So my trip to Germany is coming up and im wondering what to buy that is either its cheaper than here or unique to Germany only thats not food. Electronics? Shoes? And yes i bought the Rimowas and watches in previous trips.
What to Buy from Germany?
NotAnAudiophile on 04/03/2018 - 08:09
Comments
DAS BOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!!!!
But only the 5.5 Hours version
way too many to choose from, massive tourist trap.
Bratwurst
I know you said "not food" but i have to mention Currywurst - from a street food vendor. Very very tasty
Greece.
you win
Toothpaste
Swiss Army knives. Even cheaper than Switzerland in some parts of Germany.
I always wanted a nice swiss army knife but trying to bring it back here would probably cause more problems.
Not a problem if you put it in your check in luggage, don't try your carry on or you will lose it. We usually travel with one because they are useful and the only time we have had any issues at all was when they xrayed our luggage for Eurostar and then they just wanted to know what it was as it was just a blob on the xray.
I pretty much always travel with my leatherman - because you never know when you'll need to fix something small.
Took 2 back from Switzerland in my checked in luggage, no problem.
Merc
Enjoy the BMW taxis.
So…who is going to say BMWs are the "Toyotas" of Germany whereas Mercedes are luxury, and will they be upvoted or downvoted?
Both are the commodores/falcons of Germany but as with here they come in various trim levels/standards of luxury.
No. They aren’t the ‘luxury’ marques they are here, but the arena good step above an Opel.
And Maybach is the Caprice/Fairlane?
@Burnertoasty: Absolutely, but I do head back over to see family fairly regularly and these cars are everywhere.
Personally I drive an AMG GLE63s so naturally have a bit of a preference to the Merc brand.
Farmers buy Mercedes in Germany.
Proper Germans like VW and Porsche.
Im ashamed to admit i drive an amg. Let the amg jokes begin….
@NotAnAudiophile: I'm not ashamed to say that I have a Golf and a Cayman.
I was telling the service rep the other day that all my friends bought Mercs because of the horsepower and he laughed and said - get them on a track and you'll leave them for dead.
@vinni9284: AMG drivers seem to be the butt of jokes nowadays. And I'm going to the AMG factory near Stuttgart during my trip =(
That would be awesome!
I'd love to get an AMG C63 … at least a 2011 model.
I have read the earlier models had engine bolt issues.
Cheers
@vinni9284: Its alright i suppose. I'd already gone to the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart on my last trip. Also covered BMW museum, Autostadt (VW) in past trips. The Autostadt is definitely something though!
@NotAnAudiophile: They all have a purpose, I grew up in a family racing Porsches but love my GLE63s for daily driving/etc.
@snook: Doubt it in a regular Cayman. Unless it’s the S it’s not a particularly fast car. Even the S is slower than most AMG in a straight line. Probably around a race track too, unless it’s racing an S class or GLE
@Burnertoasty: How is a straight line anything but boring? I'd fall asleep in a straight line. A normal Cayman will outperform any AMG up Macquarie Pass and tbh, that's the only kind of driving I like.
@snook: Mate Caymans are fine cars, but they are stupidly expensive for what you get here. They are outclassed, because Porsche Australia seems to think that they are above other German brands. In overseas markets the prices make sense, where a base Cayman would compete with cars like the Z4 in the $70-80k range, but here they pump up the price so the competition just mauls them. No way a base Cayman, with no LSD, and low power could keep up with a C63S, unless it was driven by a grandma. The C63 almost doubles it’s power for the same money, and it handles well enough for the Cayman not to have an overall advantage.
There's not a lot of stuff that's cheap enough to buy just because it's cheap. Is there anything you're particularly interested in?
Cuckoo clock
Don't buy a swastika
Don't think you'll find them in Germany. Look locally, or perhaps parts of USA for those.
4 people have negged this post saying “Don’t buy a swastika.”
It said Don’t buy.
I can only assume that 4 people are Nazis or Nazi sympathisers.
