas - a Motor/ESC combo..

Martyn

Edited By Martyn K on 26/07/2012 14:25:00

I'll support who ever will give me the best value for money, be it locally, by mail order or overseas.

That'll be predominately overseas then.

Always UK, so I voted never. We only get things from UK based shops/websites, just because we like it.

CS

I've only ever bought from abroad items of less than £15 including postage. Its all well and good to support your LMS but I'm on a budget and simply wouldn't be able to build if I paid LMS prices for bits and pieces like horns, nuts and bolts and servo connectors.

Last order was a 14X6 prop and some servo connectors to make up the weight for less than £6 delivered. Less than half the price for the prop alone in my LMS.

I've also been a regular purchaser from Giantcod/shark

I do spend a fair amount in my LMS, I just don't tend to buy bits and pieces there.

Edited By GrahamC on 26/07/2012 15:11:47

My response might be slightly skewed, since I've lived in the US, now Germany for the past 3 years.

I generally order from the country I'm in, so recently US and now Germany/Austria, purely based on postage costs and speed of delivery. When back home in Wilts I tend to order mostly from UK shops, unless the cost of items from HK is significantly cheaper, or that I want a kit or EDF item that I can only get from the US or from RBC/Jepe/Wemotec in the Netherlands.

I used to order quite a bit from Galaxy, King Lynn Model Shop and Pegasus Models, purely because of their competative pricing. That all said and done, I like nothing better than a good browse around an actual model shop. Model Maniacs in Calne is my closet to 'home' and is a really great shop and Mark is a very nice bloke. I hope he's still going strong when I get back. IMHO, if you live near a good, well stocked and friendly model shop, you tend to spend your money there, if you don't live close, or the owner is a bit single minded or unfriendly, then the internet works. Sadly, not all LMS are good, I've been to one in Essex where i worked a few years ago and it was pretentious and focused on jets.

I have to say my 'local' MS is Webbies, and they are great, BUT 40 miles each way. Current price of petrol means it often costs more to drive than P&P, having said that if I want a day out I can sometimes persuade SWMBO to come along and we then call into the fabric shop for her on the way back...that does make it more expensive mind....

I bought an E-flite prop boss for a power 46 from the US. It was out of stock in the UK. The cost including postage was about the same as the part on its own from the LMS. As this was only about £9 there was no customs caharges etc.

Then of course there is Hobby king.

I'd love to support my LMS but the nearest is a 30 mile round trip, with no guarantee they'll have what I want, at a price I'm able to afford, and even if they place it on order, it's another trip to collect. In any case, they prefer to do mail order and regard shop customers as a nuisance. I recently tried them for a H9 replacement canopy, £9.49 plus £3.50 postage, except they didn't have it in stock and it's not available from Horizon Hobby (as usual). I find EU countries even more expensive, but I got it for £5.60 plus £3.00 from the US, delivered in just over a week (a one-third saving). I've never had to pay extra on imported goods, even when well over the official value, but I just know I'll have to eat those words now! I also use UK online suppliers like Model Fixings, who are extremely helpful and efficient and don't take the mickey with P&P.

Very rarely do I buy from abroad, but that wasn't an option so I'm in with occasionally.

For example:

I have a Schulze Chamaeleon charger i bought years ago long before the plethora of chargers we have today, and I recently had the software upgraded, I also buy from Higher Plane Productions.

Andy

I voted "occasionally" but it's only a couple of times a year and usually as a result of something 'interesting' offered at discount on a chinoise email flyer. I mostly use UK internet suppliers and even then from favourites which have an easy-to-navigate website e.g SMC, GS, Robotbirds.

I put Occasionally. mainly because there are one or two items I needed. One was a Sonic Tronics on-board glow from the U.S. Could only buy it from the U.S., as there is no equivalent here. Bought the three, four and five cylinder versions.

Also got the keloo Creations collector ring. Bought some OS engines from HK, as they'd not arrived in the UK, yet and really couldn't wait...