Buy 30% cheaper from Europe? USD at near parity with the British Pound and the EURO

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ChRiSiS said:
I’m sorry, but… what?

This is simply nonsense as far as the Euro is concerned. The US dollar has NEVER been worth 1.50 Euros. Never. Ever. Similarly the US dollar has NEVER been worth 1.5 UK Pounds Sterling. Never. Ever.

Where do people come up with this stuff?

We are currently at the HIGHEST we have ever been vs the UK Pound. At one point, over 50 years ago, it took as much as $4 to buy one UK Pound. In the 70’s it was $2.40 per Pound.

With respect to the Euro, currently 1 Euro will by about $0.96. When the Euro launched in 1999 (just as an “accounting” measure, no coins, bills, etc. it was worth $1.14. After they actually launched the currency itself in January 2002 it was worth approx $0.86. It has not been that low since and rose as high as $1.58 in March 2008. By any standard, $0.96 is pretty low for the Euro and pretty high for the US$.

And in case its not clear, I have quoted how many US dollars one Euro will buy. You could also flip it, so that using the monthly numbers I gave above, currently $1 will buy about EUR 1.04. In January 1999 $1 would buy EUR 0.88, while in January 2002 $1 would buy 1.16 Euro. In March of 2008 $1 would only buy 0.63 Euro (I remember that well, since I was trying to buy some camera equipment in Europe at the time. Needless to say, I didn’t bother.

Facts, people. Sometimes we need to pay attention to them.
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When reading this stuff yesterday, I actually thought about you several times. Was wondering when I would see a post from you on this.
 
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fe7565 said:
(Turkey has "lira", not dollar) I will try to make one good faith attempt to explain, then I am going to drown my sorrow for our nation (specifically for Lower Alabama) into a bottle of alcohol.

The buying opportunity here has to do with international trade and international currency devaluation. Cannot look at the USA only, because our country is going to hell in a handbasket as well with inflation and the US dollar losing value. So far the USD lost 8+% this year: so your $100 from a year ago is now worth about $91. However, in the international arena the USD getting stronger compared to other currencies. That is because the USD is in a unique situation for being the world's premier reserve currency. Does the USGOV deserve this with the current crisis brought on by our own stupidity? No, but the fact is that the USD is still king and foreigners (banks etc) are buying it up for safety because their own currency is rapidly devalued. Yes, we (the USGOV) are still just as indebted and dumbass as they are, but we are privileged to print our own money without having to back it up, unlike all other nations.

So, for a rough example, while an airgun in Turkey cost 10,000 Turkish lira a year ago (that was USD1000 a year ago) , that same airgun now (while still costing 10,000 liras) can be bought for USD600...but in Turkey. The whole point is that you must buy it in a foreign country, because airgun prices in the USA technically did not change. In reality the USD lost 8+% of its own value from a year ago, but not against other currencies. So, if you buy that same Turkish airgun (but in the USA!) a year ago for $1000, today that same $1000 you spend for the same rifle in the USA cost you USD1080 because of US inflation. But since the Turkish lira went from 10,000 to 18,000 per USD1000, you get to buy the same product in Turkey for that much less USD.

Turkey is not a really good example with 80% inflation going on (vs 10-30%), but you get the idea.
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Good explanation! I love it when I see stuff that makes sense!
 
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It really doesn't make any sense to spend discretionary money on airguns and other hobbies unless they can easily be converted to survival essentials or smaller denomination easy-to-trade goods or commodities. As in, "I'll trade you this POS 1300 fps Walmart gun" for a tank of gas so maybe you can hunt rabbits or scare off the federal goons until your kids can escape into the woods.

It's probably the most contentious and unpredictable time in most American's lives since the Civil War, race riots or being Japanese in California in 1942. Nobody has any clue what we will be eating, much less what will happen to small businesses, savings and investments or healthcare a year from now. Things will probably settle down but only after most people lose a significant portion of their net worth and buying power due to inflation, government incompetence and violence.

And even if you do the smart thing and stop wasting money on frivolous toys... that will have the compound effect of slowing the economy and impacting people downstream. Things are totally unpredictable except nobody sees a positive outcome or improvement... instead it's a matter of whether we land softly or catastrophically. Especially if you are a White Christian Male breadwinner working in a non-essential industry.

Get a solid springer and stock up on pellets and spare parts. Enjoy what you have but realize we are more than likely heading downhill as a society from this point forward. Make friends with farmers, mechanics, and veterans and form alliances within smaller communities.

Show me an American child of European stock who expects to do better than their parents? They do not exist except in Blue strongholds where reality has been suspended.
 
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Good point, if you aren't aware then never mind. I'm only here to sell off extra junk I don't need anyway.

Is rejecting consumerism political? I wonder what isn't political? When you're forced to eat small game or steal is that politics? Certainly playing with exchange rates and maximizing your buying power reeks of... politics. After all the merchant class has made fortunes doing arbitrage since the Bronze Age.
 
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