OP want to say "swastika" , but too afraid with OZB-sometimes-unreasonable penalty box for being ultra sensitive
Hardly. The negs would be for the fact that the topic of swastikas is being brought up in an attempt to be funny, simply because the thread is about Germany. It speaks nothing but ignorance.
It's like if I said "what should I bring back from Japan?" and someone replies "don't bring back a whale carcass lololol".
Sie spielt die beleidigte Leberwurst
I'll leave you with the Honecker joke scene from Das Leben Der Anderen
Dr Jordan Peterson has some excellence speak about that topic too,search on youtube for him
A Porsche GT3 :-P
The TurboS model is better… less turbo lag and AWD, better sports car.
Although it's heavier and has less Max HP, and a smaller bodykit/spoiler. But it's more practical than a full-blown track/racing car.
You also forgot to mention Yellow Calipers :-)
I'll take them all! No issues for me :-P
Cheers
I find it hard to believe the 911 Turbo has less turbo lag than a 911 GT3 ;)
The GT3/S model and the Turbo S model both have a single turbocharger. However, the track cars (GT3's) have larger turbochargers and so they have more turbo lag.
It's impossible to have the other way, because of the laws of physics. I remember a $400,000 Custom EVO (8 ?) which was one of the fastest cars out there, only because, it had a massive Turbo. However, once you got down in 60km/h, you pretty much got stuck there, as the laaag was so bad that it crawled to 110km/h or so until the turbo kicked in. It was a very stupid car, very unbalanced.
However, I should mention although the GT3 models have more turbo lag… they do compensate for it by upgrading other internal units to relieve some of it (used to be more displacement). So overall it's still good, just not as great as the "Turbo S" which is Porsche's best car (sans the hybrid-electric P18).
All 911 GT3s so far are N/A.
Next gen GT3 may be turbo.
Are you confusting the GT3 with the GT2?
@JB1:
Yeah I did, my bad.
Still… it's not what costs the most from Porsche that is important, which was my point, it's about which car has better properties that's keys(individual-electric-engines-on-all-wheels > turbo+rear-engine+AWD > supercharge+mid-engine+RWD > na+front-engine+FWD, in general)
@JB1:
Specs:
911 Turbo S
https://www.porsche.com/australia/models/911/911-turbo-model…911 GT3
https://www.porsche.com/australia/models/911/911-gt3-models/…
911 Turbo S - Exclusive Series
https://www.porsche.com/australia/models/911/911-turbo-s-exc…
Cheers
@Kangal: Man, you shouldn’t be giving advice on cars at all.
The GT3 is renouned as the greatest NA car on the market and I believe it’s the only NA Porsche for sale. It’s car 101. Then to say call electric motors engines, and try to create your own bullshit heirachy of engine/drive layouts is just icing on the cake.
It’s like you’ve found a new level of stupid.
I'm very well versed with Porsches. Call it a boyhood obsession.
That's how I picked up how Kangal mixed up the GT3 with the GT2.
There is some hope that the next GT3 will remain NA.
Probably greater chance than me affording a new one :(
@JB1: He didn't mix anything up, he has no idea what he is talking about. He also said the Turbo S has a single turbo, when its well known as a twin turbo model, and has been since the 1980s. He's literally making it up as he goes. It's like he's forgotten he's on the internet, and he thinks bullshit flies here. Oh and he called the 918 a P18. It's just embarrassing.
Don't be too harsh on Kangal.
I would have been confused too with the top-ended Porsche N/A and turbo models.
Lets just appreciate these beasts :-)
Cheers
@JB1:
Totally understand the boyhood obsession.
Good pick-up!
I think it can easily turn into a manhood obsession .. if it is not already :-)
Cheers
@vinni9284: It wasn't one mistake, it was a multitude, and you didn't start shooting your mouth off like a self proclaimed expert.
I said "my bad" ; )
I was obsessed with Porsches for a long time. However, that was quite many years ago. I did know them quite intricately, although my memory has failed me this time. And I was sort of in a rush to post that on my tea break, so I didn't get a chance to proof read, and I can't go back and edit it/correct it now. You are right about somethings, but not everything.My point still stands: higher price does not equate to better car.
