Cost of Epaulettes- a case in point

[Abiel]

UK Sp&s catalogue. £9.99 per pair. £2.95 p+p


Australian website. $7.15 per pair $5 p+p


£10 = $24 australian dollars.

$7 aus dollars= £2.84

 

[JoshuaCh1v9]

Do SP&S give a reason for this?

Come to that, has anyone asked them?

 

[JoshuaCh1v9]

I think also that it's a case of swings and roundabouts.

A set of band tune books will set you back AUD$77.00 (about $31)

They can be purchased in Britain for $17

 

[Abiel]

Don't need a band book!

 

[JoshuaCh1v9]

Don't need a band book!

Just using that as a demonstartion that not everything in Oz is cheaper than the UK

Besides, you MIGHT need some one day....

 

[Abiel]

Ahh- but that's not the only point here. It would seem that epaulettes cost much much less than £9.99 to make. That's ok. Companies exist to make a profit. It would seem they cost less than £3 to make.

The profit margins on Salvation Army uniforms are extremely high. And so to on band books it wold seem.

 

[TheDag]

if though you insist that people wear uniform then it matters more than band books as you don't need to be in the band. i think that is a difference that should be considered.

 

[JoshuaCh1v9]

Unless someone is rather well off financially, usually only the essentials are bought from Trade.

For example, mens uniform shoes are about sixty quid in Trade.

Almost the same thing in ASDA is about a tenner.

 

[JoshuaCh1v9]

Another example are shirts/blouses.

We don't HAVE to have the ones with the Armys name embroidered on them, nice though they look.

White shirts and blouses can be bought from ASDA for around £4 or £5 each, far cheaper than at Trade.

We can't get around the Tunic and Trousers/Skirt issue. Nor ties, caps etc.

But these things are noty bought often and will last for years if cared for well.

Personally, I do not consider the price of a BigMac each week to be too great a price to pay for the honour of serving in the ranks of the Army.

 

[Abiel]

Indeed. But I want my Big Mac Uniform to either A) represent excellent commercial value for money or B) be manufactured fair trade, preferably in an SA factory creating work for someone.

 

[JoshuaCh1v9]

Indeed. But I want my Big Mac Uniform to either A) represent excellent commercial value for money or B) be manufactured fair trade, preferably in an SA factory creating work for someone.

I had to buy a suit for a wedding a few weeks ago and it cost me £100 and that was on offer at a factory outlet.

So the uniform prices, I would argue, are competitive with the rest of the market.

As for them being made in an SA factory, I have doubts as to whether we sell sufficiant quantities to make it viable.

 

[whyperion]

Hi , I am in the UK and tend to wear the 'Normal' Bandsman's uniform.
Only problem is that when walking to Band Practice/ Sunday Worship I sometimes get stopped and asked to help / assist someone .
Do I (a) , Walk a route that will avoid meeting people , (b) Say , Sorry , I have another engagement that is more important than you are ,
or (c) assist in the best practical way that I am able to , and risk being moaned at later for being late / absent by my bandmaster/commanding officer ?

The other week ( not in uniform ) , I was planning to spend an hour delivering 'RedShield Annual Appeal Envelopes' , when I was approached my a confused gentlemen(whom had some difficulty walking ) who was looking for a medical centre. He was convience that it was in one location , which I knew it was not , after a few miniutes talking he eventually found the name of the place , and I was able to get a local internet shop to let me do a map and name search to find where he should go to ( his printed directions he found were also wrong ). So ,leaving him safely by the bus stop I ran home and collected my cars keys and gave him a lift to the correct location, problem was I suppose that I ran out of time to undertake the red shield deliveries so SA is I am afraid a potential few pounds down.

If SA uniforms were about £50 would you wear one every day , if not , why not ?

 

[TheDag]

Hi , I am in the UK and tend to wear the 'Normal' Bandsman's uniform.
Only problem is that when walking to Band Practice/ Sunday Worship I sometimes get stopped and asked to help / assist someone .
Do I (a) , Walk a route that will avoid meeting people , (b) Say , Sorry , I have another engagement that is more important than you are ,
or (c) assist in the best practical way that I am able to , and risk being moaned at later for being late / absent by my bandmaster/commanding officer ?

I would see this as one of those mary & martha things. Martha chose to play host which was good. Mary however chose what was best. I personally would be of the opinion that it would be better to be late because you stopped and gave asistance and if the bandmaster or commanding officer can't understand then it is they who need to be spoken to. Of course if the bandmaster or captain did complain you could read the Good Samaritan story to them from the bible and ask which person they are! Just my opinion on what I would do.

