PlaymoFriends
General => News => Topic started by: core on January 01, 2008, 08:55:00
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Well, I guess the falling dollar's finally taking effect in Playmo world ... :(
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Just looking at the building/construction add-ons, 7242 at $16.99 translates into 11.65 euro. But in the UK catalogue, 7242 is £14.75, which is the equivalent of 20.07 euro, so I think the US is still getting a good deal compared with the UK.
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Just looking at the building/construction add-ons, 7242 at $16.99 translates into 11.65 euro. But in the UK catalogue, 7242 is £14.75, which is the equivalent of 20.07 euro, so I think the US is still getting a good deal compared with the UK.
Or put another way, $16.99 is £8.50 Sterling at today's rates, but we lucky Brits get to pay $28.50 for the same product.
Of course it's not really fair to ignore average income, income tax, sales tax, state tax etc., but I wish I'd got back into Playmobil in June BEFORE a 3 week trip to the States, and I don't know when my next visit will be.
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Well, the way y'all put it I guess we've (over here in the US) been having it good for sometime now.
fwiw, I've noticed that online retailers have upped their prices in the past couple of days already (eg, Ridge Road Station for their add-ons).
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THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA ARE HAVING A SALE ...
Over the years, our family has been very fortunate to be able to travel to many places.
It has been very interesting to see that most local currencies are valued about the same by the local residents. For example, the purchasing power of the Pound in the UK, or the purchasing power of the Euro in Europe, seems to be about the same as the purchasing power of the Dollar in the US and Canada.
This means that you Brits would find most things in the US and Canada at about half the price that you're paying for the same or similar items in the UK! And, you folks in Europe are looking at about a twenty-five to thirty perent discount on your US and Canadian purchases.
So, what are y'all waiting for? Now is the time to come for a visit, holiday or vacation to the United States and Canada! WE'RE HAVING A SALE ... :lol:
And, if you think the prices for Playmobil are cheap from Playmobil USA, then you'll be blown away by the prices at Target! ... :(o):
For instance, Pirate set 5814 is only $2.99 at Target stores in Florida. That's only €2.04 or £1.53 (according to this morning's exchange rates).
see attachment
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So, what are y'all waiting for? Now is the time to come for a visit, holiday or vacation to the United States and Canada! WE'RE HAVING A SALE ... :lol:
And, if you think the prices for Playmobil are cheap from Playmobil USA, then you'll be blown away by the prices at Target! ... :(o):
For instance, Pirate set 5814 is only $2.99 at Target stores in Florida. That's only €2.04 or £1.53 (according to this morning's exchange rates).
see attachment
Well, sounds attractive but there's all the hassle with visas for the US now and at Tesco the pirate set is only £1.50 at the moment (as are the knights, Romans and police sets).
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Well, sounds attractive but there's all the hassle with visas for the US now ...
Hello, Gordon ...
I'm very surprised that no one has challenged you on your statement about "visa hassle" ... :lens:
Click HERE (http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1161588734269) for information about the Visa Waiver Program!
BRITISH CITIZENS DO NOT NEED A VISA* TO TRAVEL TO THE UNITED STATES!
*Exceptions ... Those on the "no fly" list and holders af "old" non-biometric passports.
All the best,
Richard
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Hello, Gordon ...
I'm very surprised that no one has challenged you on your statement about "visa hassle" ... :lens:
Click HERE (http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1161588734269) for information about the Visa Waiver Program!
BRITISH CITIZENS DO NOT NEED A VISA* TO TRAVEL TO THE UNITED STATES!
*Exceptions ... Those on the "no fly" list and holders af "old" non-biometric passports.
All the best,
Richard
Maybe it's because the USA hasn't explained it very well, Richard.
The biometric passport programme in the UK started in March 2006 so the great majority of people don't have biometric passports, although many have machine readable ones which apparently also qualify under the VWP. However, where you do need a visa, you have to travel to London or Belfast to get one, which is hardly convenient and can be very expensive and time-consuming. In addition, the new requirements require children to have their own passports, they cannot travel on their parents' passport - again, time-consuming and expensive and apparently applying irrespective of age of the child!
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I've flown to the US from the UK on a non-biometric UK assport five times since 9/11, most recently in July 2007, and never needed to apply for a visa.
You fill in a green visa-waiver form (given to you on the plane or at check-in) and have 90 days visa-free.
The UK introduced the biometric passport in October 2006, and that met the US requirement. All UK Passports issued before that date are not biometric, but are accepted with a green form.