And I genuinely think the better technology now is to do away with AWD-systems of yore and ICE, but rather have four independent electric motors on each wheel. Why? Because I am a man of Science and not Religion. I don't fanboy and defend something trivial like "Real Cars have Stick-Shift", but rather I respect the facts "oh, this automatic is quicker, interesting"… if that helps you see my line of thinking. The reason why I said 4-eMotors should be superior is because a system like that would mean instant reaction/power delivery and management of traction. And the instant torque you get from electric motors can mean unreal acceleration, not to mention the efficiency. There's no need for gearing either. The only barriers left are to improve battery systems to be able to hold higher energy densities at lower weight. I wrote "in general" above but it should've read "in my humble opinion", I wasn't shooting my off in your mouth, that wasn't what I wanted, as vinni9284 could see. All this talk still doesn't bring me closer to affording one, no, not even the OzBargain-Regular Orange Collectible LEGO.
@Kangal: No, everything I said is right and everything you said is wrong. And believe me, you won’t ‘shoot off in my mouth’. It seems that you think your opinion counts for something, but the fact is, that with the amount of bullshit you’ve been posting, it means nothing. This wasn’t a case of your ‘memory failing you’, you were just plain making shit up, and trying to pass it off as fact.
Birkenstock's are really cheap in Germany and sold at low end department stores (similar to our Big W / Kmart)
Just keep in mind that they are seasonal so you will have a hard time finding them outside of the summer months.
Tapestries. Inspect them first.
Chocolate is cheap.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade reference +1 upvote for you sir
Did you try to ask for a VAT refund/German TRS (19% off)? It's faster if you use your credit/debit card to buy the item.
https://www.berlin.de/en/tourism/travel-information/1741381-…Marklin HO Model trains - go to Goppingen near Stuttgart also have a huge working layout and a museum and not far from Porsche museum
worth 40 percent more here Germany can ship up to 20 kg packages for around 65 aud flat rate so you don't need to bring back on flight buy last day of trip they'll arrive in about 10 days
I would love to see a picture of your setup.
Not much as I just moved from a place with 25 ft x 12 ft space in garage to 2 bed unit so all now is bare 8 x 4 with a 3 way switch into loops etc its done with c track and I run a few steamers and one electric at times moving again at end of lease so not doing more till I relocate and then probably do s shelf based end to end ladder and shunt scenario.
Look online for vids of Marklin layout at goppingen huge and well done with aircraft landings at airport etc
Thanks. Will do. Hope you find room, soon, so you can setup again.
Where do you get your shipping prices? Please provide a link as that is quite interesting.
I get my model shop in Germany to ship all my stuff in one box they charged about E 65 for that last order was 14 kg in pretty big box containing 4 boxed full trains sets and some odd tracks and such
Sorry in my previous post I did say aud my mistake it was just a habit of writing aud they use German post DHL but remember they are a business with lots of shipping and probably get it cheaper than the average bloke
Want more info go to German Post
65 Euro for 14kg sound about right. I know it was around 120 Euro for a 32kg parcel I sent before.
Often businesses do not charge the whole cost. I order about 20-30 parcel each year from Germany and I know that they actual cost is about double of what we are charged but maybe that is to compensate for the fact that they do not send to us without German GST (or MwSt).@Lysander:
can't you claim back their GST?
what happens if you are in Germany yourself and supervised dispatch when you leave the country can't you get gst refund I remember yrs ago on leaving UK for home we could show receipts and get some backAt airport in person maybe/probably. Businesses need to register or go to the local custom office which the businesses we deal with are not prepared to do. Amazon does and the bigger companies do it but not the majority of small businesses.
@Lysander:
In my case looking at the prices my seller charges it is 10 euros ave less than the German market price so guess he doesn't add gst to o/s orders he is an eBay seller
A piece of the Berlin Wall* from a souvenir shop
*The piece is probably from the Wall, but the painting on it is not original and therefore fake. It could be a completely counterfeit piece of concrete too, but hey, one piece of concrete looks just like any other for 10 Euros.
