IMHO (and in agreement with Russ) I’d say the asking prices for these are on the high side. Converting to US dollars that’s $3000-3500. It would have to be a pretty special Essence to actually sell for that price in the US. I’d say that $2000-2500 is a more typical selling (not initial asking) price. However, Alembics do tend to sell for more in Europe than in the US. Usually, one purchased in the US is going to be more of a bargain, but it’s not necessarily because of customs.
If the international seller is willing to fill out the paperwork and provides proof that Alembic is a U.S. company and the bass was made here, than “repatriation” duties are pretty much non existent. I’ve purchased two Alembics from outside of the US and didn’t pay customs duties on either. Shipping, however, is another story. The US shipping costs from the mothership to Minnesota for a bass that just finished an Alembic electronics upgrade was $216 with over $100 of that for insurance. I’d hazard to think what shipping and insurance would be from Spain or other EU countries.
