What to buy in the states.

[sawtooth]

Travelling to the U.S. later this month, its been years since I was over there and not sure when I'll be back. So I will try and seize the opportunity to buy some things whilst over there to bring back.

Question is what to buy that will either be cheaper over there or perhaps something that I wouldnt find over here. Any ideas?

I'm thinking maybe buying a new cart bag and filling it with goodies and making out that I have been on a golfing trip

 

[Oddsocks]

a pint in hooters,

 

[brendy]

To be honest, electronics and not much else. Ipads etc might well be cheaper.

 

[DappaDonDave]

Jolly ranchers and anything deemed to be blue raspberry...wtf is a blue raspberry!!!

 

[sawtooth]

yep with you on that will stock up on sweets and chocolate , although I can now get hershey bars from my local garden center.

May also frequent hooters, I've heard the beers pretty good there

Cheers Brendy will check out the local electronic stores.

 

[CliveW]

A group of us go to Florida every February and to be honest there is very little difference between prices in the US and UK.
As for Hooters, we were there a couple of years ago and I felt like a paedofile. They are just too young!

 

[sawtooth]

A group of us go to Florida every February and to be honest there is very little difference between prices in the US and UK.
As for Hooters, we were there a couple of years ago and I felt like a paedofile. They are just too young!

OK maybe I wont.

I can remember a time when you could get 2 USD to a pound but the exchange rate isnt that great at the moment.

 

[Phil2511]

iPads are cheaper, I was looking myself as a friend is going over soon. Majority of electrical goods are less. With laptops they may only be slightly less but you will find that they are actually better.
What I mean is the processors etc here are usually 2 steps behind the states.

If you are looking to bring back golf gear then best bet is to take over a golf bag travel case. Then on return you will just be putting in a new bag and shinies but shouldn't have to pay the extra baggage charges if prepaid or used as your luggage allowance. Just stick your clothes in it going out and a pencil bag with clubs and fit your clothes in around it when returning.
At least then you will have the outbound luggage tag to show if they question the new shinies on way back lol

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I was in Florida last April and it isn't much cheaper than here anymore for most stuff. The clothes shops had some good sales on at the time but the golf stuff wasn't much different.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

I'm off to Vegas in April for a wedding so am reading this thread with interest

 

[need_my_wedge]

A group of us go to Florida every February and to be honest there is very little difference between prices in the US and UK.

Depends on what you're after. Essentially Florida is very tourist orientated, they hike the prices a bit. My mum lived in Minnesota until last summer, prices there were stupid cheap for clothes compared to here e.g. Levi's for $20 dollars......But I agree, golf gear isn't that different in price to the UK.

To find better bargains, head to the smaller towns. You can find a lot of good bargains on clothes. Electronics are also cheaper, but remember, you only have approx £150 allowance per person to bring back - if customs do stop you and catch you with that iPad, you'll have to pay tax, which will put it back close to the UK price.....

I bought a golf carry bag about 4 years back, price was dollars to pounds, but the exchange rate was much better then, isn't that good now. When I was over last year, the Golf Galaxy prices weren't so different to here, and wasn't worth buying anything.

 

[TheMetalMan0]

if customs do stop you and catch you with that iPad, you'll have to pay tax, which will put it back close to the UK price.....

Take it out of the box and put it in your hand luggage! If you really want the box then get it shipped to yourself. They work out quite a bit cheaper over there.

 

[MetalMickie]

I have been a pretty regular visitor to US in recent times and in my experience golf gear is pretty well the same price as UK (not like 30 years ago when I first went). However, the choice & shaft options etc; is usually much greater.
The only things that tend to be cheaper are balls and, due to weight, how many of them are you going to bring back.
Have a good trip & enjoy.

 

[jeardley]

I'm playing Sawgrass in 3 weeks and hoping to bring back a 910d2 and a fairway wood.
some clubs seem a bit cheaper whilst iron sets are about the same... dunno why

Also some makes like titelist when it comes to stand / cart bags have different styles and
colours that are only available in the states... which is nice

 

[need_my_wedge]

Take it out of the box and put it in your hand luggage! If you really want the box then get it shipped to yourself. They work out quite a bit cheaper over there.

Yep, and cut labels off of clothing and wear them before you return....... plenty of things you could do, not that I do do..........Was just highlighting the point

 

[Ethan]

It is always worth looking in some of the stores, if only to see some of the stuff that doesn't sell so well over here. The big Edwin Watts in Orlando (Turkey Lake Road) is a great store, and the staff are pretty helpful.

Savings these days are much less than they used to be, but you can do OK on some clearance lines which they tend to savagely reduce, and sometimes you can stuff earlier than UK release, but not so much these days. Check prices out on the website before you go. Don't forget sales tax, which is not in the sticker price, but added at the cash register. The Club Glove travel cover is much easier to pick up over there, and if you want to do a Rickie Fowler and get a bag branded with one of the US college logos, Edwin Watts usually carries those too.

Clothes are much cheaper than the UK. Macy's is a good mid-market department store, and they often have sales and promotions. Ralph Lauren, Hilfiger, Calvin Klein etc are a lot cheaper.

Hershey's chocolate is disgusting. Ghirardelli's is not bad though.

 

[Monty_Brown]

As has been said, the days of the US being dirt cheap for golf equipment have sadly passed. Not a great deal of difference on current exchange rates. The old trick of people dirtying up new sets of irons on hotel lawns to sneak them through customs as not new has gone! And if you get clobbered for duty on the way, back its even worse. Although allowances are fairly generous these days.

I would still say that golf clothing is cheaper. Look for an outlet centre and you will get some really good bargains on polo shirts etc. I was in Florida in October and timed it well for the sale for a public holiday. Ralph Lauren RLX polo shirts reduced to 25 bucks in Macys, if you can fit into smalls and mediums which funnily enough seem to be the ones left on the shelves!

So it's not as good as it was, but still some bargains to be had if you look.

If you are ever in the US for Thanksgiving, you can go shopping on Black Friday, when the offers are mind-boggling. I went to Macy's in New York, and it made the Harrod's sale look like a WI coffee morning... absolutely brutal. Someone was killed in the stampede in an electronics store as well that year...

 

[CliveW]

I'm playing Sawgrass in 3 weeks

As we are heading to Florida in Feb. I would be interested to hear how you arranged to play Sawgrass and how much it costs. We normally wait until a week before going to book our courses, sometimes only the day before playing as there are some great deals then. I'm sure some of our guys would jump at the chance to play Sawgrass.

 

[Val]

If you aint fussed on current models you can get some right bargains.

I bought a TM Burner 3 wood for $89 and a rescue $74, both last summer, both 2009 models and both brand new.

Generally as golf gear goes I buy 200 wooden tees from Wallmart for $5 and the last me years and I do pick up gloves which can be the same in USD as GBP here, as for new clubs and driver current models, there aint much if any saving, best saving I have seen is odyssey putters which appear to be of similar price in USD as GBP, golf shoes if your in the market you can save £10 on £100 pair of shoes, i got a pair of dryjoys tour for $146 last year also, around £115 to buy here at the time.

In Orlando they have an Under Armour outlet so you can get good polo's there reasonably price but Golf Galaxy and Edwin Watts selection was easily as expensive as over here for all polo's.

 

[Monty_Brown]

In Orlando they have an Under Armour outlet so you can get good polo's there reasonably price but Golf Galaxy and Edwin Watts selection was easily as expensive as over here for all polo's.

Under Armour is absolutely huge in the States now... you see almost as many people in UA as Nike... it will be massive over here soon as well. Flying under the radar a bit in the Uk so far but they make great gear, esp for cold weather.