The price of carbide: UK v. Thailand

[vintagelamp]

Here in Thailand I have 1kg of good 10/15 carbide sent to my house for about £2.80 including post. In the UK I noted a seller on the auction site who wants about £22 for 1kg, though that includes post. How much do you pay for carbide in the UK? Is it always so painfully expensive?

 

[Babyhagrid]

A lot of cave conservation groups expressly forbid the use of carbide in their caves so there are not many cavers buying it for anything but novelty.

 

[paul]

Yes, but it isn't only cavers who buy calcium carbide. It is very expensive in the UK.

 

[ChrisB]

In the UK, it would cost you £3.25 just for the postage (Royal Mail Second Class, bought online) - but I think Royal Mail would class carbide as dangerous goods and not accept it.

 

[pwhole]

Just found this after a quick search - £28.95 per kg:

https://sourcechemicals.com/product/calcium-carbide

 

[mikem]

It may cost you a lot more if you try to fly with it ...

 

[Pitlamp]

Do they still use it in crow scarers? If so, happen a cheaper source is bulk buying from an agricultural supplier?

 

[mikem]

Most are gas powered nowadays

 

[kay]

In the UK, it would cost you £3.25 just for the postage (Royal Mail Second Class, bought online) - but I think Royal Mail would class carbide as dangerous goods and not accept it.

Just to emphasise the cost of our postage - on the radio the other day was a chap who was taking all his Christmas cards on holdiay with him to India, because it costs only 35p to send a card from India to the UK.

 

[andrewmcleod]

Just to emphasise the cost of our postage - on the radio the other day was a chap who was taking all his Christmas cards on holdiay with him to India, because it costs only 35p to send a card from India to the UK.

There is a deliberate policy by the international postal body to make postage affordable to developing/less rich nations, which meant rich countries would accept postage from other countries at relatively low rates (potentially lower than their domestic rates). This was causing some issues at one point with postage from China being very cheap and helping undercut Western sellers I think.

 

[hyweldavies]

There is a deliberate policy by the international postal body to make postage affordable to developing/less rich nations, which meant rich countries would accept postage from other countries at relatively low rates (potentially lower than their domestic rates). This was causing some issues at one point with postage from China being very cheap and helping undercut Western sellers I think.

Mr Ponzi's original scheme was based on an arbitrage opportunity around international postal rates, though that wasn't the dodgy bit that made him famous

 

[Flotsam]

The bulk price of Calcium Carbide is about $1,500 a Tonne, around £1 a kilo