[DrunkSmurf]

I've been talking with some UK Playmobil collectors and learning what they pay. Playmobil in the UK costs almost twice what it does in the US. How about smurfs? Or, even Schleich toys in general?

Do you Brits feel things are more expensive in England than other places? (What do you out-of-country Brits, like Tojo, think?)

[Syd Smurf]

I think England is a lot more expensive Tim....I remember my brother claiming it cost him $6 for a can of Coke in London and that was back in 1995

Dyar

[Guest]

Hi Tim, i definately think toys are more expensive here !

[Rachel]

Hi Tim, I know lots of things, not just toys are more expensive in the UK.

Really, it shouldn't be too bad, espcially with the GBP being so strong of late but unfortunately many retailers are very naughty and instead of working out the different currencies properly, they just exchange the dollar sign or the euro sign for a pound sign.

To give an example, I recently bought a music book for £14.95. When I checked the price printed on the book, it was $14.95. Translated back, this means the book actually cost me almost $30. Okay, maybe a slight price increase would be acceptable to cover shipping costs etc. but to almost double the price is wrong.

Smurfs are a bit more tricky. If you look at ebay, prices seem to be pretty low at the moment, probably down to just the sheer amount being sold but as we don't have them stocked in retail outlets, it is hard to show whether the prices would be more than say in Belgium.

[ChunkMasterMC]

To give an example, I recently bought a music book for £14.95. When I checked the price printed on the book, it was $14.95. Translated back, this means the book actually cost me almost $30. Okay, maybe a slight price increase would be acceptable to cover shipping costs etc. but to almost double the price is wrong

If it was $14.95 AUD...it would have cost you more than $30.00 thats for sure!!! It really does suck living somewhere where the dollar is pathetically low in comparison to the places you want to go and visit!!!

[Tojo]

I don't know about toys but lots of other things are more expensive than here in Germany. Typical examples are groceries & alcohol. Petrol costs about the same in both countries, could be slightly cheaper in the UK.

Books are definitely cheaper in the UK. Here in Germany there's a contract between the other German speaking nations (Austria & Switzerland) that books aren't allowed to be sold below a certain price. That means that really cheap offers such as 3 for 2 etc that you find at Waterstones or WH Smiths just don't exist here. We tend to buy piles of books when we go to the UK. Lucky that we don't fly as we'd never be able to carry our bags

[Smurfysmurf]

This may have changed by now, as it is a lifetime ago that I was last in England. ..but I remember stocking up on books when I visited London and also stocking up on CDs and VHS (no DVDs back then, that should tell you how long ago it was )....I am not sure if the VHS were really cheaper, as of course the English speaking VHS were very expensive in Germany....but I do remember the CDs being cheaper in England than Germany back then

[steveparkes]

Hi Tim, i definately think toys are more expensive here !

There are if you go to Mimififis

[Guest]

I dont think i'll bother going there now Steve