How Times (and Costs) have changed

 

While looking at my GPSCity.ca account today I stumbled across the sales pages for my very first Nuvi back in 2005. Look at the price I paid for that thing compared to the DriveLuxe50 I got a couple of weeks ago. All prices are in Canadian Dollars:

http://imgur.com/N4ksYkC.png

http://imgur.com/Fv1LyOt.png

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Nuvi 350, 760, 1695LM, 3790LMT, 2460LMT, 3597LMTHD, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, DriveSmart 61, Garmin Drive 52, Garmin Backup Camera 40 and TomTom XXL540s.

.

Yes, I paid pretty much retail price (US dollars) for mine at a Circuit City Store locally. After I had the 350 for awhile, I got the GTM 11 Traffic Receiver add-on for a mere $140 (or was it $240?) at Circuit City as well...

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nuvi 760, nuvi 765T, nuvi 855, nuvi 3790LMT, nuvi 3490LMT - SoCal area

That's Why I

still only use my 350, 370, & 1350!

Fred

Nuvi 350

t923347

Well compared to your NUVI 350 price in 2005 I stole mine in 2002.

Found an ad on Kijiji and met a guy in a parking lot. Got the 350 for $ 325.00 Beaverbucks. Registered it with Garmin no problem.

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Nuvi 2797LMT, DriveSmart 50 LMT-HD, Using Windows 10. DashCam A108C with GPS.

I don't

I don't think you have your purchase date correct. AFAIK there was no Nuvi in 2002 and I bought the 350 a couple of months after it's release date in 2005.

All release dates can be checked at:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/42240

Also according to Wikipedia there was no Kijiji until 2005.

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Nuvi 350, 760, 1695LM, 3790LMT, 2460LMT, 3597LMTHD, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, DriveSmart 61, Garmin Drive 52, Garmin Backup Camera 40 and TomTom XXL540s.

New GPS

I'm not a fan of buying refurbished stuff. I just bought this one for my wife at Costco.

https://www.costco.ca/Garmin%c2%ae-DriveAssist-50LMT-GPS.pro...

costs of electronics

In general cost of electronic devices is down from what is used to be. But there is a significant change. In old days you were able to buy older models for lower price after new model was introduced. Right now older model is usually removed from market and replaced with newer model in this same price. Even if older model was particular hit it must go away to make place for sale of new version.

@ Rick

OUCH grin

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Nüvi 255WT with nüMaps Lifetime North America born on 602117815 / Nüvi 3597LMTHD born on 805972514 / I love Friday’s except when I’m on holidays ~ canuk

Not sure

jackrabbit000 wrote:

I'm not a fan of buying refurbished stuff. I just bought this one for my wife at Costco.

https://www.costco.ca/Garmin%c2%ae-DriveAssist-50LMT-GPS.product.100296024.html

Not sure why you'd turn away from buying a refurbished Garmin GPS. You bought a DriveAssist 50 with a 1 year warranty for $292. I bought the more expensive DriveLuxe 50 with the same 1 year warranty for $100 less (in US funds). The only difference between a new DriveLuxe 50 and a Refurbed one was the box it comes in and the $100 plus that I still have in my pocket. wink:

About 10 days after I bought the DriveLuxe, Garmin lowered the price so I'm sending my unit back and re-buying it to save another $60.

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Nuvi 350, 760, 1695LM, 3790LMT, 2460LMT, 3597LMTHD, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, DriveSmart 61, Garmin Drive 52, Garmin Backup Camera 40 and TomTom XXL540s.

That Refurb you may get, may

That Refurb you may get, may be one that several folks on here have posted that they returned it because they just didn't like it. Nothing wrong, broke, or deficient, just didn't like it.

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Frank DriveSmart55 37.322760, -79.511267

Refurbs

My last 3 Garmins (nuvi 855, Oregon 550 and nuvi 3597) were all refurbs with 1 year warranties. Other than the boxes they came in, they were indistinguishable from new. If I ever buy another Garmin it will definitely be a refurb.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

U may be rite

t923347 wrote:

I don't think you have your purchase date correct. AFAIK there was no Nuvi in 2002 and I bought the 350 a couple of months after it's release date in 2005.
All release dates can be checked at:
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/42240
Also according to Wikipedia there was no Kijiji until 2005.

It could be old age sneaking up on me, come to think of it it's running!

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Nuvi 2797LMT, DriveSmart 50 LMT-HD, Using Windows 10. DashCam A108C with GPS.

I got took

I bought the 800 first with voice commands.. for $800 ...boy did I get took.. sold it on ebay after a few weeks or so..took a loss. Now I have the DS 61S which is so much better pretty much.. actually so much better. I paid $199

How Times (And Costs) Have Changedall

As others have mentioned, I have always purchased refurbished units at a significant savings. As I recall my refurbished NUVI 680 cost a fraction of the original retail price. So far, all were in new condition and still work perfectly.

