The only time that workaround will work is with speakers. With the current shipping premiums that savings will not be what it used to be.
Avoiding US dealer markups
Looking at a phono stage by a UK manufacturer. The US authorized dealer monopolist seems to mark up by ~30% from what I could buy this for locally. On a $2200 unit, that's not nothing.
I am considering shipping it to a friend who is local and having them ship it to me, at a relatively small cost.
Seems like a logical approach. I could buy 25-50 LPs with the savings.
Am I missing something?