Re: Scope prices
Lots of reasons, in new scopes prices have gone up in most of them due to the falling dollar, and the fact that the majority of their components come from overseas, so they are paying more for the parts to build the scope. Some have come down a bit due to the falling Euro as well.
Used scope prices continue to amaze me what people will pay for a used optic that in most cases has no warranty and unknown history. Most of them on this board are priced within 5% of what you can buy them for new from a dealer, especially if you make a couple of calls, in many cases MORE than what you can get them from with a couple of calls, it's a joke. I don't blame the seller, price it as the market will give, if people are dumb enough to pay it, good for the seller. Myself I'll never give $2000 for a used scope with no warranty that I can buy new for $2200 from a dealer with warranty.
In many cases if you use coupons or say ebays live 8% discount, or consider the free rings many dealers throw in the used scopes on the for sale section end up being MORE than a new scope from a authorized dealer with warranty. In fact finding a scope actually priced less then 90% of new is so rare I don't even bother to waste my time looking anymore. The amount of time you'd have to spend to not only find, but then be the first guy to jump on a good deal it worth way way more than the money saved ever would be.