I can't believe people pay $10 for CR123s

[pfccypret]

In addition to our full time officers, my police department has a few paid reserves (guys who only work a few days a month).

I rolled up on a car that one of our reserves had pulled over tonight. The driver was going to jail, so we were searching the car. I noticed he had a Surefire G2 that he probably got at a local Sporting Goods store or something. Not a bad light for sure, but it's not something a cop "serious" into flashlights would be carrying. Anyways, his light slowly went dim and finally died during the search. After we finished up, I gave him a couple Titanium batteries I keep in my bag and forgot about it.

Later after the shift was over, he found me hanging out in dispatch and tried to give me $10 for the batteries. I told him to keep his money, they were only a couple bucks, no biggie. He was shocked...After talking about it, I found out he was buying his lithiums at a local grocery store for $8 a pair and he thought he was getting a good deal because they are $10 at Walmart.

I thought it was funny, but then I was thinking, if someone wasn't into lights and didn't ever research it, I could easily see them thinking paying $8-12 for batteries was the norm.

 

[Art Vandelay]

If you are just buying one battery a year for your camera, $8 is not bad. Burning through 2 batteries an hour with a Surefire incan, $8 would not be practical. I just assumed everybody with a cr123 flashlight already knew that. Maybe Surefire should put a coupon in the box.

 

[PhantomPhoton]

Wow, I was provided with CR123's for my my personally bought 6P several years ago if I needed them.

There are a few reasons that Lithium cells are priced high in retail. And as it turns out people will still buy them at that price.

 

[DM51]

Posted in the wrong place. Moving to the Batteries section.

 

[M@elstrom]

$8~10 USD for 2 **123's IS CHEAP... well certainly cheaper than what's on offer locally here (around $20 AUD pack of 2), without protected rechargeable lithium alternatives I'd never have bothered with compact lithium powered flashlights in the first place! :thumbsup:


pfccypret out of curiousity... just what DOES a 'serious flashlight savvy' cop carry? :thinking:

 

[DM51]

out of curiousity... just what DOES a 'serious flashlight savvy' cop carry? :thinking:

Law enforcement flashlight recommendations (Part 1)

Law enforcement flashlight recommendations (Part 2)

Law enforcement flashlight recommendations (Part 3)

... however that is off-topic. The thread is about batteries.

 

[chewy78]

ya i was shocked at how cheap cr123's were off the internet a while back when i first came on cpf. I think i paid 8 to 9 dollars for a pair of cr123's at wally world.

 

[Black Rose]

If it wasn't for the local camping goods store carrying SureFire and Streamlight twin packs of CR123's for under $5, I would not even have the few CR123 lights that I have.

 

[Illum]

some of the li77le hardware stores down here sell them for $15 a pair

most people are reluctant to buy things online...its one of those weird feelings like buying toilet paper online. Some things are meant to be bought in stores

if you want to hear expensive...ask b@rt or any of the European Blokes that hover around the forum...something around 10€, which equates to about $13.80/cell now THATS expensive

 

[Kilovolt]

I live in an area visited by a lot of tourists and around here even newstands carry CR123's because of their use in cameras. The going price is Euro 5.00 apiece i.e. around $ 7.00.

 

[cernobila]

....so, now do you all understand why I and many others in AU just love our Li-ion's and try and stay away from lights that only take the CR123's?....enough said

 

[pfccypret]

Wow....I feel bad for complaining about our costs


Anyways, I didn't mean to sound a snobish when I commented on the G2. It's a good light and not everyone is into this hobby. But most officers at our department carry something a bit more higher end.

 

[blinder switch]

Damn that is bad. I pay $21.95 + %6.5 sales tax for 12 (edit -my bad, not 20) ea new SureFires (CR123 / 123) at my closest gun and fishing business.

I have a minimal stock of 16 - 12 each CR123 SF cases at home. But they last a bunch for my needs.

 

[DM51]

if you want to hear expensive...ask b@rt or any of the European Blokes that hover around the forum...something around 10€, which equates to about $13.80/cell now THATS expensive

It's not as bad as that. There's a UK site here which has 10x Panasonic CR123A for UK£12.50 (about $20), so they are ~$2 each.

 

[Illum]

I need to ask b@rt again on that, I distinctively remember he said something along the lines of 10 eurosoo:

hmm :thinking:

 

[Lightguy27]

One thing that kind of iirks me about Surefire, is that they control the price on all there lights, but they still let places chagre more for batteries. Surefire sells their box of 12 for $21, while bass pro charges $35. Speaking of which I need to place another SF order soon. :thumbsup:

 

[cernobila]

Just looked up a couple of AU web sites and this is what I found....

P91 lamp; AU$60.00, and AU$47.85........both plus postage.

12x Energizer Lithium CR123 cells; AU$50.00
12x Surefire CR123 cells; AU$52.00........both plus postage.

Yes you can order non-Surefire cells from US web sites but have to add the postage which can be quite high.

AU$1.00 is about US$0.80 depending on the day.

 

[kuprith]

those CR123s are really that expensive

 

[lctorana]

Go into an Australian supermarket or Target or K-Mart or hardware store, and primary, non-rechargeable CR123A batteries retail at A$12 each.

And until the last two years or so, there was no such thing as an Australian on-line retailer.

 

[pfccypret]

Saw them for $9 each at a local hardware store today.