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Are stores a rip off or am I missing something?
- Thread starter dougfr67
- Start date
When it comes to retailers, I just look at the whole deal, including any costs for me in time, effort, etc. I do see crazy disparities in price at times, but they might just mean they're not always aware of what another dealer is doing. They are like chess players, they try to wrong-foot each other, and sometimes it works. Some will take a loss on frequently bought stuff to get regular visits to a store at certain times.
In the end I never begrudge them when they're selling. The price is up front, we can take it or leave it. When selling to them it's harder to come away without feeling cheated. Which is why Ebay popularity exploded, because direct negotiation became possible in a way that never used to exist on that scale.
Anyway, dealer disparity works both ways, I got a 4x10 ABM Ashdown cab from PMT at a cost far below what it was worth given the condition. Only once did a dealer ever ship me a big expensive thing that was well below the worth claimed (ex-demo Kurzweil K2500 synth), and I took detailed pictures, and they accepted return, and paid for it too. Mostly I'd consider the big London retailers (and now, more often, franchises with shops across the country) as a safe bet because they want a good rep and won't often risk losing it. Their biggest concerns are each other, they predate on the fallen, so if one fails, the one who takes their place won't want to. They won't predate on us because they need us. We can always go somewhere else. They can't.
In the end I never begrudge them when they're selling. The price is up front, we can take it or leave it. When selling to them it's harder to come away without feeling cheated. Which is why Ebay popularity exploded, because direct negotiation became possible in a way that never used to exist on that scale.
Anyway, dealer disparity works both ways, I got a 4x10 ABM Ashdown cab from PMT at a cost far below what it was worth given the condition. Only once did a dealer ever ship me a big expensive thing that was well below the worth claimed (ex-demo Kurzweil K2500 synth), and I took detailed pictures, and they accepted return, and paid for it too. Mostly I'd consider the big London retailers (and now, more often, franchises with shops across the country) as a safe bet because they want a good rep and won't often risk losing it. Their biggest concerns are each other, they predate on the fallen, so if one fails, the one who takes their place won't want to. They won't predate on us because they need us. We can always go somewhere else. They can't.
The S in MSRP stands for suggested.
Just like no one suggested that you were trolling, but you took the time to discount that idea in your OP because you knew no one would buy that.
Is it a fake sale?
Are you for real?
Does it matter?
Do you got twenty bucks for those strings or not?
We put about 4,000 miles worth of summer vacation road trip on the GarageBandMobile this year. Of course that was during the peak of the gas prices. 
The big sign at one gas station had a price of like $4.59/gal for the grade of fuel I use. At the time that seemed pretty good. I pulled in, plugged in the plastic, so was committed to buy. After doing that, the two buttons for grades of fuel, mine included, were no longer lit up and available to pump. The next grade up for me was $5.19/gal. And yes, I probably could have gone through the trouble to cancel the purchase but really wanted to get going down the road. So I pumped and off we went.
Then I ran into the same situation, a couple of weeks later. This time I pumped $1.00 and left. There was another gas station across the road so I finished filling up there, and without the bait and switch hassle.
We all get caught up in these things from time to time. More often than not, when it presents itself we have a choice in what to do. We may not like it, but it's still a choice. We then choose what we think is best at the time.
Kind of curious what the OP would do if he were in the middle of an important gig, big show, reputation and fortune hanging in the balance, and his D string broke. Would he be willing to pay double, or triple the $55 MSRP, just to get through the show? The circumstances may dictate what he does at the time, but he does have choices.
Anyway I hope he is enjoying his new set of half price strings.
The big sign at one gas station had a price of like $4.59/gal for the grade of fuel I use. At the time that seemed pretty good. I pulled in, plugged in the plastic, so was committed to buy. After doing that, the two buttons for grades of fuel, mine included, were no longer lit up and available to pump. The next grade up for me was $5.19/gal. And yes, I probably could have gone through the trouble to cancel the purchase but really wanted to get going down the road. So I pumped and off we went.
Then I ran into the same situation, a couple of weeks later. This time I pumped $1.00 and left. There was another gas station across the road so I finished filling up there, and without the bait and switch hassle.
We all get caught up in these things from time to time. More often than not, when it presents itself we have a choice in what to do. We may not like it, but it's still a choice. We then choose what we think is best at the time.
Kind of curious what the OP would do if he were in the middle of an important gig, big show, reputation and fortune hanging in the balance, and his D string broke. Would he be willing to pay double, or triple the $55 MSRP, just to get through the show? The circumstances may dictate what he does at the time, but he does have choices.
Anyway I hope he is enjoying his new set of half price strings.
