Q: After reading your comments about the problems with lifts, the question is: Except for irreplaceable personal effects, when does it pay for a new oleh to ship things to Israel, as opposed to purchasing them there?

A: Your question is one of the most common, yet most difficult questions I hear.
There are three aspects to this question:
• The financial aspect

• Brand comfort

• Nostalgic considerations.

Today, the financial aspect is much easier to address. You can investigate Israeli web sites to see current costs in Israel. Taxes on appliances have come way down, so Israeli prices are much more competitive than they used to be. Two other sources of local price information are Janglo (a Yahoo
discussion group) and Tachlis (an aliya forum sponsored by the Jewish Agency.) See Cafe Oleh Listings for these addresses. Both of these forums discuss many topics - but local prices come up frequently. Don't forget to add in the cost of shipping when calculating the wisdom of buying there vs. buying here.
Brand comfort is a particularly common concern when you look in Israeli stores. If you prefer brands like General Electric and Maytag, you will be hard pressed to find them in Israel. While these brands are occasionally
available, you will much more frequently see European brands and local "store" brands - most of which will be unfamiliar. If it is important to you to have a Maytag washing machine, you may have no choice but to import.
Nostalgic considerations are more difficult to address and ultimately one you will have to decide alone. ( I have moved my grandmother's desk four times - so you know which side of nostalgia I am on... )