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Another GC story

rodv66

rodv66

Jul 4, 2016
1,951
3,463
59
NJ
#1
Not even a rant because you can't get mad at this because it's so stereotypical of GC. My acoustic 4x10 is starting to fart out. Getting lot of crackling in it and it's not getting along with my new amp. I only paid 100$ two years ago for it and have gotten my money's worth.

I was passing the Raritan NJ GC, so took a look inside. There was nothing used, and the new stock consisted of an acoustic 4x10, an Aguilar 2x10 and a Markbass 4x10. Three guys working, two at the register and on is playing guitar. I was one of four customers. None of the three workers are paying any attention to the anyone shopping.

On the way out, I see the store manager hanging at his desk and I asked how can they expect to have any business without any product in the store? He got really nasty and yelled that what do I expect, v there is a pandemic going on? I said that I was in a coma for a year so thanks for catching me up on world events. I also asked him why no one even asked what I was looking for and he said they were all busy. I said the guy playing guitar who was two feet away from me was very busy.

And then they want to know why they are in trouble...
 
#3
Rolling Thunder said:
Ha! Reminds me of talking to my rental property manager who got all huffy when I said that I realize that Covid is still a thing, but that excuse has run its course (referring to blowing me off regarding simple repairs).
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I was in the Wilmington Delaware one yesterday. Just got an amp there and had practice that night, so was looking for something without having to pay sales tax. They were thin on stuff, but were busting ass unboxing and setting gear up. Most of it was low grade stuff, but at least they had some choices.

I see that GC has little used gear anymore. Not sure if they are just not buying or with little new gear, used is getting snapped up.

Funny thing, Friday I got my first dose of the vaccine and only side effect was a really nasty sinus headache that cleared up today, so hearing any crap about being covid ignorant pissed me off. Also, my dad almost died from it, so he hit a nerve
 
#4
rodv66 said:
I was in the Wilmington Delaware one yesterday. Just got an amp there and had practice that night, so was looking for something without having to pay sales tax. They were thin on stuff, but were busting ass unboxing and setting gear up. Most of it was low grade stuff, but at least they had some choices.

I see that GC has little used gear anymore. Not sure if they are just not buying or with little new gear, used is getting snapped up.

Funny thing, Friday I got my first dose of the vaccine and only side effect was a really nasty sinus headache that cleared up today, so hearing any crap about being covid ignorant pissed me off. Also, my dad almost died from it, so he hit a nerve
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With almost 500k dead, I'm not trying to downplay or deny it's very real impact, but it's become a convenient go-to excuse for too many people.
 
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#5
I stopped in the big one near me in Hallendale a few weeks ago and it was like that. Nothing in stock I wanted to check out and I was sort of rudely informed I couldn't take anything off the wall without asking first so they could disinfect it or wipe it down or something. I said Cool Beans and walked around for 5 minutes and left.
 
#6
I think the used gear is drying up because they are offering even less for it now than before. I had a like new Orange Bass 100 combo amp that retails for $550 and just wanted to shop around and see what they would give me... they offered $125 and said it was in "fair" condition (it was literally flawless and without a single blemish). Hard to get used inventory when those are the offers people are getting.

rodv66 said:
I was in the Wilmington Delaware one yesterday. Just got an amp there and had practice that night, so was looking for something without having to pay sales tax. They were thin on stuff, but were busting ass unboxing and setting gear up. Most of it was low grade stuff, but at least they had some choices.

I see that GC has little used gear anymore. Not sure if they are just not buying or with little new gear, used is getting snapped up.

Funny thing, Friday I got my first dose of the vaccine and only side effect was a really nasty sinus headache that cleared up today, so hearing any crap about being covid ignorant pissed me off. Also, my dad almost died from it, so he hit a nerve
Click to expand...
 
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#8
Odd, i went in GC two days ago and they didn’t have what i wanted but about five minutes after I walked in they had confirmed stock status and gave me a very generous discount when i asked them to order me one. Considering the current situation i’m having it shipped to my home.
 
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#9
fhm555 said:
Odd, i went in GC two days ago and they didn’t have what i wanted but about five minutes after I walked in they had confirmed stock status and gave me a very generous discount when i asked them to order me one. Considering the current situation i’m having it shipped to my home.
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Doesn't surprise me, staff is up and down. If I went into another store, might have gotten the exact opposite response from the manager
 
#13
rodv66 said:
He got really nasty and yelled that what do I expect, v there is a pandemic going on? I said that I was in a coma for a year so thanks for catching me up on world events
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LOL --- Ain't that the sound of North Jersey

Happy to hear that you guys are coping with the New Normal just fine, and doin' it in your signature style :cool:

Can't say I've been in a GC for years now, mostly for the same reasons people always bring up in threads like these. If I come into your store with $ in hand and ready to spend it, and you blow me off like I'm distracting you from something much more important, then it's no big leap for me to just spend that cash somewhere else *shrug*
 
#14
Another manager called to apologize and he said one issue is that some manufactures don't allow them to carry items in the store. He said Orange allows them to have guitar amps and cabs in the store but not bass gear. Never heard that one before
 
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#16
I'm visiting my in-laws for the first time in many months. We used to come down here often, and I always headed over to their local GC to kill time; it was a good one, and the staff generally were non-jerks.

I just went in there for the first time since last February and found nada. Empty walls. Nothing used.

GC.jpeg


So I asked the dude when they were closing, but he said they had the opposite problem: things are selling so fast there's no time to put them on display. Nobody is coming in with anything used. And, which bothered him the most, their online items are selling so fast that the guys in the back are constantly coming onto the sales floor, grabbing what little there is off the wall, and boxing it all up.

Weird dynamic. It was kind of a depressing visit. I've always enjoyed GC as a place to kill time. Their bass room (above) was the worst, but their guitar side was about 2/3 full and their acoustics were maybe half? A bit less?
 

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