Insane pricing!

rockapede · #1 09-02-2004, 04:10 PM

So the local music store just got into guitars and carries Schecter and Marshall. I walked in to look at them and happened to notice the price tag on the C-1 Semi-Hollow I was playing....almost $1000!!! I thought wow there's something wrong here and started looking at other tags. Every single guitar related thing wayyyyy overpriced. Shoot they wanted $800 for a Marshall AVT50 head when the half-stack usually goes for just $900! I asked the sales guy what the deal was and he said, "Well that's those are the list prices, that's what they should sell for." Needless to say I was awestruck at the stupidity of whoever it was that priced them AT LIST!!! I even showed the guy a musician's friend catalog and told him other store's prices were comparable and he told me that "they must be selling used instruments." Sorry to rant but this is ridiculous...they wouldn't come down either!

nashvillebill · #2 09-02-2004, 04:14 PM

Gee, they won't be in business long.

At the risk of sounding prejudiced, this is the business model I ran into when I lived in Europe many years ago. "Put a big price tag on everything, to make as much money out of the few things you do sell"

Contrast this to the Walmart business model: "Keep the price reasonably low, and sell ten million of them" Needless to say, I prefer the Walmart approach.

Trevorus · #3 09-02-2004, 04:14 PM

Well, I wouldn't shop there anymore. They'll figure it out.

rockapede · #4 09-02-2004, 04:20 PM

They weren't my regular store anyway...I had just heard they had some new stuff and decided to have a look-see. Won't be going back.

jive1 · #5 09-02-2004, 04:21 PM

I ran into this at a music store in Colorado. They told me everything was sold at list price, and they would offer local pros a discount of 10% off list (I'm used to getting 25-40%).

Never went in there again, and told everyone to stay away.

FaBu- · #6 09-03-2004, 01:46 AM

Here in Finland that's the way things are in ALL of the music store... But thank god there are some poor countries next to us so we can order stuff from there (or Germany)

Garrett Mireles · #7 09-03-2004, 01:48 AM

They're probably selling stuff at list price. My local guitar store does that. Sells a Fender Rumble 100 for like $650 or something. Pfft I got my SWR WM15 for that much

Frank Martin · #8 09-03-2004, 05:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nashvillebill

At the risk of sounding prejudiced, this is the business model I ran into when I lived in Europe many years ago. "Put a big price tag on everything, to make as much money out of the few things you do sell"

Just what you said happens here. The only exception is that everything is list + profit!!!

So, you have MM basses for $2500 for the cheapest, and the average price is $3500...

Fenders are also list+profit, so that makes a Fender RB5 $3500, as well

And there are lots of other examples
Sucks to live here with these ass dealers

**Vorago** · #9 09-03-2004, 05:55 AM

Living in Europe sucks if you are a musician! 2000Euro for a MM Sub! If I hear what you US dudes pay for those instruments I get really pissed. Not to mention all those little brands and customs that aren't available here! Or those free bass contests "for US residents only" tss...

Yup, it sucks to be a musician in Europe.

Frank Martin · #10 09-03-2004, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vorago

Living in Europe sucks if you are a musician! 2000Euro for a MM Sub! If I hear what you US dudes pay for those instruments I get really pissed. Not to mention all those little brands and customs that aren't available here!

Yup, MTD, Fodera, Ken Smith, etc, etc, but even Epifani, Bergantino, Demeter, etc is also not available here, and if you do get it, you have to pay a lot extra.
At least we have Jerzy Drozd, Hotwire, Wal, Status, Warwick and some more others

brianrost · #11 09-03-2004, 09:29 AM

Was it a mom and pop store? Many stores that cater to school age kids with instrument rentals and lessons will sell guitar and bass gear close to list price. Parents come in and buy the stuff and don't know that could save money by going down the street.

srxplayer · #12 09-03-2004, 12:26 PM

Many local stores will price the instruments on the wall at list price. If you are stupid enough to walk in and buy it at list good for them. If you negotiate with them they will usually go down to the real price of 30% - 40% below list.

The local store I go to does that. But they offer the "Big Discount" up front. If it's priced at $489.00 the guy says he will sell it to you (deducts 30-40% w/calculator) for a price that is usually just under Guitar Centers price.

I don't know why they do that. I guess it's to make you feel like you are getting the deal of the year.

Passinwind · #13 09-03-2004, 01:37 PM

Lots of stores sell most of their inventory on payment plans. Full pop is often the rule of thumb in that case. Buy today, cash, and it's a different world. At least, that's how it's been in most of the stores I've worked with.

Coutts_is_god · #14 09-03-2004, 09:50 PM

wait till they have the "Goin out of business sale"

I can't spell

Munjibunga · #15 09-04-2004, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srxplayer

... it's to make you feel like you are getting the deal of the year.

You just answered your own question.

Benjamin Strange · #16 09-04-2004, 09:09 AM

I used to work at a music store like that. I pushed and pushed and pushed to get them to change their pricing policy, but by the time they started listening to me, GC had moved into town and the damage was done. After 165 years in business, they shut down after GC was there for 2 years.

yoshi · #17 09-04-2004, 09:38 AM

It's all well and good to complain about such prices, but I bet half the posters in this thread don't sell their used gear for any less than 70% than what they paid

"What goes around comes around"

darkspec · #18 09-04-2004, 10:10 AM

I didnt see anyone mention this so here it goes, at a local store around here Fender basses are not list price but high above the price of guitar center. The guy explained to me that they have to charge that much because they can not buy them in such a gross as guitar center does. Im not saying its wrong to charge more.....but it some cases it is a must. And maybe im crazy, But ill pay a extra 150-200$ to a mom and pop store for a instrument I really want just to not give into the corporate mega store stuff guitar center does.

Oh....and this local store has something no guitar center ever will, custom basses made by local luthiers, that my friends keeps me coming back every time.

rockapede · #19 09-04-2004, 01:00 PM

I think it's awesome that you are willing to pay that to help the store out...but I just flat-out can't afford to. On a tight budget like mine I can't find a way to justify to spend $2-300 extra, especially when I'm not a longtime customer anyway. They aren't hurting for cash, though, because they supply all the band instruments to just about every school in the Springfield area. The fact that they tried to tell me that everyone else selling stuff cheaper was selling it used doesn't score them any points either.

-dale

KeithPas · #20 09-04-2004, 01:23 PM

Sadly the days of smaller Mom and Pop music stores seems to be over. Selling music gear is a tough, tough business. I spoke with the owner of a local shop a few years ago and he had to pay Fender over twenty thousand dollars up front to be a "Fender Dealer". He then had to reach a selling quota every month or his dealership was revoked. That is one reason why you see mostly lower level gear in the smaller shops.