It was a pretty long wall, and they're pretty small pieces, and I think Germans are pretty strict on consumer laws; I choose to believe that it is real. When you think about it, whoever had the foresight to collect up a bunch of industrial scrap from the wall in the early 90's has been making bank for nearly 30 years now.
I went to Germany and Austria a couple of years ago and mostly ended up bringing home various food such as chocolate, cakes, cheese (yes, Customs AU allows in cheese from FMD free countries). Apart from tacky souvenirs, everything they have there can be purchased here, and you're not burdening a relative with a cuckoo clock (made in China unless it costs a fortune) that they hate but feel compelled to display because you bought it for them.
If you cycle, they sell bicycle lights with much better optics than the usual ones sold here
Really? Do you have an example?
Have a look at Busch and Muller. The ixon IQ premium had good reviews when I was looking a few years ago. I bought the Core model but it wasn't quite bright enough for me. German laws prohibit the usual lights that are used here and instead bicycle lights have optics similar to car lights so that light is focussed towards the road, reducing the likelihood of blinding other road users
As part of ozbargain im ashamed to say i already own a german car so thats out. I guess my interests are electronics or daily items that can last a long time due to being made in Germany or Europe. Last trip i bought tax free Rimowa luggage and a Picard leather work bag. Sennheiser headphones? Doubt they would be cheap there though. Birkenstocks? Arent they primarily good at sandals?
Christmas pyramid. Made in the Dresden area, and exquisite craftsmanship.
Get headphones, good quality ones. I know Beyerdynamics are made in Germany but you may find some better brands over there.
Check out Canton Speakers. Beautifully crafted, and amazing sounding speakers. I know they sound like a Chinese brand, but they are actually German. Will last you a lifetime.
Ouch, just saw your username…Ah well, just get a swastika or something.
Man, all I can think of now is Bienenstich. I had a friend whose parents were German when I was at school - her mother made the best cakes.
VW's
Just hack another brand to cheat on emissions.
Germany has gone a bit nutty the other way, and has allowed large cities to ban all diesel vehicles that don't meet Euro 6. So basically, any vehicle older than 2015. Potentially millions of perfectly good, near new vehicles will need to be dumped onto the second hand market in poorer countries.
Dumped? Oh those poor countries about to receive near-new Mercedes real cheap??
@LoopyLou: Mercedes, and SEAT, VW, Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, Audi, BMW, Opel, Skoda, etc. Not all Germans drive luxury cars.
And I'm sure those Germans living in Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, etc will be delighted to know that they are being forced to sell their near new cars at a heavy loss, but gosh, someone in Poland will get a bargain so it's all good. Selling the car also just moves the source of pollution. Unless the 2015 diesel vehicle is scrapped it will still be travelling on European roads for a decade or more to come.
Hela Curry Sauce It's gorgeous.
Ritter sport.
Milka bar.Try a bratwurst/ currywurst.
Yes I know you said no food.. but these are defo worth a go.
I remember the rumour going around about the radioactive contaminated Milka chocolate that was dumped in Australia after the chernobyl nuclear plant melt down.
"They" said it was traveling by train and got contaminated and the Germans wouldn't accept it back, so they sent it to Australia.
Ridiculous when you actually think about it logically, but the playground was abuzz with this story. It was my first foray into conspiracy theories (that and KFC is made from rabbits, and McD's Apple Pies are chokos).
Yep, came here to suggest curry sauce, it's stupidly expensive here. I'm down to my pay bottle :(
yeah, had heaps of currywurst last trip. Even went to VW museum and had their VW Wurst there!
But did you go to the currywurst museum?
good idea! No, only a street stand….
Bundt cake tins.
Have you seen the price of combi's here now.
Buy a dozen (with steering wheel on the correct side) to import and make your fortune.
Most have evaporated here.
We used to cut out the rear wheel arches and stick aircraft tyres on, then take them up the beach camping , nice and light if you were turned over by a big wave , racing the tide.
Beer stein