Paging all Norwegian Mags

So it appears I am moving to Norway (to work on improving y'alls avalanche forecast ).

have some questions w.r.t. gear:
- prices probably higher than in EU countries? Or same / depends on exchange rate?
- Ordering from (german/EU) webshops: Does one order (VAT) tax free, and then pay norwegian sales tax at the border/post office? Is there a threshold amount below which the sales tax is waived? (CHatGPT seems to think this was dropped in 2020)
- some sellers registered under the VOEC (VAT On E-Commerce) scheme will charge Norwegian VAT at the point of sale (EpicTV for example) - is this preferable to paying afterwards + custom fees?

Background:
Shipping my belongings from the USA is freaking expensive, so I am leaning towards selling most of my stuff and just flying with a few haulbags of essentials, but of course this depends a bit on what is going to cost to replace gear.

Any insights are appreciated. Especially cheap gear tips :)

Ordering from outside norway generally brings fucktons of duties + 25% sales tax.

MSRP is generally higher for most gear, but with the current NOK things might be more comparable to US prices than normal.

Currently the norwegian kroner is in the complete shitter, so if they are paying you in NOK buying things outside of Norway won’t even been the usual discount that it was for many years.

Honestly I’d try to bring as much as you can and plan to avoid shopping unless necessary. I havent lived at home for a few years so Arild and Kidkapow might have a different viewpoint.

Used gear prices are also ridiculous

Save your USA prodeals and import when you go home. Even with the kroner in the dumps gear prices (especially used ski touring gear) are crazy from a US perspective.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by smooth operator

- prices probably higher than in EU countries? Or same / depends on exchange rate?

---

right now - lower due to the euro being super expensive

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by smooth operator

- Ordering from (german/EU) webshops: Does one order (VAT) tax free, and then pay norwegian sales tax at the border/post office? Is there a threshold amount below which the sales tax is waived? (CHatGPT seems to think this was dropped in 2020)

---

yes - vat paid at the post office - no longer a threshold. Very rarely any duties though - just the moms/sales tax at +25% on the combined vaule of the goods and shipping fees.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by smooth operator

- some sellers registered under the VOEC (VAT On E-Commerce) scheme will charge Norwegian VAT at the point of sale (EpicTV for example) - is this preferable to paying afterwards + custom fees?

---

Doesn't make much of a difference - the fee for the VAT handling is usually fairly limited, depending on what freight company is used.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NWFlow

Save your USA prodeals and import when you go home. Even with the kroner in the dumps gear prices (especially used ski touring gear) are crazy from a US perspective.

---

Nope. Unlike in the US where manufacturers enforce a pretty damned strict price controll at the retail level there is both a fair bit of competition as well as there being a lot of stuff on sale at 30-50% off. So unless you are super particular or need something NOW deals can be had - especially on last year's gear (even if the only thing that has changed is the graphic) during summer / fall. Also, while the list prices can be a fair bit higher than in the US, retailers like Braasport and Jesting usually sell stuff a fair bit cheaper. Some stores require you to become a "member" which is basically that you sign up for a newsletter.

So I would not be overly stressed, and you could always just look at the prices at say Jesting or look for new stuff on sale across sites. It used to be a bit cheaper to order stuff from the EU, but that is not the case anymore / not always due to the euro being super expensive compared to the krone right now.

Thanks! that is all good info, very helpfull. Tussen Takk!

Welcome to the birthplace!

what the others said. Where in Norway are you moving?

Cheers.

Sent fra min LE2123 via Tapatalk

I don't disagree that deals can be had if you're willing to wait, especially for ski stuff. My experience in general has been that its been cheaper to buy in the states and bring back to Norway, not even factoring in the meager selection (e.g. bike components)...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by arild

Where in Norway are you moving?

---

Trondheim most likely, although Oslo is an option as well. I'm not very keen on big cities though, but I guess the climbing around Oslo is better? Trondheim has got Hell though (and Flatanger), although probably a slightly shorter season as well.
Suppose Trondheim is closer to good skiing ?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by smooth operator

Trondheim most likely, although Oslo is an option as well. I'm not very keen on big cities though, but I guess the climbing around Oslo is better? Trondheim has got Hell though (and Flatanger), although probably a slightly shorter season as well.
Suppose Trondheim is closer to good skiing ?

---

A minor detail regarding VAT and taxes: there are no taxes for gear, but some kind of tax will be added for clothing. This is in addition to VAT. And as far as I know, if you buy both gear and clothing at the same time the tax will be based on the value of the entire order. Couldn't find current info on that right now, but at least it used to be that way. But as KK said; easy to find good deals.

Trondheim vs Oslo: both places has good climbing. I'd claim that Oslo has easier / shorter access to more skiing / different "weather zones", while in Trondheim you're a bit more stuck with whatever the season brings. Trondheim probably has better access to good touring though. At least if you're looking for mixed skiing/climbing etc.

But really; Norway is tiny compared to the US. Get a car and you'll be able to go pretty much anywhere, even for shorther trips.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by smooth operator

Trondheim most likely, although Oslo is an option as well. I'm not very keen on big cities though, but I guess the climbing around Oslo is better? Trondheim has got Hell though (and Flatanger), although probably a slightly shorter season as well.
Suppose Trondheim is closer to good skiing ?

---

Go to Åre and shop then ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by smooth operator

Shipping my belongings from the USA is freaking expensive, so I am leaning towards selling most of my stuff and just flying with a few haulbags of essentials, but of course this depends a bit on what is going to cost to replace gear.

Any insights are appreciated. Especially cheap gear tips :)

---

Who are you flying to get there?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by alpinevibes

Who are you flying to get there?

---

Delta most likely, or otherwise united

NVE? Regardless, welcome!