Article by:
Lenny Zimmermann
Written: 4/20/00
Have you ever tried to do a bit of comparison shopping on the internet to find the best price you could on a new AEG? Did you notice how the prices really could vary quite a bit? Ever wonder why, beyond the consideration that it might be sheer profit margin? Here are some points for you to consider the next time you do some comparison shopping out there.
First off you've probably already noticed that the Asian distributors, Red Wolf, DEN Trinity and Tokyo Model in Hong Kong, have the lowest prices, hands down. If you've ever bought from them, however, you probably found out there were some hidden costs you hadn't considered. Of particular importance is how patient you can be in receiving your order. Shipping costs by anything other than Surface Mail tend to be quite high, easily adding $100 or more to a single purchase. To receive the same thing from a North American company in the same amount of time will cost significantly less, unless you are willing to wait one to two months, and even then North American shipping may still be cheaper. Not to mention the time it will take if there is a problem and you need to send your precious new weapon back. An intangible cost you'll have to weigh on your own. You may also have to deal with extra charges for using a credit card (usually around 5% of the purchase price) or the charge for a Bank Wire Transfer if you are not sending a money order. Finally, remember if you are ordering from a different country with a credit card, that most credit card companies will charge you a fee for exchanging currency or charge you at a higher exchange rate.
Don't forget to keep checking the prices on specific items against the Asian prices. Every now and then you'll find a North American distributor selling some items for less than their Asian counterparts, something I found consistently true for the bolt action Super9 sniper rifle.
Another source for good prices is the Italian companies and some British companies have also reduced their prices a great deal recently. Again you'll have to consider shipping costs and time, but those may be less than the Asian charges depending on where you live, and in some cases they easily beat the prices of the Asians. I found SO.GE.MI '89 selling an M203 grenade launcher for $185, compared to $200 to $250 for Redwolf and DEN Trinity.
Prices may also vary between distributors depending on what they include with their weapons. Many North American stores include a battery and charger in their price, but Asian distributors rarely do. That could make a difference of anywhere between $40 and $80 depending on the store. Some also include cleaning kits and BBs. A cleaning kit may run you anywhere from $5-$20 and BBs range in price from $0.25 to $1.00 per 100 count. Most companies only include around 300 BBs, so I don't consider that price to be very significant, but if they are supplying you with 1,000 or more, then you have something else to modify your prices with.
One of the distributors considered to be the most expensive, however, does not seem to advertise very well the other item they bring to the table. MFI tends to have some of the highest prices around, yet fail to mention anywhere how much it would cost you to independently perform the standard upgrade they do on all of their weapons. Their site was not specific enough on exactly what they upgrade beyond saying they put in the best motor that will fit, generally a 10-15% upgraded spring and metal gearing. However I can take a guess that considering the price of some of these items purchased independently it would probably cost another $100, possibly more, to upgrade your standard purchased weapon. Not to mention that independently upgrading on your own will void your warranty. In some cases the addition of this cost alone is enough to make MFI one of the most reasonably priced around, depending on the weapon.
Finally when doing your comparisons don't forget that almost every distributor out there will give you a discount for bulk purchases and that you can save yourself some shipping charges that way as well. Don't be afraid to send off some emails to these companies and see if they can make you a deal if you get several friends together to make that bulk order. Also watch out for standard discounts that may be going on. For example 747 Imports is also a fairly high priced distributor, but recently they had a 20% off sale on all AEGs making their prices very competitive in that arena.
So keep your eyes open when you are ready to purchase and take the time to read everything about the items you want. Don't forget to factor in your hidden costs and any discounts you might be able to get to make certain your prices are laid out on a level playing field when you compare them.
Happy Shooting!