Looking to get an acoustic/electric mandolin for about $200 USD.
Any recommendations?
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
Don't shop for such items in those cities, is my advice. You will be ripped off, most likely, and the prices will be well above what is actually competitive. At that price point, there's nothing in Italy that can't be bought more cheaply anywhere else. If you were looking to spend much more for a custom workshop piece, that'd be a different story. But at $200, (and considering the exchange rate, plus VAT, which is now near 20%), you're not going to find anything decent that's even made in Italy anyway- it will be from China, and you can find it at your local Guitar Center or equivalent, for less.
The best places to shop for instruments would be Andorra, Spain, or Monaco, and probably Germany and Austria. Anyplace where the tax structures are set up to favor tourism with little or no sales tax are best, but prices are generally less inflated in the German speaking markets, though not by much. I have visited many shops in all of these countries, and that's the benefit of my experience. I would *never* try to buy a low end instrument in Italy.
You might be able to locate a second hand piece in any of those cities, but be prepared to dicker, and to be taken for more than the piece is worth. If you do buy, however, see if you can get them to fill out a tax rebate form to submit at customs, so that you can be reimbursed the sales tax.
Endgame, you will not have a satisfying experience attempting to do this in Italy, so I suggest that you don't try.
Posted by RivalOfTheRose (Member # 11535) on :
Thanks, I will keep that all in mind.
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
Rival, I remember you asking some time back about buying an instrument as a characteristic souvenir of Europe for your collection. The problem is that from a musical standpoint, North America is culturally nearly indistinguishable from Western European. The instruments that are common in Western Europe are all common in the North America. You aren't going to find any moderately priced instruments in Italy that you couldn't find in any store back home (probably for substantially less money). Musical instruments simply are't good souvenirs for a North Americans to bring home from Europe.