Mom & Pop Shops

[GregT]

There is a local music store in Springfield, Missouri that is kind of hidden that does a great business. Palen Music. I will be picking up a brand new Precision tomorrow. I got a good deal and they know my name. I know theirs also. They have Lakland, Fender, and a lot of other basses. I bought my Fender Rumble 100 there. Good place. Local.

 

[BASSKADET]

I've never been to GC.

 

[Bassa Nova]

I really like GC but because of where I live, it is very high traffic. With Berklee nearby, there is no way you can find a reasonable vintage instrument. Plus there is no negotiation. Service is good though.

 

[drummer5359]

I buy a lot of stuff used, make major purchases of new items at mom & pop shops almost all of the time. Both of my new Rickenbackers came from one locally owned shop, my American Deluxe Dimension came from another.

When I bought my DW drums I lived in DC. Again, those came from a local shop. I have been know to order some items from Sweetwater when it is a specific item that I can't find locally and I need to get it quick.

Supporting local businesses is important to me, I do it when I can as a rule.

On the other hand, there is a local drum shop a mile from my house that is owned and run by an unpleasant individual. They have excellent stock, but the service offsets it. I don't buy from him unless I have to.

 

[Bass Master General]

On the other hand, there is a local drum shop a mile from my house that is owned and run by an unpleasant individual. They have excellent stock, but the service offsets it. I don't buy from him unless I have to.

Reminds me of one particular place in Hyattsville MD. I went in there once and immediately regretted it when the owner started going on some wacko political rant to nobody in particular (me). No wonder the place always looked empty...

 

[Duder]

Yeah, good logic there. Because mom and pop, CL, eBay, Sweetwater, et. al. NEVER make those kinds of errors.

I get the feeling you're wanting to argue just for the sake of arguing. Mostly because I see you do that in so many other threads.

 

[alembicguy]

My local mom and pop wants 47.99 plus tax for a pack of dr strings and 18.99 for a six inch patch cable... So I mostly stick to the internet.

Oh and them 47.99 dr strings. He had to order them and it took 2 days shy of 4 weeks for them to come in.

He coulda ordered them off amazon, selected the free shipping, still made 20 bucks and had em to me at least two weeks earlier

I once offered to buy bulk strings for my mom and pop shop just so he good make some money.

 

[Chad T]

My local mom and pop wants 47.99 plus tax for a pack of dr strings and 18.99 for a six inch patch cable... So I mostly stick to the internet.

Oh and them 47.99 dr strings. He had to order them and it took 2 days shy of 4 weeks for them to come in.

He coulda ordered them off amazon, selected the free shipping, still made 20 bucks and had em to me at least two weeks earlier

I hear this kind of thing from people who have never owned or managed a retail business. Using Amazon as a middleman may seem like a good idea to an arm-chair business expert, but it really isn't a good choice for a viable business. There are several reasons, but mainly it messes up the supply chain. I could go into details on what that means, but won't. BTW, did they advise you of a rough ETA when you placed the order?

FWIW, I would have never paid that much for those strings in the first place. I went to a mom and pop shop who had DR strings at full retail. I chatted with them a bit and got them for half of what they were marked.

 

[DwaynieAD]

I hear this kind of thing from people who have never owned or managed a retail business. Using Amazon as a middleman may seem like a good idea to an arm-chair business expert, but it really isn't a good choice for a viable business. There are several reasons, but mainly it messes up the supply chain. I could go into details on what that means, but won't. BTW, did they advise you of a rough ETA when you placed the order?

FWIW, I would have never paid that much for those strings in the first place. I went to a mom and pop shop who had DR strings at full retail. I chatted with them a bit and got them for half of what they were marked.

I am well aware that using amazon as a middleman is not a viable business model. It was an aside to illustrate why people choose to use online rather than Mom and Pop shops. rough eta i was given was "about a week or so" at 2.5 weeks I called to inquire and was told "well we didnt call you yet, did we"

I normally wouldnt pay 47.99 for strings either, I would have got them on amazon for 22.99 with free shipping to my door. there were other circumstances in play here that basically boil down to me trying to support the little guy and I got burned. this is far from an isolated incident, just the most recent (and likely the final nail in the coffin)
sorry I offended your sensibilities.

 

[GretschWretch]

All you guys living in the greater DC metroplex -- Wheaton, Hyattsville, Alexandria, even as far away as Hagerstown and Harpo's Ferret -- how about some specific names and addresses for these M&Ps? I plan to visit my daughter in Berwyn Heights in a few months, and we do day trips.

 

[GregT]

Springfield, Missouri. Palen Music bass section. Mom& Pop store. I took this picture while I was there picking up my new Precision.

 

[MrRobert]

GC is 2.5 miles from my house and the staff in Austin is very knowledgeable. I've lived in Austin for 34 years and was treated like crap by some of the local stores when I was young and broke. I've never forgotten that and the ones that survived get none of my money. The only exception is South Austin Music. Been shopping there since 1986. Ray's Heart Of Texas Music was great but are no more.