I'm wondering how the US authorities think a biometric passport would have stopped 9/11 from happening, but maybe that's a discussion for a different forum.
You're going to want to buy a lot of playmobil to justify the flight for that alone, but I can highly recommend America for a great holiday at cheap-as-chips prices. Not so good for Americans coming here.
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I'm wondering how the US authorities think a biometric passport would have stopped 9/11 from happening, but maybe that's a discussion for a different forum.
No need to wonder, Martin ... (In all probability it would have made no difference.)
"Sealed borders" seem to provide only false security. You are correct that this topic should be discussed in a "different forum." However, it is so very difficult for me to not make a comment about the foolish "isolationistic" attitude of the current United States government.
When I read that Europeans can now drive from Estonia to Portugal without borders, I am angered and embarrassed about the closed borders that we are still maintaining between the United States, Canada and Mexico. I look forward to the day when all borders will only be an historical oddity that most of us will wonder ever existed!
Thanks, Martin, for your further explanation about not needing a visa for travel to the United States. And, it is true that you would have to purchase a "boat load" of Playmobil to justify the travel expense. However, a visit to the United States and Canada can be a fun and somewhat inexpensive holiday ... :)
All the best,
Richard
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"Sealed borders" seem to provide only false security. You are correct that this topic should be discussed in a "different forum." However, it is so very difficult for me to not make a comment about the foolish "isolationistic" attitude of the current United States government.
When I read that Europeans can now drive from Estonia to Portugal without borders, I am angered and embarrassed about the closed borders that we are still maintaining between the United States, Canada and Mexico. I look forward to the day when all borders will only be an historical oddity that most of us will wonder ever existed!
Thanks, Martin, for your further explanation about not needing a visa for travel to the United States. And, it is true that you would have to purchase a "boat load" of Playmobil to justify the travel expense. However, a visit to the United States and Canada can be a fun and somewhat inexpensive holiday ... :)
All the best,
Richard
Thanks from me too, Martin, for your update. Clearly I was out of date on things here, so apologies to all.
I agree entirely with you, Richard, on the border issue, both re the USA and, increasingly here. I find words such as "homeland" worrying whether used by British or US politicians when I reflect on the governments in the past which have used similar terms such as "fatherland" and "motherland".
The UK government is now thinking of introducing a bond system, maybe £1,000 per person, for families from abroad visiting relatives here. For some families this could mean finding maybe as much as £10,000.
The Schengen treaty in the EU on open borders now extends to Malta, so long as you don't arrive by air, i.e. you drive through Europe and then go by sea from Italy.
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:)
dear richard, the distance between lisboa, the capital city of portugal, and tallinnn, the capital city of estonia, is 3133 km (2058 miles).
the distance between miami and seattle, both in the u.s.a., is 4393 km (2730 miles).
maybe the isolation feeling owes more to culture then to geography.
???
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When I read that Europeans can now drive from Estonia to Portugal without borders, I am angered and embarrassed about the closed borders that we are still maintaining between the United States, Canada and Mexico.
I encountered that "closed border" on my trip from Rochester to Niagara Falls (Canadian side), with my American wife, Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law. It seems to cause more aggravation and annoyance to Americans and Canadians who regularly crossed the border than to any foreign tourist such as myself, as I always carry my passport while in the US as photo ID, but needing a passport is a new thing to the locals.
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:)
dear richard, the distance between lisboa, the capital city of portugal, and tallinnn, the capital city of estonia, is 3133 km (2058 miles).
the distance between miami and seattle, both in the u.s.a., is 4393 km (2730 miles).
maybe the isolation feeling owes more to culture then to geography.
???
Thank you for offering such a kind explanation, Cachalote ...
All three countries (Canada, United States and Mexico) are geographicaly very large areas.
For instance it is 738 km / 459 miles from Washington, DC to Ottawa, ON and 3,147 km / 1,955 miles from Washington, DC to Mexico City, Mexico. However, it is only one step from the US to Mexico and only one step from the US to Canada. The culture of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico are probably a lot more alike than the cultures between most European countries. And, regardless of what some Candians and Americans will lead you to believe, the cultures of Canada and the United States are practically identical ... eh?
Gordon and I are both old enough to remember the lunacy of the isolationism of the past. We are also both old enough to remember the catastrophic results that isolationism and nationalism can produce.
Hopefully, we will all realize that we need not repeat the mistakes of the past!
All the best for a peaceful and productive future for all,
Richard