Boat show bargains

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Rigger

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Do such things exist?We keep hearing about "boat show prices" but are things much cheaper there than on the internet ? Did anyone get anything at a give away price especially on the final weekend when stalls were clearing up?
 
Well I bent some plastic on a Raymarine auto helm with remote.

Funny really walking around and mooching into the different Chandlers, how the prices varied and of course I was assured that theirs was a special knockdown show price!

e.g £290.00, £280.00, £249.00, £245.00, eventually walked into Compass there the same gadget was £239.00 and got a £14.99 bag thrown in as well!

Just goes to prove it pays it shop around before plunging your hand into your pocket!
 
Got a reasonable deal on a liferaft at less than retail price with cradle included for nothing.

Very tempted by the ICom601 with additional remote mike - about £200 off list price at Pumpkin marine, but couldn't justify it, just because it was cheap!
 
I saved about £100 by not going. Does that count? /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Didn't see many prices that were different to regular mail order special offers for chandlery. For boats...didn't even bother to look this year, but usually the boatshow prices are available all the year round if you ask for them. What I did find was that is you order a liferaft at the show for example, because they don't keep stock there, you get it sent to you at the offer price without paying the mail order costs. Could be useful.
 
We bought a towgen generator. The price at the LIBS had gone up from £520 to £590. Luckily, I had taken along the price list from last years Southampton Boat Show and got it for the old price. :-) Also took the opportunity to buy all the extras at the old price.
 
oooh yeah! I got a really, really, really good deal on a load of electronics. The prices advertised on most stands was pretty much normal, but when I gave them all my list the prices started tumbling - I used Mailspeeds brochure price as my benchmark - these prices are already keen and way below RRP and managed to get close to another 20% below this.
Also Jimmy green marine is the best for cheap ods and ends. The salesman almost ended up haggling with himself. I ordered a plastimo clock and barometer (about 65 quid each on other stands) and the convesation went something like this. "Well the list price is 70 quid each, I'll take x% off so that makes it 57 quid each, oh how about 110 the pair!" this is before i even said anything! I also got a really good RORC offshore danbuoy from jimmy green and some made to measure jackstays, all being delivered for free this week.
As well as the cheaper costs, the major benefit in my mind if you're seriously shopping at the boat show is the ability to compare almost everything on the market very easily and also to play one chandler off against another.
 
Not sure about give away but I got a Navman 5500i plotter for £499 from SeaTeach with a CMap Wide+ chart thrown in which I was pleased with.
 
I still think that SVB in Germany are cheaper than any boatshow in Europe and they do mail order.
 
SVB

Really interested, since my husband's in Germany most weeks, and has his birthday fast approaching, but I don't seem to be able to find England/UK/GB .. on the available list of countries to send the catalogue to. Help!
 
Re: SVB

United Kingdom in German is "Vereinigte Königreich" and that is listed.

Hope this helps
 
Saved an absolute fortune. By not going. Picking up the telephone and talking to an On-Line chandler. He was so delighted to hear from me that I got my new heating at a fairly substantial 'Boat Show' offer.

Have to go and lie down now.

Donald
 
Re: Woah!

Congratulations. You're now entitled to a 1000 post forum burgee. Another 4 posts and I qualify too.
 
I spent nearly 5 grand on 'bits' for the new boat..... Did I get a bargain? Dont know, but AlexL is right, some of the stands haggled themselves to a price.
My Anchor/Warp from Jimmy Green turned up this morning - the White Van bloke couldn't lift it out of the back! (Free postage too)
I hugely enjoyed the retail experience, and my card was smoking nearly as much as the factory on fire near the bridge.
 
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