 

[JoshuaCh1v9]

Hi , I am in the UK and tend to wear the 'Normal' Bandsman's uniform.
Only problem is that when walking to Band Practice/ Sunday Worship I sometimes get stopped and asked to help / assist someone .
Do I (a) , Walk a route that will avoid meeting people , (b) Say , Sorry , I have another engagement that is more important than you are ,
or (c) assist in the best practical way that I am able to , and risk being moaned at later for being late / absent by my bandmaster/commanding officer ?

The other week ( not in uniform ) , I was planning to spend an hour delivering 'RedShield Annual Appeal Envelopes' , when I was approached my a confused gentlemen(whom had some difficulty walking ) who was looking for a medical centre. He was convience that it was in one location , which I knew it was not , after a few miniutes talking he eventually found the name of the place , and I was able to get a local internet shop to let me do a map and name search to find where he should go to ( his printed directions he found were also wrong ). So ,leaving him safely by the bus stop I ran home and collected my cars keys and gave him a lift to the correct location, problem was I suppose that I ran out of time to undertake the red shield deliveries so SA is I am afraid a potential few pounds down.

If SA uniforms were about £50 would you wear one every day , if not , why not ?

Hi whyperion

Welcome to Cf and Cyber Corps.

Great post

In answer to your first question, then C of course. The Gospels are full of instances of Jesus being sidetracked on His way somewhere.

He never once said 'sorry, I'm running late already'

In reply to your second pint, then, good for you. Yu did absolutely the right thing, and the Army will just have to manange the best it can without those few extra pounds (they are saving a fair bit on Chick Yuill's pension in any case).

As to whether I would wear uniform every day, then probably not. Mainly becuase work means I have to wear corporate unifrom for my work time, and time at home I like to relax in jeans etc,

However, when out and about I would have no objection to wearing something that signifies that I am a Salvationist.

 

[JoshuaCh1v9]

I would see this as one of those mary & martha things. Martha chose to play host which was good. Mary however chose what was best. I personally would be of the opinion that it would be better to be late because you stopped and gave asistance and if the bandmaster or commanding officer can't understand then it is they who need to be spoken to. Of course if the bandmaster or captain did complain you could read the Good Samaritan story to them from the bible and ask which person they are! Just my opinion on what I would do.

What he said

 

[something from the fridge]

on the epaulettes. what style do you have in the UK? we have nasty looking slip on ones here, and most places now have the corps name embrodiered on them. it looks cheap and tacky. i managed to get the silver bars instead.

also, with the uniforms and salvation army embrodiered on them, i think that is so that they can be claimed back on tax.

i had an argument with the band leader who happens to be an officer. i was talking to a mate about shirts, and we only have one or two each. she said to buy more. i said we have to pay full price for them. her and her husband went off about it, saying they still have to pay blah blah blah. i tried to explain that they get it back on tax. they tried to tell me that i can claim my work clothes back on tax. i then tried to explain that as a teacher (what i will be doing) or in my parents jobs, you just wear normal everyday clothes so can't. i found out later that officers get a substantial discount from trade that soliders don't.

 

[TheDag]

i tried to explain that they get it back on tax.

Tax deductions are highly over rated. Your spending more money than what you get back.

 

[JoshuaCh1v9]

on the epaulettes. what style do you have in the UK? we have nasty looking slip on ones here, and most places now have the corps name embrodiered on them. it looks cheap and tacky. i managed to get the silver bars instead.

also, with the uniforms and salvation army embrodiered on them, i think that is so that they can be claimed back on tax.

i had an argument with the band leader who happens to be an officer. i was talking to a mate about shirts, and we only have one or two each. she said to buy more. i said we have to pay full price for them. her and her husband went off about it, saying they still have to pay blah blah blah. i tried to explain that they get it back on tax. they tried to tell me that i can claim my work clothes back on tax. i then tried to explain that as a teacher (what i will be doing) or in my parents jobs, you just wear normal everyday clothes so can't. i found out later that officers get a substantial discount from trade that soliders don't.

For summer wear we have the slip on style as well, although I don't think they look too bad. I do dgree about the Corps name looking better on a bar than embroidered though.

For the colder months we have epaulettes on our tunics, which look much smarter.

As for the shirts issue, I am not going to pay whatever price Trade want to charge (can't be bothered to go look right now) for a shirt with the Army's name embroidered on it.

I can get perfectly good plain white shirts from ASDA for £3 a pop

 

[something from the fridge]

Tax deductions are highly over rated. Your spending more money than what you get back.

what i was trying to get through to them was that they at least get something back, as it is work wear. i get nothing. it isn't that easy to just got and buy a shirt full price.

 

[JoshuaCh1v9]

what i was trying to get through to them was that they at least get something back, as it is work wear. i get nothing. it isn't that easy to just got and buy a shirt full price.

To be fair though, officers have to wear their uniforms all week, whereas soldiers, in the main, do not.