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Poor US dollar means cheap cds for the rest of us!


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Going back about 5 years ago I remeber when we (us Aussies way down here) were getting about 48c to the dollar when purchasing in US dollars. Yesterday the exchange rate hit 89c. In cd terms... a cd that would have cost us $25 a few year back is now only costing $13.50.

 

This only occurrs when ordering from sites that deal in US dollars. eg Perris.

 

The strenght of our dollar at the moment is also probably the reason were are seeing acts like Ratt, Winger, LA Guns visit our shores for the first time.

 

Are other non-US residents experience this same phenomenon? ... or is this unique to Australia?

 

:banana::dance::bananamac:

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Going back about 5 years ago I remeber when we (us Aussies way down here) were getting about 48c to the dollar when purchasing in US dollars. Yesterday the exchange rate hit 89c. In cd terms... a cd that would have cost us $25 a few year back is now only costing $13.50.

 

This only occurrs when ordering from sites that deal in US dollars. eg Perris.

 

The strenght of our dollar at the moment is also probably the reason were are seeing acts like Ratt, Winger, LA Guns visit our shores for the first time.

 

Are other non-US residents experience this same phenomenon? ... or is this unique to Australia?

 

:banana::dance::bananamac:

buying from the US and US online stores is def more viable at the moment!

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Going back about 5 years ago I remeber when we (us Aussies way down here) were getting about 48c to the dollar when purchasing in US dollars. Yesterday the exchange rate hit 89c. In cd terms... a cd that would have cost us $25 a few year back is now only costing $13.50.

 

This only occurrs when ordering from sites that deal in US dollars. eg Perris.

 

The strenght of our dollar at the moment is also probably the reason were are seeing acts like Ratt, Winger, LA Guns visit our shores for the first time.

 

Are other non-US residents experience this same phenomenon? ... or is this unique to Australia?

 

:banana::dance::bananamac:

 

 

imagine if you run a record label here in Australia & you're selling in the U.S market

 

good to see these acts touring our shores nevertheless. But none play in Adelaide.

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It is absolutely awesome... to a degree. I have to admit it's kind of hitting me hard - purely because of my stupidity rather than anything else, but because it is so f*cking sensational I have been taking advantage of it and I admit I've bought more CDs since it hit the 0.80+ mark than I've bought in literally 3 years. The worst thing is, this is probably the time in my life where I most need to save... but the exchange rate is just THAT good I cannot hide from it.

 

On the downside... which is a real pain in the ass... I have a heap of money sitting in my paypal account, in USD, and there's no way in the world I'm going to take it out now, with the rate as it is. So, regardless of how bad I really, really need those dollars, I have to sit on it and hope the rate drops again. I have to admit, I think if it even got close to 0.80 again I'd probably take it out. Never thought I'd say that.

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Yeah, my cd purchases have definitely spiked as the US dollar plummets relative to the rest of the world.

I ordered a heap from perris today.... as they work out to under $AUD15 per disc, which is unheard of in the past. Whereas in the past I way have been tempted to make a purchase of 2-3 discs, currently the orders are usually around the 5-6 disc mark.

 

Geoff, .... yeah, you might as well just hold onto your paypal balance for the moment. Or atleast only use it for making purchases in US dollars, as that way you're still getting dollar-for-dollar value.

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Yeah, I still use my USD paypal balance when I can for purchases, but it's amazing how many places still don't have it. Either way, yeah I'll definitely sit on it. The worst thing I saw, though, was a dollar forecast going out to March next year where they predicted it'd still be up around 0.85.

 

On the flipside of what you're saying, though, I have thought that with the dollar being so good it might be best to just use my credit card to make usd purchases and leave the balance in paypal as it is, hoping it does eventually drop so I get more money for that later conversion while I'm not losing too much now at all just by converting my credit card aud to usd. If that makes sense - it's easier in my head to think of it than it is to write it down.

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Yeah, I still use my USD paypal balance when I can for purchases, but it's amazing how many places still don't have it. Either way, yeah I'll definitely sit on it. The worst thing I saw, though, was a dollar forecast going out to March next year where they predicted it'd still be up around 0.85.

 

On the flipside of what you're saying, though, I have thought that with the dollar being so good it might be best to just use my credit card to make usd purchases and leave the balance in paypal as it is, hoping it does eventually drop so I get more money for that later conversion while I'm not losing too much now at all just by converting my credit card aud to usd. If that makes sense - it's easier in my head to think of it than it is to write it down.

