Sonorforce3007user
Member
better and cheaper than any birdseye maple veneer drum kit ive seen before
I have always had a soft spot for Premier kits - any drum building company still in business in England has a lot of heart.
WTF is that supposed to mean?
Hmmm, maybe 3 years ago at circa 2:1. Now it's hovering around 1.6:1, so UK exports to NA are reasonably competitive.That trying to export from the UK is very, very difficult given the strength of the Pound.
That trying to export from the UK is very, very difficult given the strength of the Pound.
I don't know if you've noticed, but the pound is a hell of a lot weaker than it used to be, in fact since 2008 people in this country have benefitted greatly from the drop in the pound in terms of exports. In 2007 it hit a bit of a peak with 1 pound able to buy 2 US dollars and about 1.3 euros. Now it's 1.6 dollars and 1.13 euros. So no i don't think there is a particular problem at the moment in terms of the pound being too strong for exports.
I don't know if you've noticed, but the pound is a hell of a lot weaker than it used to be, in fact since 2008 people in this country have benefitted greatly from the drop in the pound in terms of exports. In 2007 it hit a bit of a peak with 1 pound able to buy 2 US dollars and about 1.3 euros. Now it's 1.6 dollars and 1.13 euros. So no i don't think there is a particular problem at the moment in terms of the pound being too strong for exports.
Eddie, I do follow the markets and I used them to my advantage a couple of years ago.
The fact is, the Pound is still strong enough to make Exports difficult. The loss of manufacturing base has affected many things and one of them is the viability of English exports - and that's not just to do with the Pound (although much of it is) but everything else that has been happening in the economy for the last forty of so years. Exports are reasonable now, but the drum market is highly saturated with cheaper options.
So, Premier have historically struggled to make their high-end kits for foreign markets. I love Premier drums, but it's not an easy time for them.
England has long had a troubled economy and suffered a loss of its manufacturing base, like many industrialized nations. So it is good to see an English drum company. I have Hardcases, which are made in England, and I like English made stuff in general.
That's my point. All western industrialised economies have suffered in terms of manufacturing because of higher wages and more working regulations (no working people 16 hours a day for 1$) than places like china, india, taiwan etc. Anyway i think this is a pretty juvenile argument lol.
England has been called the "sick man of Europe" because its economy has been in the tank like forever, more than most industrialized nations. I think this is a great thing to discuss.
What and you think I haven't? The fact is that all western nations have suffered because of things like "workers rights" getting in the way of making things for as cheaply as possible for export. Yes, the costs of producing something in the uk are slightly more than a lot of other western countries but i think all that pales in comparison with the difference in production costs between here and somewhere like china for example.
People have this misconception that nothing is made in Britain any more- which couldn't be further from the truth. Yes, it's not 1900 any more but the fact is that for many premium and high value goods such as upmarket and custom drums can still be built viably in England and the massive drop in the pound over the last few years has been a big boom for exports.
Is that a result of rising costs? Absolutely. Are those costs as result of improved working conditions? Partially, but it's an inevitable part of economic development. South Korea is one example of a rapidly developing, specialised economy that is moving away from general production and into developing of technology and sooner or later, South Korea will be in a similar position to the UK, whereby manufacturing becomes a highly specialised sector as the workforce become more educated and specialised themselves.
Trade Unions, humanitarianists and environmentalists are not just a group of blue-sky idealists. They exist for a reason - and whilst we may all complain about the inevitable inconvenience of their lobbying and the regulation that is imposed as a result, the fact remains that they actually do very important work trying to improve the quality of conditions and health of those within their auspices. If that is a problem for you, then you really need to stop focussing so much on the bottom line.
Does that mean I always buy from a developed country? No. But it is becoming an increasing concern for me and I support companies that make high-quality goods.
EddieHimself said:...The fact is that all western nations have suffered because of things like "workers rights" getting in the way...
That reads very negatively. That's where you expressed an opinion.
That's where I thought you expressed an opinion because that is how it reads. Especially with the sarcastic use of quotation marks.