Yes they have, bought a Zumo

Yes they have, bought a Zumo 550 for my motorcycle when it was new, over $800, a year or two ago bought a new Nuvi 2689 for less than $200, other than the Nuvi not being waterproof it's light years ahead of the Zumo in technological sense. The Zumo finally gave out a few years back and Garmin allowed me to trade it for a refurbished one for $100. It has worked as good as the new one did, the only problem is it lags a tad behind compared to the newer Nuvi in side by side tests, but I think that's due to the difference in tech at the time each was built.

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. 2 Garmin DriveSmart 61 LMT-S, Nuvi 2689, 2 Nuvi 2460, Zumo 550, Zumo 450, Uniden R3 radar detector with GPS built in, includes RLC info. Uconnect 430N Garmin based, built into my Jeep. .

I Remember...

Back in 1978, I remember my father agonizing over spending $5500 on a Northstar 6000 series Loran C receiver for his boat. I saw the same model on eBay last year for $50.

Now, you can buy a Garmin chart plotter for less than $500.

some people

like my cousin believe in paying for only what he uses. Millenials have this concept, even not wanting to buy cars (why pay and insure something that sits 20/24 hours a day.....

Example, he told me, buy a used baby seat, and be aware they expire. I buy one that's maybe 2 yrs. old, and I turn around and sell it, you're not going to be carrying a 35 lb. toddler around in a baby seat with a handle.

So that $350 baby seat, I buy it for $120 2 y.o., and I sell it for $50 2 yrs. later.

And he's wealthy. Just doesn't want to pay for the "new" factor.

So I could see the argument for refurbed esp. if they work.

Last year, I bought my first "used" car that cost more than $2k. Bought 3 new cars in my life--still have all 3. It's like I discovered a secret world or something, I mean my used car is really nice, it was the flagship. And I plan on taking it to 300k. I bought it as a beater but find it's too nice to beat upon....

:)

Traveled with a business buddies of mine to the East Coast in 2008 and was impressed with his Garmin 200. I waited until the price of the 260 dropped below $300 to get my first ever GPSrs. I then had to get Life-time map updates for it at ~$100. No traffic capability. he little guy is still going strong. smile

Then I got my 2495 with the HD traffic from Costco at a good price of ~$250. And then to my latest 3597 refurb, also at ~$250. Purchased the SamrtLink traffic and advanced weather for it at some nominal cost (?$). Now the traffic is free! I found the Samrt Phone Link traffic is equal/better than the HD traffic and consumes little mobile data. I have been using the Link traffic instead of the HD receiver.

$300 appears to be the mental ceiling of my spending on GPSrs and I have been wondering, maybe the 3597 would be the last of dedicated GPSrs I would ever have.

How car repairs used to be

In 1969 we drove from New York State through Montreal and Quebec. We took a road southeast across the Maine north woods. It took hours with nothing but trees on both sides of the road. From Maine we drove west through New Hampshire and Vermont. We purposely took side roads, and that meant gravel roads.

The 1950 DeSoto had a stone hit the oil pan and made a pin hole. It was leaking oil about one quart every 50 miles (80 km). The attendant at a one-pump gas station directed us to a farm "up the road apiece." We arrived at the farm at 6:00 PM and knocked, but through the screen door we saw the farmer and his family eating dinner!

Nevertheless, he left the dinner table to help us. He put the car on a jack and drained the oil and brazed the hole in the oil pan with an acetylene torch. Smoke was pouring out of the engine while he did this! And then (and this is the Yankee touch) he put the same oil back in the engine!

The bill? He charged us two dollars! I couldn't believe it even by 1969 standards, so I gave him ten dollars.

dobs108 cool

Garmin 660

My first gps was Garmin 660 $300.00

1st gps

My 1st was a Lowrance hand held no maps point to point.
Next was an early iWay hand held with a map.
Next the Lowrance iWay 360 not sure about the price but it was programmable, lots of functions very good GPS.
Next Garmin 1450 around $175.
Now a 3597 referb $89 best unit and best price.

Will stick with Garmin refurbished if 3597 dies.

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garry

3597 refurb for 89?

WOW! That was a whale of a good deal. I don't need another GPS, but I would snap up another 3597 or two or three as gifts if I could find them for $89!

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Lowrance

garry1p wrote:

My 1st was a Lowrance hand held no maps point to point.
Next was an early iWay hand held with a map.
Next the Lowrance iWay 360 not sure about the price but it was programmable, lots of functions very good GPS.
Next Garmin 1450 around $175.
Now a 3597 referb $89 best unit and best price.

Will stick with Garmin refurbished if 3597 dies.

That theoretically was my first GPS too. I had a cable to connect it to my laptop with charts for sailng on it and I thought I was KING S**T. The name of the charts was "FUGAWI", you figure out what that meant.

Took 4 AA batteries. In fact I still have it. Why? I don't know.

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Nuvi 2797LMT, DriveSmart 50 LMT-HD, Using Windows 10. DashCam A108C with GPS.

