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Yeah, but as has been mentioned in another thread the prices here are outrageous. The 11" OTA retails at $2799 in the US, that's about $3250 Aussie. The 12" Meade LX200ACF retails here for $5399 at Bintel, and US$2999 in the US. I would have expected the 11" Edge HD to go for around A$5000 based on the markup etc. The markup from Bintel is about 150% on retail US prices, which is quite high. The US price is retail, so already has a margin built into it. The price that they get from the manufacturer would be significantly lower, which lowers the GST component. Warranty support is also built into the margin.
What with us having a FTA with the US now, seems like specialist hobbyists still get the the rough end of the pineapple.
Celestron's agent in Aus needs to rethink their pricing structure, they may make a huge profit on the one or two scopes they sell each year, but they could make a lot more if they lowered the price and sold heaps.
I wouldn't recommend anyone buying one of these scopes at the price they are locally, you're better off flying to the US, having a holiday and bringing one back with you.
Cheers
Stuart
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