Discovered the forum, via browsing on banggood for a Thorfire 5000 lumen. So good to be here, looking forward to the wealth of information that is no doubt here. In the UK by the way.
Welcome!
It’s a good time to be interested in flashlights! So many choices.
Welcome to BLF, mainbeam. Like we are used to say: present your wallet!
It might be a good idea to focus in on sellers from the EU while you still can.
Don’t I know it!! It is so difficult to resist temptation, my collection is growing despite my efforts to be rational!! However, whilst the main brands are quite expensive, I have discovered some of the less well known brands, like Thorfire. Quite impressed by them! Hoping to discover more!
LOL!! I find EU sellers quite expensive. The USA is the place for low prices, if you can avoid the import tax!!
It's nice of you to join us, mainbeam!
Hi and welcome mainbeam. I hope you dont regret finding this place in the future. 
It’s highly likely I will, but abject resignation will take care of that!
Blf q8. That will get ya going!
welcome 
Yeah, thats the one I’m looking at.
You are right, but the bottom line consists of: the actual price, customs/taxes, and shipping.
IMHO US shipping rates are literally breathtaking!
Yep.
A house/catsitter. lost? a desset spoon from my Kitchen set
while we were away last time.
Contacted MFG. $5.65 for replacement spoon.
$38.70 for shipping.
That hurt. but it’s a $450 cutlery set 40 yrs ago.
Welcome to BLF mainbeam! Other brands to look at are: Convoy, Emisar, Sofirn, and Astrolux.
That is very true. When I first began buying on the internet, back in 1996 (!!!), US shipping rates were really cheap, much, much lower than here in the UK. So that, combined with a good exchange rate meant that good deals were always there for the taking. Also, UK Customs had not caught on to the internet retailing revolution, so almost everything came through sans tax!! I remember getting stuff like full coil over suspension kits for $20 shipping and no import tax!! The kit was also 40% cheaper than the UK!! $20 for shipping about 40 KG in a huge box! Then, circa 2005’ish, maybe a bit later, US shipping charges just went into orbit!! Now I would have to pay $15 to ship a magazine by USPS!!! Madness!! Ebay have a global shipping program that has helped alot, but not all sellers use that. Amazon also have a shipping program for stuff that they move themselves, which also helps alot. Thing is though, I’ve noticed alot of stuff on Amazon US can’t be shipped to the UK!! WTF is that about!! I need a shipping buddy in the US that I can have stuff shipped to and then re-shipped to me!!!
Thanks, I’ve noticed Convoy and have a superb key chain torch from Astrolux, the K1, that is super bright, much better than my Nitecore TIP and and at an excellent price.
I’m pretty new also if you like flashlights your going to love it here.