Still going strong

My first one was a quadrant and a set of lunar tables, then I got a GPS Map 76S, still use it for fishing trips.
The last one I bought a 2797 cost $290 on sale. I liked it so much I bought a second one, a refurbished unit for $225. The last time I looked on GPS City web site a refurb unit now costs $349. Must be a popular unit. grin

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Nuvi2797LMT (2) Nuvi260,Ford Sync3 Navigation. Captain Cook was a Yorkshire man too.

owned a 2797 as well

bpaine wrote:

My first one was a quadrant and a set of lunar tables, then I got a GPS Map 76S, still use it for fishing trips.
The last one I bought a 2797 cost $290 on sale. I liked it so much I bought a second one, a refurbished unit for $225. The last time I looked on GPS City web site a refurb unit now costs $349. Must be a popular unit. grin

I owned a 2797 for over a year or so.. if you like that one you'd love this DriveSmart 61mt-S...amazing unit.

Costs

Back in 1958 someone was going to sell me a 1958 six month old Ford for Cdn $ 1,700.00. I did not have the money because even though by today's standards it is not much, but you had to work and save a long time for that much money.

A brand new VW beetle was less than $ 1,500.00.

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Nuvi 2797LMT, DriveSmart 50 LMT-HD, Using Windows 10. DashCam A108C with GPS.

Original Yellow eTrex

My first was the original yellow eTrex. The screen finally began to fail last year to the point it was no longer usable.

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><> Glenn <>< Garmin nüvi 2598

interesting

dobs108 wrote:

In 1969 we drove from New York State through Montreal and Quebec. We took a road southeast across the Maine north woods. It took hours with nothing but trees on both sides of the road. From Maine we drove west through New Hampshire and Vermont. We purposely took side roads, and that meant gravel roads.

The 1950 DeSoto had a stone hit the oil pan and made a pin hole. It was leaking oil about one quart every 50 miles (80 km). The attendant at a one-pump gas station directed us to a farm "up the road apiece." We arrived at the farm at 6:00 PM and knocked, but through the screen door we saw the farmer and his family eating dinner!

Nevertheless, he left the dinner table to help us. He put the car on a jack and drained the oil and brazed the hole in the oil pan with an acetylene torch. Smoke was pouring out of the engine while he did this! And then (and this is the Yankee touch) he put the same oil back in the engine!

The bill? He charged us two dollars! I couldn't believe it even by 1969 standards, so I gave him ten dollars.

dobs108 cool

throughout the 90's I drove a Volvo (my dad said all the issues I had were because I had to have a Volvo). I got to know every indie from Albany NY to Burlington VT. On yet another breakdown in Middlebury, I called AAA Plus to flatbed my car from Middlebury to Rutland, on a Sun. night. We're just sitting in the truck, me and the driver, and he had a cell back then (maybe 1995, I didn't). He was telling his wife he wasn't sure when he would be home. I was thinking, why?

About another 20 min. pass by, and I said, hey, are you gonna bring my car back to your shop and drop me off at the bus station? He goes, the bus station is not open, and I can't just leave you here in the cold, I have no choice but to wait here with you until the bus station opens up. I was shocked.

I said you can just leave me there, I'll be ok. He goes no, you need heat. Tell you what, I'll give you the keys to a Chevy on the lot, you just run the motor until the morning, and leave the keys under the mat.

I've got more stories from the 90's, like when the same car was towed 93 miles again to Rutland and the driver wanted to know where he could get cheap smokes...I personally think the "old" days were better

Old days better ???

Well I have to disagree.

Back then would you consider driving 5,000 miles across the country and not expect to have at least ONE flat tire along the way?

Back then, even though living in a very large city we had "Party line" telephones where if the other party was on the phone you could not use yours !

Back then, cars were nowhere as reliable as they are now.

Back then, yes a newspaper may have cost you $ 0.05 cents and the same for a coffee. But how long would you have to work for expenses? That probably represented 20% of an hourly wage.

The GOOD OLD DAYS are now, not in the past.

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Nuvi 2797LMT, DriveSmart 50 LMT-HD, Using Windows 10. DashCam A108C with GPS.

Garmin GPS II

My first GPS unit was a Garmin GPS II which cost around $300 in the mid 1990's. No such thing as a refurb back then. I still use it occasionally to feed raw satellite data. It uses the old serial interface which works well with older equipment.

Powerful knowledge

Powerful knowledge

My first GPS was the Garmin

My first GPS was the Garmin nuvi 1690. Oh yeah, my current GPS is the Garmin nuvi 1690.

Older GPS Unit

I have an older 7200 and I think it was around $500.00+ back then.

How Do you Define Old?

Melaqueman wrote:

Well I have to disagree.

Back then would you consider driving 5,000 miles across the country and not expect to have at least ONE flat tire along the way?

Back then, even though living in a very large city we had "Party line" telephones where if the other party was on the phone you could not use yours !

Back then, cars were nowhere as reliable as they are now.

Back then, yes a newspaper may have cost you $ 0.05 cents and the same for a coffee. But how long would you have to work for expenses? That probably represented 20% of an hourly wage.

The GOOD OLD DAYS are now, not in the past.

The poster who spoke of the good old days was using the 1990s as the old days. If you consider $0.05 to be 20% of an hourly wage, you are going WAY past the 1990s.

I am 77 years old and $0.25 an hour was long before MY time, and definitely before the original post which was talking about 60 years ago.

- Tom -

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XXL540, GO LIVE 1535, GO 620