I had a long discussion with George on the cost of each lens yesterday and his input was that he made the molds for the backup lenses using very high quality silicone that is quite expensive and also only used the highest quality resins to make the plastic lens that he has to import from the U.S. since he feels we have the best quality resin available anywhere in his experience (this is apparently where Chrysler saved their cost in making those original ones that didn't do well over time). He also described the chrome plating process as "a real pain" but managed to find a way to make those thin chrome lines. Also, given the limited quantity of 20 reproductions estimated so far, the expense of making each one isn't cheap. So in order order to make much of a profit at all to make this worthwhile for him he has to price each one from $250 each for 3 or more plus shipping or for one or two lenses he said the cost would be $300 each (including shipping to the U.S. and maybe a minimal additional cost for shipping elsewhere such as Europe or Canada, etc). He estimated shipping costs around $45 yo $50 to the U.S. and somewhat more for Europe/ Canada, etc. depending on size of the container/number purchased.
Given that input, could you folks send me a revised estimate of how many you would like to purchase and I can work with him to revise his estimates if the total of 20 orders falls off a great deal (i.e. the cost would need to go up some given the low volume if orders fall much lower than 20).
So that is the reality we face but most of the parts I bought from George for my earlier 1960 Imperials and 1961 New Yorker coupe and so forth were priced in that range as well but given the excellent quality of the parts I have purchased from him, I felt the cost was well worth it. As in this case, you will not find them available anywhere else for any price.
So your feedback would be appreciated........................................
Steve
