I don't think your comment was unreasonble. It's entirely reasonable from the standpoint of if something is made at a price in the US at the same level, then what's the difference in the UK? I don't know the answer to that aside from making the side point that LN probably operates "solvently" at their price level much because they're in maine and partially due to them not making rash actions.
Stuff made in the US tends to be cheaper here than it is in the UK, and other things imported from neither place can be cheaper here due to volume. We get shelled on stuff from Europe or UK, though. Like the Marshall UK amplifiers (and probably all Marshall). For whatever reason (I'd love to know what it is), distribution and retailing makes the marshall amp price much higher than UK or europe even after they've added vat and
before we add sales tax.
Part of the answer to that is that marshall can get it here and I guess not in europe. But for overseas (especially first world goods) items, we often have someone with exclusive distribution here and the price is very high.
Shapton stones are a good example - some of the pro stones in the US cost twice the Japan cost. Which is interesting because they're regarded as a basic commodity stone in Japan (not hard to find a 12k pro on buyee for the equivalent of $55 from a retailer
including shipping and 9% japan consumption tax).
The name-adjusted version of same here in the states for a long time was well over $100 (125-140). The gap was made up by touting the capability and higher end nature of the stones. Which just wasn't factually true in my opinion.
AT the time I'm talking about H. Stanley was the source of US market stones. I have no clue what his share was as distributor (it would've been the retailers tacking on, too), but you could just buy the stones from japan and pay EMS shipping and pay far less.
We also have a US distributor of chosera stones - those aren't that cheap in japan, but to be cost competitive, apparently, a second line of stones came up and was distributed here (one distribution point) with the statement that the chosera stones were too expensive to make so a smaller replacement was being offered. This also turned out to be factually false - I saw them sold on japan yahoo new at retail for a long time and a quick look now shows that amazon fulfillment just sells the stones:
https://www.amazon.com/Naniwa-Chose...ocphy=9005947&hvtargid=pla-348082930249&psc=1
When someone here, china, japan, whatever, has a whole bunch of things like japanese diamond hones or exclusive japanese stones sent surface mail and listed for a small markup, I guess it torpedoes someone who has exclusive distribution rights, but it gives us a bit of a shocker in terms of true cost of distribution.
Atoma is another example - limited distribution appx 2010 and cost in the US was $105+shipping.
Now just sent to amazon fulfillment and sold third party - $58 including shipping for a #140 made in japan bench stone.
Sorry for the too-long answer, those things just stick in my head because I always remember the things we pay more for due to distribution and I think the overseas sentiment is everything here is cheap. Most things sold here that are made here are cheaper here unless another market won't tolerate it (e.g., gibson guitars are cheaper in japan than they are here despite being made here - because the japanese market apparently just won't pay gibson's advertisable price as they have a number of domestic guitar makers who make guitars just as well for cheaper than even their lower price).
It does give me a bit of a wedgie to see gibson's guitars for 10% less in japan after they add a 9% consumption tax (our prices are before sales tax). They're getting the same thing for somewhere around 18% less once you do up the ratios.
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