anyone remember those hakko 888d sales at fry's?

[Sniping]

i miss that **** cuz i never bought one while it was on sale and now they're all expensive everywhere. was so weird that they put it on sale like every other weekend for a year and then just stopped altogether all of a sudden.

[jamster]

Hey, at least you are in the US where they are cheap all the time!

They cost at least 50% more anywhere else  :/

[tp4tissue]

Tp4 got dat 888 for $70 from frys, free shipping 2

[yui]

well you can get 936 clones for very cheap... about half that price, for occasional use it is plenty good enough even managed to solder 10 yampads with one, but for sure they are not nearly as nice, well from what i gathered, i only got experience with hakko tips and they do last a lot longer than the random ones i bought on ebay before, but also cost a lot more...

[jamster]

Tp4 got dat 888 for $70 from frys, free shipping 2

 

Okay, make that 100% instead of 50% more 

[tp4tissue]

Tp4 got dat 888 for $70 from frys, free shipping 2

 

Okay, make that 100% instead of 50% more 

the Low US price may have popularized the 888 model,  hence the higher price now.

[jamster]

Tp4 got dat 888 for $70 from frys, free shipping 2

 

Okay, make that 100% instead of 50% more 

the Low US price may have popularized the 888 model,  hence the higher price now.

Nah, that's just how things usually are. Electronics (and lots of other things) are just cheaper in the US. Bigger market, more competition, less scope for individual distributors to lock down regions.