Price Online Vs In Store...

[Shades of Blue]

So, I've a local shop that carries a really good assortment of Martins, Taylors, and even Fender and PRS. They usually have what I want in stock, and in decent floor condition. Service is great, and it's a fun way to kill an hour. They have a beautiful HD28 I'm going to checkout this weekend.

The problem is price. They never discount more than 10%, and when you add in sales tax, it's less than 3% off of retail.

So the question....if you found a guitar that sounded great in the store, but you get virtually no discount Vs buying online, what do you do???

[Pixelfergus]

If you are playing a particular guitar that you like you should buy it,
otherwise why are you playing them?

[Jabberwocky]

When you have taken up the shop's time and sampled its merchandise and liked what you sampled decency behoves you to give your custom to the shop.

If you have not, then take your chances online. Do not forget that you pay for shipping both ways if you do not like the guitar you buy online. These days, that could mean $300 round trip. What about the delayed gratification while waiting for it to be delivered? Time is money.

The net of it is, you are not saving anything at all buying online over buying from a brick and mortar whose hospitality you have enjoyed.

I buy my guitars online because I do not like my local brick and mortar. I don't trouble them so I have no such compunctions. Oh yes, I think I bought one purple Stubby pick from them...

I have a friend who does that: he takes up about 20 minutes of a sales promoter's time asking a hundred questions about bedsheets, for instance, and then goes to buy it where he can save $10.

[RockyRacc00n]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

So, I've a local shop that carries a really good assortment of Martins, Taylors, and even Fender and PRS. They usually have what I want in stock, and in decent floor condition. Service is great, and it's a fun way to kill an hour. They have a beautiful HD28 I'm going to checkout this weekend.

The problem is price. They never discount more than 10%, and when you add in sales tax, it's less than 3% off of retail.

So the question....if you found a guitar that sounded great in the store, but you get virtually no discount Vs buying online, what do you do???

No question about it for me. I buy through a sponsor. On big ticket items, the several hundred dollars you save, especially if you add in the sales tax, make it more than worthwhile to take a chance on the hassle of a return in case the guitar doesn’t work out.

I would prefer to buy locally, what I saw and played, even if the discount isn’t as good as some of the sponsors or whatever coupon onliers are running. But you add in the state sales tax, that’s where it puts it over the top for me.

I think the state sales tax laws are being reviewed right now... although I haven’t followed closely. I think they need to do something about that.

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

So, I've a local shop that carries a really good assortment of Martins, Taylors, and even Fender and PRS. They usually have what I want in stock, and in decent floor condition. Service is great, and it's a fun way to kill an hour. They have a beautiful HD28 I'm going to checkout this weekend.

The problem is price. They never discount more than 10%, and when you add in sales tax, it's less than 3% off of retail.

So the question....if you found a guitar that sounded great in the store, but you get virtually no discount Vs buying online, what do you do???

You reference a discount off "retail", but I don't know if you mean MSRP or MAP. MSRP on a 2018 HD-28 is $3,800, and MAP is $3,029. I can buy it, and you could too, for $2,280. These guitars are consistent enough that I would not pay anything close to $3,800 for it new no matter how much I liked it. I would pay more than $2,280 for the privilege of playing first and buying locally. How much more would depend on how much I liked that particular example.

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky

When you have taken up the shop's time and sampled its merchandise and liked what you sampled decency behoves you to give your custom to the shop.

Believe me, the shop will get the first chance at my business. I've told them that online dealers can sell at a much greater discount and they never seem to believe me. At some point, it's the responsibility of the shop to become competitive, and it isn't my job to pay $700 more because I played it in their store while I was buying strings.

It may not be this way in every shop, but this shop needs to be more competitive....or, maybe they don't. Maybe they make the profits they need without my business...that's fine with me.

Just as an aside, I RARELY go in local shops for this reason, but sometimes I do buy strings as a "thank you" for letting me try out their guitars. I work in sales and I'd lose my job if I didn't work with my customers to make the sale.

