Why?

[Keta]

No mention of names but why would a company sell their products in one market and not let people in other markets have access to their products?  This does not make since to me.  They are not the current product I would like to have but I love my JDM reels.   I have had to ask my step brother in Bangkok to pick up the product I want.

[Gfish]

Like Allen T. once said about a diffrent thing in our realm( the "Draginstine/rulon? Washer, deal) "follow the money". Great philosophy for the Day and Age.

[MarkT]

There are lots of JDM reels that are a cut below what they sell here!  There are higher end reels they don't offer here as well that are probably what you're interested in.  I suspect the US distributor doesn't want to deal with limited appeal reels that they'd have to support.  A bunch of the specialized jigging rods and reels come to mind.

[Keta]

It's a rod.  I can usually find the nicer JDM reels.  My step brother is getting me the rod in Thailand from a retail outlet 30 miles from my dad's house.

[Cor]

I guess profit is the other reason.   

The recording and film industry is a good example.   They released movies analogue or digital at different times in different markets.    DVD players were even programmed to play only media determined for the market they were sold in.   I managed to alter the settings because I hated so much having to wait to see a certain movie or play some music CD.

Is is not also a bit because certain counties have more stringent consumer protection laws then others that they need to manufacture according to more stringent requirements for certain places which have price implications?

I speak under correction but have also heard that Shimano have stringent area restrictions on the sale of their spares.    This is perhaps not unusual as it happens in many industries and in that way you get what is called "grey imports" where products are imported by passing the "licenced distributor"   To me a form of price fixing.

[Gobi King]

Most of the stuff coming here has some sort of liability underwriting and authorized dealers plus most manufacturers can charge more $$$ for stuff here (psychological pricing) - are some of the stuff I read, there are some big retailers online selling JDM reels for quite a premium,

I found the above while looking at DSLR stuff and the gray market items on ebay. no warranty on those 

[Keta]

I'd buy Shimano JDM OCEA Jiggers any day even without support.  They are what the Trinidad should be.

[MarkT]

Yeah, you can still get an Ocea Jigger in 40n size which Shimano won't offer in a Trinidad model. Oops... they don't make the OJ 4000 any longer either!  I guess they know better than the fishing public.

[philaroman]

all I know to any degree of expertise, are 90's Shimano spinners:
the JDMs make the US equivalents look bad...  after the move to Malaysia -- really bad!

[Keta]

Yeah, you can still get an Ocea Jigger in 40n size which Shimano won't offer in a Trinidad model. Oops... they don't make the OJ 4000 any longer either!  I guess they know better than the fishing public.

I have a 2001NRHG, A 4001NRHG would make me happy.  I got a Torque 40NLD2 though and that will make me happy too.

[Ron Jones]

It is the same reason we get such crappy cars. Its what the market supports. We have a larger fishing populace and the majority of them are not wealthy enough to afford sueper wham-O-dine reels. An importer can buy 3 cheap reels he knows he will sell for the same price as one high end model that may sit on the shelf. We also have the capitol to replace perfectly good reels with similar quality because they are new. In other countries (I know some of you out there are going to tell me I'm wrong, but I'm not) fishing is a rich/er man's game. At least fishing with rod and reel, and so the market demands only the best.

Just part of being the biggest market.

The Man

[Keta]

It's hard to fund a $100-$600 (฿3305-฿16529) rod when paying for it in Bhat unless you are rich.  I'm having my step brother pick up the rod I was looking for in Bangkok and it's only 34 miles from my dad's house.  Shipping will suck though.

[Gfish]

Yeah, a bit of a monetary exchange rate-culture shock over there. I  had to check into the Phuket International Hospitol for 2 days a couple of years ago: "twen tousnd bhat upflunt now plea!"

[Keta]

One of my sister-in-law's sisters is a DR there.

[Gfish]

I's on ward C, Kwonchit Phokaphol, M.D.?, early Feb. 2017.