 

 

i know what you mean.... use your aussie dollars while the $US is low, and hang onto the $US until you can get more for it.

 

Still up over 0.85 until march next year.... cool.... plenty of time to buy cheap cds. :drink:

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la guns are coming this way. unless ofcourse you've heard something different (which wouldn't surprise me)

 

I'll be in the U.K for the Firefest gig when the la guns tours on but I'm looking forward to traci's version next year.

I think faster pussycat are slated for a tour too.

warrant is in the cards along with quite riot & a few more.

I'm personaly hopeing fopr poison & danger danger.

maybe this time the deadthings will score the support slot :beerbang:

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Yeah, I still use my USD paypal balance when I can for purchases, but it's amazing how many places still don't have it. Either way, yeah I'll definitely sit on it. The worst thing I saw, though, was a dollar forecast going out to March next year where they predicted it'd still be up around 0.85.

 

On the flipside of what you're saying, though, I have thought that with the dollar being so good it might be best to just use my credit card to make usd purchases and leave the balance in paypal as it is, hoping it does eventually drop so I get more money for that later conversion while I'm not losing too much now at all just by converting my credit card aud to usd. If that makes sense - it's easier in my head to think of it than it is to write it down.

 

 

i know what you mean.... use your aussie dollars while the $US is low, and hang onto the $US until you can get more for it.

 

Still up over 0.85 until march next year.... cool.... plenty of time to buy cheap cds. :drink:

 

 

the currency exchange rate is truely a blessing :beerbang:

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The cool thing in the UK is we are pretty much getting everything half price as its nearly $2 to the £1.

That way even if I order from Amazon.co.uk, the US sellers are pricing their items at US prices.

That means I can buy a UK CD for £14 or so, or order it from a US market place seller for £7.

 

Even with the higher postage costs charged by a lot of US sellers, the postage still costs no more than it would to buy from a UK seller!

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Also, when you think about it, on eBay it actual benefits US sellers selling to the UK etc.

If I set a maximum price I am willing to bid on an item, its in pounds sterling, not dollars.

That means, if I am only willing to pay £30 for an item, a few years ago the seller would have only got about $45, but now they get $60.

 

In essence, selling abroad does one of two things, it either gets you more money by shipping abroad or it makes you more money as it forces US buyers to bid higher!

 

This is why I dont understand some US sellers who refuse to ship abroad or accept PayPal.

Even with the fees PayPal charges, you still end up withh more money!

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Over the weekend, the Aussie dollar (vs the US) hit it's highest value since 1984.

 

I agree with the above point, the US sellers can take advantage as it makes no difference to them in terms of dollar value, but they can get more $$$'s as international bidders are going to bid higher now that they have greater value currecny exchange.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 years later...

Not such so good here in Blighty any more as the pound is pretty weak, although it is back up to around 1.52 dollars to the pound, a few months ago is was down to something like 1.38. Pound is very weak against the Euro, we can't afford to go anywhere else in Europe!

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Yeah this is chaos. Having finally got myself back in the black and with the dollar at the moment I have gone completely wild. I think I have bought possibly over 200 CDs in the last month alone. The stupid thing is I have got so many bargains, but the sheer amount of bargains is adding up to a total I just don't want to see. But seriously, I'm pretty much looking at the US dollar on a 1-1 basis at the moment. us$150 orders are costing me about au$157... craziness. The difference isn't even acknowledging. Make haste while the sun shines, the homosexuals say, and I'm on it.

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wow.... 200 discs.

 

where you buying from geoff?

anywhere apart from second spin? :tumbsup:

Heaps and heaps from Secondspin, then some big orders from Wishingwell, Sam/Retrospect, Ebay, random bands like Smilek, Cinder Road, White Widdow, and even though it was in Euros, I made a massive order from Musicbuymail using the US dollar option on the site as a reference.

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  • 2 weeks later...

One of my buddies into all this sort of stuff reckons it'll hit $1.20. I'll believe that when I see it, but we'll see. I really need to stop buying CDs though...

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Over the weekend, the Aussie dollar (vs the US) hit it's highest value since 1984.

 

I agree with the above point, the US sellers can take advantage as it makes no difference to them in terms of dollar value, but they can get more $$$'s as international bidders are going to bid higher now that they have greater value currecny exchange.

 

+2

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