I once went in to Ray's and found a pretty beat up 78 P hanging on the wall... I noodled on it for a bit and it played well, so I asked how much they wanted for it. They said $400, so I bought it on the spot. After the transaction was completed, Ray (I think it was him, he was old and ornery!) took it to his bench to tighten a knob screw or something, when the lady who previously rang me up came out from the back and said "whoops, we charged you the wrong price. We got that bass mixed up with another one, and the one you bought is actually $1200." I was bummed but agreed to void the transaction and have the money out back on my card. They were really apologetic about it, but I probably could have insisted that they already sold it to me for $400 and insisted they honor the deal. But I figured it just wasn't meant to be, so I let it go. There's really no point to this except that I had a strange experience at Ray's Heart of Music ha ha

 

[drummer5359]

Guess I'm an odd ball here. 63 years old and I have never set foot in a GC. The only thing I have ever purchased online is a couple of sets of bass strings from Bass Strings Online. Most of my current gear was purchased used. The recent new stuff was bought at one of the two local mom and pops. Years ago I bought a few new guitars from a mom and pop in Wheaton Md. That mom and pop was Chuck Levins' Music Center and is probably bigger than any GC I have ever heard of. Incredible selection , fantastic repair shop , and the most helpful people working there you could ever want to meet , except for Chuck himself who is the epitome of a crotchety old fart , but he sure runs a tight ship. It's a 90 mile trip for me these days and I don't need anything , but if I ever need a new big ticket item , that's where I'm going.

I came here just to name check Chuck Levin's. I went there many a time when I lived in the DMV. When I moved there I found out about them via their ubiquitous "I LOVE MUSIC" bumperstickers... was amazed by their pawn shop-esque cashiering system when I finally went... I remember often seeing dudes trying out timbales and congas for go-go...

I lived in Chevy Chase Maryland for a few years. I LOVE Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center! I still call them for major drum purchases instead of dealing with the drum shop a mile from my house. Chuck's has exceptional customer service, outstanding selection, and knowledgeable staff. They are not your average "mom & pop shop".

The Pittsburgh shops that take great care of me are "Pittsburgh Guitars" and "N' Stuff Music".

 

[zontar]

I would like to see more of these places--and ones that take chances as well and sell some unusual stuff...
Those days may be done & over--but I don't ever want to see actual brick & mortar music stores that aren't big box stores or stores with a music dept.

 

[pdusen]

I just moved to Conshohocken PA. Can anyone recommend a good Mom & Pop in the Conshohocken/Philadelphia area? I went to the Conshy GC and the King of Prussia Sam Ash but their selections were completely unimpressive.

 

[Bass Viking]

I am well aware that using amazon as a middleman is not a viable business model. It was an aside to illustrate why people choose to use online rather than Mom and Pop shops. rough eta i was given was "about a week or so" at 2.5 weeks I called to inquire and was told "well we didnt call you yet, did we"

I normally wouldnt pay 47.99 for strings either, I would have got them on amazon for 22.99 with free shipping to my door. there were other circumstances in play here that basically boil down to me trying to support the little guy and I got burned. this is far from an isolated incident, just the most recent (and likely the final nail in the coffin)
sorry I offended your sensibilities.

Overpriced strings? Check. Slow delivery time? Check. Salesperson attitude? Check.

Screw you mom and pop!!!

 

[Lownote38]

Wow. I wonder if he kept his job after that?
Maybe this is just me, but I do believe there is some really bad Bass Guitar-ma (Karma) awaiting anyone who would even think of doing something that is both that unethical and illegal. Wow...

I haven't seen him there since. The other employees (who were VERY nice to me about the whole thing) are still working there, though. This kid was trying to cover his butt because he messed up, but I think he just made the situation worse for himself. The store lost a bunch money buying my Precision bass, and then partially selling it, but having to refund that customer. All of it was that kid's fault.

 

[Absumone]

My favourite music shop is a small one-man shop as well. It's Muziekhandel Oudenaarde here in Belgium. The owner is one of the most fantastic persons I have ever met and he is always ready to help and do some small talk afterwards. I love going there!

 

[Ben Rose]

I just moved to Conshohocken PA. Can anyone recommend a good Mom & Pop in the Conshohocken/Philadelphia area? I went to the Conshy GC and the King of Prussia Sam Ash but their selections were completely unimpressive.

So many in Philly have closed (Zapf's, Medley) and Bass Specialties is online only now. Maybe Cintioli's is still around.

 

[Bass Viking]

I am well aware that using amazon as a middleman is not a viable business model. It was an aside to illustrate why people choose to use online rather than Mom and Pop shops.

That's what I got from your post. Someone should point this out to the store owner. I don't mind paying a little extra for the convenience of being able to get the item on the spot, especially since I'm in Canada and cross border ordering/shipping is more of a hassle. I like the fancy boutique stuff that you don't see locally in stores so it means ordering from the USA e.g. Bass Central, Carvin, Bass Northwest. One exception is Club Bass in Toronto. I received my NS Design bass the day after I ordered it, no duty or brokerage fees to pay, and best of all it just happened to be a lot cheaper than anywhere else.