Quote Originally Posted by beloitpiper View Post
The American economy just isn't what it used to be. I know how much piping stuff can cost, and I hope you find some deals out there.

Have you heard of J. Higgins? They have really great prices for pipers.
It's not so much a matter of the internal economy of the United States, as it it the excessive taxation throughout most of the EU.

For example, a Mercedes Benz (or a Ford) cost pretty much the same in Bangor, Maine, as it does in Burbank, California. Not so in Europe. The MBZ cost almost 60% more in Dublin than London, where it is about 30% more than in Berlin.

In general terms a consumer dollar in the US goes farther than the consumer "dollar" goes in Europe, including the UK. Specialty goods (like the sorts of things "we" buy) cost more because of over-all costs of doing business in any niche market tend to be significantly higher.