Thread: Bait For Lee Valley

More than five, and that's without counting.

Had to say none. But in a few months I'll have eight bright and shiny Bessey K body clamps

I will certainly be going back for more stuff and probably the only thing that has stopped me so far has been the shipping rates.

Dan

Good, these are the sort of replies I hoped to see. Keep them coming.
HEY ROB, I'VE GOT MORE THAN 5 AND SOME ON THE WAY NOW.Nudge nudge wink wink.

I currently have 5.

In a few months I'll have many more than 5.

FWIW, I don't think that we can expect the local suppliers to match the Lee Valley prices (converted to $A +15%), however I reckon that they must have a LOT of fat in their prices. After all, they are buying them wholesale and probably getting a bulk discount as well.

I did read here somewhere a mention of a possible distributorship in Australia. The reason for the high prices of Veritas stuff is that no retailers in Australia have distribution rights, so they have to pay retail plus freight and customs and then make a margin. If someone took on a distributorship, the prices should come down.

In the meantime, I think the idea with the bulk order currently being organised is a good one and maybe it could be a once a quarter thing? If everyone gets their purchases together and has it all shipped on one pallet, it's got to be cheaper than doing it on your own. If it works, maybe there could be another one in 3 or 4 months.

Not only do I have more than 5 but I also built a special cabinet for housing my Lee Valley loot.

Of course, if Lee Valley were here in Australia then I'd have to build bigger cabinet.

Are Mik et al really paying retail?

I guess only Rob knows for sure.

Originally Posted by Bob Willson

Not only do I have more than 5 but I also built a special cabinet for housing my Lee Valley loot.

Of course, if Lee Valley were here in Australia then I'd have to build bigger cabinet.

bigger cabinets - A New Product Line ????

That's what was said. Can't remember what the thread was about but I'm sure the man himself was involved in it. Someone was having a whinge about the price difference from Australian suppliers.

Originally Posted by Rob Lee 31st March 2004

Until very recently - we did not have export pricing on the Veritas plane line (we didn't have the production capacity to supply the export market) - so any planes offered by Australian companies had been purchased at retail from Lee Valley. That should be changing soon....we're about to make the entire plane and spokeshave line available - you should see much more reasonable pricing soon.

Half remembered...

Interesting. I wonder if the prices have got more "reasonable".

Or perhaps our local suppliers' margins have become more 'reasonable' (for them).

Originally Posted by craigb

Interesting. I wonder if the prices have got more "reasonable".

HA! I don't think so. Carbatec cattledog for a LV LA smoother is A$299 + freight.
MIK latest price is A$270 + A$12 freight, and wont be in stock for over 3 weeks yet. High angle blade "Huh wots that?"

On the way now direct from Lee Valley
1 Low angle smoother. US$159.00 A$209.20
1 High angle blade US$21.50 A$28.30
Freight 5-10 days US$39.90 A$52.50
total in Australian dollars A$290.00

Which means I'm getting the high angle blade for A$8.00 when compared to the price MIK want for the plane and freight.

QED.... means roughly..point proved

A couple of sets of panel clamps (or whatever) counts as one product, right?