What's Up With The Price Jump?

[HoloVector]

I've been tracking the Zaurus prices lately (thinking about picking up a second Z) and noticed something weird the price of the 1000 and the 3200 have gone up over the past week.  Normally, currency flutuations account for this but, not this time.  The prices in Japan have gone up!  Take a look at the  price tracking graph from kakaku (like pricegrabber in the US).  The lowest price for a 1000 has shot up by over 4000 yen since the 17th and the highest price went to nearly 40000 yen.  What is up with that?  Does anyone know what might be cause of these increases?

[Cresho]

they are still cheaply priced for usa buyers.........pricejapan

[gojira]

I've been tracking the Zaurus prices lately (thinking about picking up a second Z) and noticed something weird the price of the 1000 and the 3200 have gone up over the past week.  Normally, currency flutuations account for this but, not this time.  The prices in Japan have gone up!  Take a look at the  price tracking graph from kakaku (like pricegrabber in the US).  The lowest price for a 1000 has shot up by over 4000 yen since the 17th and the highest price went to nearly 40000 yen.  What is up with that?  Does anyone know what might be cause of these increases?
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Crap!  I was just thinking of getting a 3200, but it jumped 14520 yen!  [a href=\"http://kakaku.com/prdsearch/detaillowprice.asp?PrdKey=00303010248]http://kakaku.com/prdsearch/detaillowprice...Key=00303010248[/url]

they are still cheaply priced for usa buyers.........pricejapan
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Huh?  Pricejapan's prices are based on the lowest Japanese price.

[InSearchOf]

they are still cheaply priced for usa buyers.........pricejapan
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Huh?  Pricejapan's prices are based on the lowest Japanese price.
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Yea... but if the EUR to JPN exchange rate is higher then the JPN to USA...

Then in turn the price for US customers are lower...  

Late

[HoloVector]

they are still cheaply priced for usa buyers.........pricejapan
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But they aren't as cheaply priced as they were a week ago.  The 1000 has gone up around 13% in price since last week and the 3200 has gone up 23% in that same time in Japan.  Most people expect technology to get cheaper in price as time goes by not more expensive.  If the importers have to pay more to acquire the Z's for us then the price that they charge will most certainly go up.

I just checked a Sharp AQUOS Flat Panel TV, DVD Recorder, Projector and a Panasonic ToughBook on Kakaku and none of them as showing the same pricing jumps that the Zs had. So why the price jumps for the Zs?

[Legodude522]

Why is the SL-C1000 $700 USD on eBay yet you can buy a new one from Conics for $350 USD?  Importing costs and the fact that people will assume eBay is cheaper probably.

[HoloVector]

Why is the SL-C1000 $700 USD on eBay yet you can buy a new one from Conics for $350 USD?  Importing costs and the fact that people will assume eBay is cheaper probably.
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Actually only one importer regularly sells the 1000 at that price on eBay.  The other two regular eBay importers sell the 1000 at the more reasonable, but still pricey, under $500 range.

One of my hobbies is collecting vintage computer games and eBay is well known in these collecting circles for having a good selection but, not the place to go when you are looking for a deal.  It's too bad because even four years ago you could still land a deal on eBay but, not anymore.

[Antikx]

Ya. eBay has become the great equalizer.

[TRIsoft]

Hi all,

the price jump is just some "back to normal".
Also in Japan there're companies purchasing high
volumes for special prices and sell lots of them in
a bit gray channels.
So SHARP installed a new procedure a few months
ago. Now every dealer has to make a forecast for
every month. If they order more, they'll get a much
higher price. If they order a high quantity, SHARP
wants to have some informations what's happening
with the units.

The reason is simple: They want to keep the large
retail chains in Japan happy (who sell the Zauri for
much higher prices).

And it looks, like the new system now works and
shows the effect they wanted. It's harder for small
dealers now who order 1-10 units when they need
some, but it brings some more transparency for
all of us.

///TRIsoft

Marc Stephan

[HoloVector]

So the price jump was to bring the Zs back in line with their list prices because the gray market was causing too low of prices on the Zs.  Very Interesting.  Thanks Marc for explaining that to us.