Canuck Audio Mart

So a few weeks back in the search for an affordable but exceptional PQ 1080p projector, I passed up on this local deal for a JVC RS2 at $2700. Now make no bones about it, this was a great deal. The $2700 bucks bought you a couple year old PJ that had an MSRP of $10k when new. This unit had barely been used with 110 hours on the original bulb and the deal included both the best ceiling mount available, A Chief Mfg RPA184 and the best HDMI cable you can buy, a 40 ft Blue Jeans cable. The ad was up for a few days while I waffled back and forth on whether I should make an offer before some fortunate CAM member finally snapped it up. So why didn't I just buy it? 'Cuz I'd been watching the going price on these in the States and what with the strong dollar, I figured I could do better...

So on the AVSForum classifieds, Videogon, A'gon and Ebay I'd been seeing US used prices on this PJ fluctuating around $2200 +/-. Well a few days after missing out on the local deal, a dealer ex-demo unit shows up on Videogon for a paltry $1700 USD- Score! Of course I pounced on that like a fat kid on a Smarty. I knew the sale was good as: 1) It was a dealer unit used in a high-end installer's demo room so if it had any convergence issues or problems they would have been dealt with during the 500 original hours on the bulb. 2)This dealer/installer had consistently great feedback on A'gon, Videogon, and Ebay. 3) The dealer had the original packaging and would ensure the unit was packed and properly insured for safe shipping. Now this deal included nothing but the PJ itself, it's remote, and OBM. So killer deal right? Well lets do some math on what it cost me to import and then add the same mount and HDMI cable I need and which were included with the local sale...

+JVC RS2- $1700 USD
+Insured Air Shipping- $300 USD (the dealer was in Hawaii so I had to use Air but I would have used upgraded shipping on a fragile item like this anyway as doing so includes any brokerage fees in the initial shipping cost.)
+USD to CAD Currency Exchange- $120
+HST collected at importation- +$221
+Chief Ceiling Mount- +339
+40' premium Blue Jeans HDMI Cable- +155
=$2835 CAD including all applicable currency exchanges, taxes, shipping and brokerage fees.

Hmmm... Well at first blush $1700 USD seemed like an absolute bargain when compared to $2700 CAD. I guess I should have ran the numbers a little more thoroughly when I had the opportunity to buy the local one. Anyway, there is a lesson in here that may be of benefit to all who consider themselves canny shoppers and seekers of the deal. Even when the exchange rates are quite favorable, importing gear, new or used, into the country legally has all kinds of additional costs that can really add up.

Happy Trails!
MTB Vince

Vince, did you forget about the HST on the $2700 for the local deal? Or was that $2700 tax-in? One way or another the deal on either unit was damned good, but it does go to prove just how expensive it really is to import something from the US and in the end you don"t get local service if ever something goes wrong.

A 10k projector for $2835 CAD, well i still think you made a good deal MTB Vince, not as good as the Canadian one but still less than one third the price of retail not bad, not bad at all.

PS: If you see a Jeff Rowland 112 amplifier out there at one third the retail price PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know.

The local deal (which I linked to) was a CAM sale from a private citizen. No taxes on that!



That was exactly the point I wanted to make by providing this real life illustration. A short while ago there was a thread on RCM where the model from Grant Fidelity was brought up. A few other members then mentioned some alternate sources where the same OEM machine was being sold much cheaper under another brand but FOB Hong Kong. One member suggested surface shipping to keep the shipping costs reasonable but seriously, unless you had the secure packaging afforded by the purchase an entire palletized bundle of these units, I wouldn't hold much hope in a single packaged unit arriving intact after 3 months of slow boat transit and longshoreman handling. So just like my situation, by the time one anted up for safer, quicker, air shipping on this bulky and fragile package, plus currency exchange, and importation costs, realistically there was no savings at all over simply buying the GF branded version. Oh and as we are now discussing new rather than used product, the GF version actually came with a useful warranty. Bottom line- Do your sums carefully before ya jump to any conclusions about imported bargains...



While street prices weren't ever that high in Canada ($8k CAD) or the US ($6-7k USD) when new, considering the PJ in question is only one model removed from the current versions (which offer only incremental improvements), I did indeed do fine. Mind you prices on high-end video equipment are much more like computers in that technology and marketing hype are moving so quick that resale values tumble to practically nothing within the span of a few years. As much as we may kvetch about losing 50-60% of our initial investment when reselling a piece of high-end audio gear we purchased new a few years ago, we are actually doin' great in comparison. My previous 720p projector, a Projectiondesigns Action One MkIII was a $10k+ CAD "category killer" when we purchased it new 5 years ago. I doubt we could sell it for what a bulb replacement is worth ($700) now!

Happy Trails!
MTB Vince

The warranty and service issues are actually quite important, especially on new gear Vince, as someone on here just learned by being unlucky enough for an almost new HT receiver went bad within the normal warranty period but, hqaving been bought in the UÙS, the warranty does nt apply and he is stuck with either paying for the repairs or junking the unit at his cost.

Buying used from abroad is always a crap shoot and most people just don't see the real costs involved, but buyiong new abroad, no matter how good the deal, is just not the greatest idea IMHO unless the product is really not available up here and you absolutely MUST have that particular product.

If I had $1 for everytime I said or typed these words...........

Hail Mary for guys who import on palletloads and warranty!

CAM LOVES CANADIAN DEALERS!!!!

i think the whole idea about spotting a good deal
taxes or shipping charges, and all the other things that factor in
is you have to know what you want and have experience with it
if not , you have done some research on it

vince i read what your buying but havent got a clue
but i will now google it and do some reading

thats what its all about

but yeah
man i hate living in the sticks
all we really have here is big box crappolla
no specialty stores
where i can experience some of the newer stuff
even if its not my bag
its interesting to see whats new

hope it works out

Did anyone notice that ObI changed his avatar? No more wizard smoking a pipe..and goes with Marvin the Martian. Where's the discombobulator!

Yes i did, i told Marc that is new avatar is just not him, when you meet him the wizard is realy like the real thing, just like when you meet me, i'm like my avatar a real sweetie.

Off topic guys, and what does my avatar have to do with anything?

No, they don't. Do you know how many guys that have came on here and said they will buy from anywhere as long as it's cheap. Too many...
I am also suprised by who actually does this.

In my limited experience, adding 40% to the cost of the US list price is about right for the landed cost here in Canada. If a local retailer is charging more than that, then shop around.

This man is his lawful prey...