I was looking for a Barbour Wax jacket for my son, and I see it advertised in Switzerland at CHF 449 and I think, hmm, that's not bad, seems reasonable.

Then I look at a website in the UK, and see it priced at GBP 259 and I think, wow, that's expensive!! Even though it's about CHF 150 cheaper than the Swiss price.

Back to front thinking I know, but I wonder if anyone else thinks like this??

Did you know that the 20 Swiss Franc note was once nicknamed a pound? As from 1945 to 1949 a pound was worth CHF 17.35.

Ever since then the pound lost value against the Swiss franc. For a long time the rule of thumb 1£ = 2 CHF or even 2.5 CHF could be used.

The surprising thing is that 1£ is now worth less than 1.2 CHF

And the US $ : https://fxtop.com/en/historical-exch...J=0&MM1Y=0&TR=

No, but then again I would not think of paying CHF 449 or GBP 259 for a jacket in the first place....

All the time despite living in Switzerland for over 11 years.

I think what it comes down to is your anchor point. In the time I have lived in Switzerland there has basically been no inflation (outside of housing), whereas the UK has had plenty and I still expect things to cost what they do when I left.

A great example is eating out. „You want how much for a starter?“ and then I convert it to CHF and realise that my caviar encrusted foie gras is still cheaper than a Blattsalat in Zurich.

Do those prices include VAT?

Or are they like Marks & Sparks’ Swiss web-site where they simply add the Swiss 7.7% VAT on top of the UK (including 20% UK VAT) selling price. And then they add shipping.

Yes, both include VAT. I have it sent to Italy using a service called "Indabox" so the VAT is not deducted and postage is £10. I know the VAT element is more than the extortionate fee charged by Swiss Post to clear, but Barbour will not send to Switzerland. I buy through Outdoor and Country and on top had a £ 20 voucher off to use.

I had a North Face wax jaket. Really a problem when it got so dirty that i had to wash it. The wax was immediately gone and it really did not look good. Would advise yoe againt it

Get Gortex, still 100% waterproof after 50 washes. Probably slightly more expensive than the ones in this thread.

Sometimes the priciest option turns out to be the cheapest. My jacket is solid after 10yr, no matter what I do in it. It was the best gift.

A North Face wax jacket is not a Barbour wax jacket, now is it? Anyway, wax jackets are meant to look like you inherited it from your grandparents, a bit of muck is part of the appeal. I've been to the Barbour factory several times and always buy my stuff there; great customer service and their staff usually stays with them for decades, so they must be doing something right. They have a great repair service too, I saw one lady bring in a jacket that had fallen prey to her new Labrador puppy and they said she'd have it back in ten days. I don't have a classic wax jacket (I don't like the smell) but some other version of a waterproof fabric jacket from them and have been happy with it for coming up to ten years now.

you can re-coat jackets, but a tip is not to wash waterproof coats with detergents containing enzymes. a lot of different waterproofing finishes are eaten away by the enzymes.

I think an awful lot depends who you hang out with... I probably have less than a handful of expat friends, so I tend to have a more Swiss perspective on costs. And most people I know tend to be very careful about how they spend their money.

You can’t put a wax jacket in the washing machine!

https://www.rydale.com/blogs/news/ho...h-a-wax-jacket

They get like that naturally very quickly if you wear them in and around a farm.

I know farmers who keep their Barbour for best and wear a cheap imitation for actual farm work.
No one spends 250 quid on a jacket and then goes and mucks out the pigs with it on.

My first thought is "Why Barbour and not Belstaff?". I got over 15yrs wear out of my last Belstaff waxed jacket which was worn daily for 9 months of the year when walking my dog, and was treated annually with Nikwax.

To answer your point though, I did exactly the same when we bought our freezer.

To answer some of the above, I really like Barbour products and they suit me. My oldest Gilet is now 40 years (I have 3) old and my Barbour Wax jacket about 20. I wax it once a year and while not like new, it certainly does not look 20 years old. My fleeces are also great to wear, especially on those cold bu dry winter days. Even at -10c they kept me nice and warm.

What I find now is when I visit my house in Scotland for a week or two, by the end of it I'm saying to friends and family I'm ready to go home, "home" being Basel

If you are careful, you can find some decent used ones on Ricardo. Make sure you know your size and the differences between the models. If you go too old the oil can be rancid though.

What if you wear it and walk through a car wash with the wax program selected

I have a C&A water proof coat that lasted me for more than 10 years now, has waterproof zippers and a removable liner. Knowing me it must have been at most 100 chf, but this was back when the euro was still 1.45 chf.