New dollar lows and the dress prices..

[Katarzyna]

So I have a dilemma, looks like now is a good time to sell your gowns in Europe with dollar being so low... an normal price here is a good deal there at the moment... but now I just have a feeling that the gown prices will go drastically up because of the weak currency.. 2 years ago I was able to find REALLY nice dresses for about 1000 euro (which was close to 1300)... now... typically its about 1300 euro which is about 2K... of course occasionally there are better prices but it seems like the prices in Europe have increased and our currency has decreased.. I wonder if its good idea to sell gowns now at all (if you have many) since most likely soon they will not be replaceable... and wonder if the prices of the designers here will be adjusted accordingly... (alhough some low chrisanne prices are really puzzling me)

 

[GJB]

Wow! Who'd ever have thought this would happen. Next the top coaches will stay in Europe instead of visiting the U.S. to make the big bucks off the "rich americans".

 

[Katarzyna]

well the coaching lessons already increased in price quite a bit over last 2 years probably due to the drop of the value of the dollar... ( correct me if I am wrong, the but I think pound weakened as welll so the drop is biggest between dolar and euro and not as big between dollar and pound)...

 

[Katarzyna]

but for coachings, well there are always people who will be willing to pay the prices, so dont think this is something to be worried about... and its still cheaper to take the lessons when they visit than pay for flight and hotel in UK

 

[Laura]

Wow! Who'd ever have thought this would happen. Next the top coaches will stay in Europe instead of visiting the U.S. to make the big bucks off the "rich americans".

The truly rich Americans can handle the dollar issues. The rest of us will just have to figure out another way to get decent dresses and coachings.

 

[samina]

sounds like you're sitting on quite a little nest egg, kat... with the low buck, it's an opportunity for lots of people in different ways.

 

[mummsie]

yes your dollar has dropped heaps. about 8 years ago we got 65 cents Aus to $1 US - has even gone below that - now its almost dollar for dollar. It makes it much more affordable for us to buy stuff now online. Our dollar is still bad to convert to Euros and Pounds Stirling but for us the US dollar is a bargain. Good for us - bad for you. Mummsie

 

[Katarzyna]

yes, onder if its good idea to just give it like 6 months and not sell anything... to see what will happen.. but I think this trend will continue... but not sure ... although with financial degree, I have such vague memory of finance and follow currency on bloomberg.com at best so cannot really say where its all going.. But thought If I should turn into rental only and no sale for a wile.. just to see what happens... well that's just an idea...

 

[Katarzyna]

oh there is another option, buy Laura a ticket to NY, and pay her handsomly for some sowing lessons..

 

[GJB]

The truly rich Americans can handle the dollar issues. The rest of us will just have to figure out another way to get decent dresses and coachings.

No doubt the rich won't be affected. As for the rest of us, we should just boycott. Prices are outrageous. Let them starve. Well, I know that isn't going to happen. I better hurry up and get better because my raises are paltry compared to the increasing cost of lessons.

 

[Katarzyna]

lol I just got my 4% ... its like... NOTHING

 

[GJB]

Boycott ! Boycott ! : )

 

[DanceMentor]

I'm expecting this year to continue to see the dollar weaken, but most likely we will see it strengthen again in 2009. What is happening right now is people are investing in commodities like oil and gold, and getting rid of dollars.

You figure dresses sell at comps for $3500-4500 range, so buying from Europe at $2000-2750 should continue to be a bargain. Over in Eastern Europe the GDP per capita is still around $10000 US per year, so to make $1000 profit on a dress is going to continue to be worth 2-4 weeks worth of work.

Even recently, I have seen quotes for dresses that were sub-$2000 from companies in Western Europe, and even less in Eastern Europe. It will take quite a while for any dramatic changes to really set in to the point that it makes a tremendous difference. If that happens, we are going to need to learn how to sew here in the USA. And there are quite a few people that have come to the USA in the last few years that not only know how to dance, but also know how to sew.

 

[Kitty]

I'm expecting this year to continue to see the dollar weaken, but most likely we will see it strengthen again in 2009. What is happening right now is people are investing in commodities like oil and gold, and getting rid of dollars.

you could make a case for that: if the housing crisis will be helped by time and by the improved interest rates, if the economy does well, and if the Fed increases the interest rates due to inflation pressure..
or you could make a case that the $ will continue to fall due to the weakened economy, inflation, rising energy prices, housing and credit crisis, import/export imbalance and national debt, and finally, due to strengthening of other currencies (euro, yuan)

so it is all unpredictable, affected big time by small things, even by the bad weather in some oil country..
cannot predict anything currency-wise.

dress prices.. are definitely rising in Europe. Seems like they are falling in the US though.
Chrisanne dot us, for example, had a sale with some smooth and standard gowns available for under $2000, to answer Larindas question.

 

[elisedance]

Suggestion for dresses: find a local seamstress. What you may loose in european styling you gain in price and in satisfaction. My first dress was made in toronto and I am just comissioning my second one with the same woman. I get to visit her and discuss style and material, show her things on the internet that I think are interesting and have as many fittings as I want. In addition, when the dress needs an adjustment (for example, lost weight ) she does it for next to nothing and perfectly. Oh, and its also cheaper and there are no shipping charges/hassles.

I realize there are hazzards with this approach - but not if you ask around and get personal recommendations. By the way, anyone in the area (Toronto) that wants the contact by all means PM.