Main > Everything Else
I can guess why electronics are cheaper in Japan, but....
Gray_Area:
why are cables, I think of any kind, so much cheaper?
(There seem to be some California suppliers, but in my experience these are just US distribution centers for Japanese sellers.)
Howard_Casto:
(Pssst.... Hong Kong is in China, NOT Japan.) (Double Pssst.... They are cheaper there because everything is made in China, Hong Kong in particular)
Seriously though, it all has to do with Global trade regulations and the fact that China doesn't enforce theirs. When you order a product at 1/10th of it's price directly from China you are getting it as a "gift" and thus you don't have to pay tarriffs, which would raise it up to almost what you would pay here in the western world.
Samstag:
In the US, cable prices are artificially high because retail stores have been able to keep selling them to people who don't know any better. If everyone knew about monoprice.com the retailers would have to drop their prices.
CCM:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13556_3-10003626-61.html
Basically, people are impatient and dumb...
MonMotha:
What gets me is that China Post must subsidize slow-boat deliveries to the US. I routinely buy cheap crap from China on eBay and similar where the total cost including shipping is less than what it would cost me to parcel post or first class something to the other side of town let alone to another country! Now, quality on said items varies heavily, as you might imagine, but the fact that they can even afford to get it to my door at these prices makes me thing something fishy is going on.
And yeah, Japanese retail electronic prices are roughly comparable to US ones, sometimes higher. Of course, many of their electronics are actually made in Japan, whereas ours are mostly made in China. Japanese labor prices are higher, but then they don't have to ship it as far.
As for cables: monoprice.com Never pay retail for a cable unless it's less than $5 and you need it now. I do buy the 99c USB cables at Fry's :)