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by Todd Yates

You reference a discount off "retail", but I don't know if you mean MSRP or MAP. MSRP on a 2018 HD-28 is $3,800, and MAP is $3,029. I can buy it, and you could too, for $2,280. These guitars are consistent enough that I would not pay anything close to $3,800 for it new no matter how much I liked it. I would pay more than $2,280 for the privilege of playing first and buying locally. How much more would depend on how much I liked that particular example.

In this instance, I mean $3,029 with 10% off and 8% sales tax. My price out the door is $2945. No go in my book.

I always tell the guy the price I can get from a forum sponsor and he always just claims there is NO WAY. It's his shop, but it's also his lost sale.

[archerscreek]

All you can do is make the local shop a reasonable offer. If they don’t take it’s on them. Sounds to me like you have the right approach. Frequent their business, buy some strings, make offers and such. That’s my approach, too.

[RockyRacc00n]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

I always tell the guy the price I can get from a forum sponsor and he always just claims there is NO WAY. It's his shop, but it's also his lost sale.

Same experience for me, which is what led me to post this discussion several weeks back.

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=505970

[Jabberwocky]

I know what you mean, Shades. And I am with you. That is why I never ever walk into my local brick and mortar because I know they will never be able to beat online prices. Rent is one factor. Wages is another. The third one is a Catch 22: they don't sell enough to earn a larger dealer's margin from their principals. So, their profit margins are slimmer. State sales tax goes to the state; it is not profit to the shop.

Last reason is because I have worn out my welcome mat. You never buy anything from us except for a pick! Mea culpa. I even buy my strings online. That remark got to me so I said, no more visits.

As someone said, the HD28 is so consistently made that you could buy one from a reputable dealer sight unseen. A good dealer will play it and let you know his impression of it. A good online dealer will even help you to pick out a good one. It is hard for brick and mortar to compete but them's the breaks.

[Arthur Blake]

My local guitar store has online access. If I honestly explain that I would like to buy from them but found a different price online, they usually look it up for themselves to confirm and then match it. Although so far I only purchased smaller items from them, Humidipaks, strings, capo, things of that sort.

I wasn't expecting it, but they must realize the need to be competitive to stay in business.

Same thing happened with a tire store. Brought in a printout and they matched the price. Again, was surprised, didn't expect it.

[redir]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

Service is great, and it's a fun way to kill an hour.

So there ya go. Buy online where you will then be left on your own and say good by to your local shop where you like to visit and hang out and who will take care of you in the future. The choice is yours.

[Tico]

You say they never discount more than 10%.
That may not be true.
What is your source for that, the store?
Of course they're going to say that.

They know that many customers will give up and pay that or leave.
They know most HATE the stress of negotiating.
They know many consider negotiating, especially negotiating hard, is not "nice".
They know we (especially Americans) want to see ourselves as "nice" people.
They know many will just pay the 90% to put an end to the stressful experience ASAP.
... but some customers will continue working on the salesperson after that 10% police is stated.

The best negotiators get the lowest price.
Learn how to negotiate.

I'm surprised now often I read here from people who think the price they get depends on the store, not on them.

[DupleMeter]

I like to play what I'm going to buy. That said, the local small music stores near me are all competitive with online prices.

I wouldn't be ashamed to go in, tell them you want the guitar & show them their competitor's prices and ask for a better price. If they want the sale they'll negotiate. A good salesperson is always willing to negotiate & accept a reasonable offer.

The problem with online is that it won't be the same guitar. It could be the exact same model, but it won't be the same guitar. Especially with Martin. A lot of the work is still done by hand, so there is a good amount of variation from one to the next. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I like the mojo a real person throws into mix...but it means it's not as homogeneous as say a Taylor.

Others may see it differently. Doesn't mean they're wrong. It's depends on what's most important to you.

Good luck, however you go about it.

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by Tico

You say they never discount more than 10%.
That may not be true.

The best negotiators get the lowest price.
Learn how to negotiate.

I'm surprised now often I read here from people who think the price they get depends on the store, not on them.

I've tried. Negotiations are part of my job. I'm pretty good at it. This particular shop just has this invisible "policy" and I'll never break through as long as the current owner is around. Because, he knows some uninformed youngster with some cash will buy it eventually.

This same guy argued with me that Martin was not "Reimagining" the D-28 last year and told me that I must have seen a "one off." That really ticked me off.