Canadian collectors are at a disadvantage

I feel your pain panzerman, here in Australia we have the same problem as our dollar has pretty much the same value as your Canadian dollar against other currencies. I tend now to mainly buy from Europe as we have not depreciated as much against the Euro and Pound, but I tell you what I had a good time buying in 2011 and early 2012 when the AUD hit parity with the greenback, so I suppose what goes around comes around again....be patient.

 

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Yeah no doubt @Ancient Aussie Isn't the cost of living crazy in Australia too compared to us in Canada? Like 25 bucks for a pack of smokes damn..

 

It's more like $40 a packet now with this last budget, think of all the coins you can buy with the savings if you don't smoke. Our governments tend to collect a lot of taxes from smokes, grog and petrol.

 

That's nuts man, and I thought 14.75 was bad.. Alberta taxes us crazy on booze too and we just got this new carbon tax which is retarded. Man.. if I quit drinking smoking and driving I could have an EID MAR next month

 

I am lucky don't smoke but used to drink a lot of scotch whiskey but cost to much and drink more wine now as it's not taxed as hard as the whiskey and beer, we have a lot of wine producers in Aus and a glut of wine, so I suppose the government does not want to send the wine producers broke.

 

I'm not a huge fan of wine unless I'm cooking but I'll take a nice scotch any day!

 

Got to agree scotch is better but I am only thinking that I can buy more coins....

 

Currency fluctuations are an inevitable factor for collectors to consider when purchasing coins abroad.

Sometimes they work for you, sometimes they don't: my euros used to buy up to
$ 1,52 at the peak a few years ago, so I was happy to buy coins in the U.S.

Nowadays my strongly devalued euros buy only $ 1,05 ....so I have adjusted any purchasing accordingly and primarily buy in EU.

 

Well, buying from dealers in one's own "currency area" sure makes some sense with regard to exchange rate surprises. The euro's record high, in terms of US dollars, was 1.60 $/€ (in 2008), the record low was 0.83 $/€ (in 2000). Some people tend to forget about one or the other. At least the fluctuation is not as extreme as that of Bitcoin, hehe.

And of course there are issues such as import VAT and, depending on the value, customs duties that should be kept in mind. But yes, if current exchange rates help saving money, why not profit from them. And @panzerman - it's not that people in the euro area always have a choice, currency wise, when they order products from outside the currency union ...

Christian

 

Sadly, due to income tax and Canada pension, etc, etc, I only see 50% of my gross paycheck ... and then I pay an additional 13% PST + GST on everything I buy ... oh, and then there is that nasty US-exchange rate which devalues my cash by another 25%

... so after a hard day's work, I am able to enjoy my "free" prescription drugs (I crunch them up and sift them into my wine) ...

That leaves me with $8 to put towards my next ancient coin

 

Chris....I have no clue, I have not used our health care since i had a checkup in grade eight/ never ever gotten prescription either.
But....i hear horror stories on radio/ tv on wait times for operations, seeing a specialist/ example here in Ontario patients wait upto a year for hip replacements etc. I am kinda lucky that I have never been sick a day in my life other then a slight cold/headache

 

My mother in law broke her hip and it was replaced within 2 days. This was in Ontario. Sure we wait sometimes but at least I will not lose my house if I end up with cancer.

 

You should consider yourself very lucky that you have remained in good health, and I hope it continues for you for a long, long, long time.

FWIW, I've lived in South Florida for 35 years, and we have a lot of winter visitors from Canada (mostly Ontario) who stay 2-4 months every year. I have been told many, many times by Canadians that, when it comes to health care, it is cheaper for them to fly back home and be treated there than it is to seek medical services locally.

Chris

 

So, I guess it's all the fault of the United States. Right?

Chris

 

Well, that's all taxes and unrelated to exchange rates. When I was in the Navy and went to Vancouver on the weekends, we always made sure we had plenty of smokes as they were about three times the price than the US (about 1990). Glad I dont smoke anymore!

One of my favorite wines is Yellow Tail, from Australia. Its about $5 a bottle here in the US. What is it there? I should ask one of my cousins (I have many down under).

 

Yellow tail, Wyndham Bin-555/444/333, Peter Lehmann wines => all of the sweet Australian wines are about $14-$20 up here in Canada ... so those are pretty much my daily operating costs (oh, and toss-in an initial triple-Kraken & Coke to get me on the ramp!!)

 

Wow, whatever happened to the 2 buck Chuck?

 

I smoke a $5 buck chuck before I guzzle the Kraken!

 

Of course we all have to understand that cost/price has little meaning if we dont relate it to income (as a coin dealer I have lost money the last three years). We all live much better than our predecessors but they also didnt spent proportionate amounts on such things as phones, internet, TV, etc. In the 'old days' people spent most their money on things like mortgage, food, clothing, etc. Today basic expenses are phones and other things which none of us need but we all want. I am in the minority of the human population. I access the internet mostly via my desktop (which is inexpensive). Most use their phones which is infinitely more expensive. Nobody needs to do so but they prefer to, so they pay a huge premium. I have always been at a loss to understand the mentality. I have seen homeless and bums on the street corners with their signs begging for money. Most of the time I see them with a phone in their hand! Makes one wonder what the priority is!

 

Of course not, in my opinion it is how the rest of the world perceives the safest place to park there money which in turn places pressure good or otherwise on other currencies.