Retail, drop ship, and all points in between. The distribution of “stuff” has changed a great deal in the last decade or two. Building up a big supply of stuff in a warehouse and then shipping from there is going away in favor of getting items from where they are made directly to the end user. It’s good when times are good and frustrating when there’s a disruption in the “supply chain”, which has more or less become the link between consumers and the manufacturing plants in China. Anyway, point of origin of the product is what often accounts for price differences.
I knew of a store that had a huge banner reading "Going out of business...everything 70% off". That banner was up for years and the business never closed.
Here's the thing. People these days are ITCHING to find something to offend them. Even marketing pisses people off these days. Particularly here in the states we are The United States of the Offended. I used to be that guy. It sucked living that way so I grew up.
Don't worry about the MSRP or sale price or whatever. Twenty bucks for a set of LaBella strings, or any quality stings really, is a deal. Nothing else matters. If you like steel strings, they probably a good deal for you.
Want a really good laugh? Read LaBellas own copy in the description of that set. Their "Focused Set Design" leaves on to believe that you're buying some sort of specially matched set of strings.... like the G string in YOUR SET was hand picked to match the other four strings somehow.
But, again, I'm not offended by it. It's just funny. Nordsteand is notorious fornlaughable marketing.
If I like a product, and the price suits me, I buy it. I don't care about the marketing, how nice the CEO is, the color of their fleet vehicles, whether or not they have solar panels on the roof..... none of that matters to me AT ALL.
You male a product I like at a price that doesn't make me cringe, I'm in.
Relax, people. String companies and music stores aren't "out to get you".
Don't worry about the MSRP or sale price or whatever. Twenty bucks for a set of LaBella strings, or any quality stings really, is a deal. Nothing else matters. If you like steel strings, they probably a good deal for you.
Want a really good laugh? Read LaBellas own copy in the description of that set. Their "Focused Set Design" leaves on to believe that you're buying some sort of specially matched set of strings.... like the G string in YOUR SET was hand picked to match the other four strings somehow.
But, again, I'm not offended by it. It's just funny. Nordsteand is notorious fornlaughable marketing.
If I like a product, and the price suits me, I buy it. I don't care about the marketing, how nice the CEO is, the color of their fleet vehicles, whether or not they have solar panels on the roof..... none of that matters to me AT ALL.
You male a product I like at a price that doesn't make me cringe, I'm in.
Relax, people. String companies and music stores aren't "out to get you".
I have no idea how much it costs to make a set of strings.
The research and design to make a string that sounds a particular way, the raw materials, making the hex core to a particular degree of accuracy and tolerance, the same for the multiple layers of winding wire, the ball end, the silk, paying for the machinery to put it all together, including maintaining it, the cost of the factory, and the price of electricity to keep it running, and the insurance on the building, plus the salary of all the workers and any mandated payments to health care, retirement funds, etc. and government taxes. And add on a bit so the manufacturer actually makes some profit.
Then the cost of shipping to a retailer; the cost of the delivery truck, maintaining the vehicle, petrol, driver's wages, insurance, taxes. And add on a bit so the courier/shipper makes some profit.
Then the retailer's costs; the lease on the store, the electricity bill, insurance, stock price, advertising, maintaining their website, employee's wages... maybe the chain operates stores on a franchise basis so there is a buy-in price and monthly payments to the franchisor. And add on a bit so the store makes some profit.
Man, I'm surprised I can afford to buy strings at all.
The research and design to make a string that sounds a particular way, the raw materials, making the hex core to a particular degree of accuracy and tolerance, the same for the multiple layers of winding wire, the ball end, the silk, paying for the machinery to put it all together, including maintaining it, the cost of the factory, and the price of electricity to keep it running, and the insurance on the building, plus the salary of all the workers and any mandated payments to health care, retirement funds, etc. and government taxes. And add on a bit so the manufacturer actually makes some profit.
Then the cost of shipping to a retailer; the cost of the delivery truck, maintaining the vehicle, petrol, driver's wages, insurance, taxes. And add on a bit so the courier/shipper makes some profit.
Then the retailer's costs; the lease on the store, the electricity bill, insurance, stock price, advertising, maintaining their website, employee's wages... maybe the chain operates stores on a franchise basis so there is a buy-in price and monthly payments to the franchisor. And add on a bit so the store makes some profit.
Man, I'm surprised I can afford to buy strings at all.
No. You normally aren’t going to pay more than $20 for those strings. MSRP for anything related to musical instruments is a weird thing and generally best ignored.
What is the controversy here? $19.95 for a set of Labella strings, sounds good to me. I don’t understand what the problem is. Msrp, sales, discounts, it’s all just BS and it’s always been that way. The price is the price either buy it or don’t. If you want to experience some real hard core BS try buying a car.
When you take in account that LaBella Tapewounds and TI Flats can last for years. $40 to $100 is cheap. When I was a professional musician I would have to buy new Rounds every 2 to 4 weeks. That total far exceeded what I had to pay for flats and Tapewounds.
