Feeling guilty; I really wanted to buy locally but....

[Rosewood99]

Looking at a Martin OMC-16e Ovangkol at my local guitar store. They offered to take $100 off the list price. Told them I would think about it and would probably be back this weekend to get it. In the meantime a retailer on reverb.com gave me a price $280 off the list price with free shipping and no tax (that would have added about $140 at the local store).

I really wanted to buy locally but that was just too much of a difference to pass up. Feel like I will have to stay away from that store for the next six months.

[zmf]

Your choice, but your local store gave you a chance to play it before purchase.

But then I'm also trying to avoid buying online line through Amazon as opposed to smaller retail units -- just so you know where I'm at.

[jklotz]

Yea, this is a tough one. I really like one of our local shops. Great, knowledgeable folks with a nice inventory. But they rarely discount, and if they do, 10% tops. I'd love to support them, and I do from time to time, but I still have to pay my mortgage.

Maybe a better business model for those guys would be to specialize in smaller boutique builders ? At least that way, they aren't trying to go toe to toe with gc.

[Ludere]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

Looking at a Martin OMC-16e Ovangkol at my local guitar store. They offered to take $100 off the list price. Told them I would think about it and would probably be back this weekend to get it. In the meantime a retailer on reverb.com gave me a price $280 off the list price with free shipping and no tax (that would have added about $140 at the local store).

I really wanted to buy locally but that was just too much of a difference to pass up. Feel like I will have to stay away from that store for the next six months.

While I completely understand how you're feeling, I gotta be honest ... I would have probably done the same. That's more than a 20% difference.

I do feel for the little guys and we all like having them there for the personalized experience, but even if I had the extra money to throw around, I'd still feel like I paid way more than I should have ...

I think this is just an unfortunate by-product of the evolution of modern day retail economics ... still makes me sad, though.

~ Paul

[Jobe]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

Looking at a Martin OMC-16e Ovangkol at my local guitar store. They offered to take $100 off the list price. Told them I would think about it and would probably be back this weekend to get it. In the meantime a retailer on reverb.com gave me a price $280 off the list price with free shipping and no tax (that would have added about $140 at the local store).

I really wanted to buy locally but that was just too much of a difference to pass up. Feel like I will have to stay away from that store for the next six months.

Speaking only for me the last ditch effort would be to tell them your situation and see if they could work with you. Be honest. They understand. Maybe they say I can't do that but I can do this. If numbers come within reason it is always nice to buy the guitar you touched and saw and played. The "One"' that tripped your trigger. But the bottom line has to be reasonable as opposed to the other Cats. Small shops are getting hurt in the age of internet and pure volume of sales. Not to mention (which I am about to) the amount of minimal inventory that is required to stock a "Name" brand guitar before you are allowed to carry it on your wall. That puts a lot of small shops behind the eight ball up front.

[Phoenix75]

Hey you've nothing to feel guilty about at all. I'm sure when the local store buys stock in they will buy for the most profitable price

I understand though I would be like that sometimes. To much thinking.

[lowrider]

Why didn't you check with our forum sponsors?

Maury's Music would have given you a better price, no tax, and had the guitar to you in one day.

[IndyHD28]

In today’s internet retail world, brick and mortar stores are destined for a death spiral if they don’t adapt. My local Martin dealer did just that. He moved from a “full service” type location to a warehouse with a small office. Reduced employees to the owner and his son (two people!). Became active on the forums. Matched the best internet price. Today, he sells 80-90% online and yet, has a small demo room and accessories for locals like me. He also is supportive of the local playing community, providing a venue for half a dozen local teachers to give lessons. I do have to pay sales tax on my purchases but I will do that to support him because he’s doing everything right to survive in this online, low cost era. Another plus is his massive inventory including many house customs that, as a serious buyer, I’m allowed to play and contrast at my leisure. It is really an ideal situation for a buyer like me and I give loyalty in return.

[rmp]

I don't even hesitate to buy on line.

I only use two reputable on line merchants, I've never, not once, had an issue that wasn't resolved easily.

Return policies for these online stores cannot be touched by what a local store will offer.

If you wind up with a purchase that just isn't right, good luck getting it replaced with a mom and pop store. You're immediately sent to warranty services. It's happened to me enough times to know. Buy something online and usually you got 30 days to exchange or return.

Try before you buy, is just not a rule I follow these days. It's not possible anyway, as no one never has in stock what I am looking for anyway...

[BrunoBlack]

The reality is that not everyone has a good shop within driving distance. Fortunately I have The Music Emporium within 1.5 hours. I could buy online (and avoid sales tax), but I choose to buy from TME most of the time. Yes it adds a $100+ to virtually every purchase, but TME is worth supporting. Supporting the service & selection that this local shop provides makes it the right decision for me.

[brimcfarland]

I’m in the same boat right now. I recently got a Custom quote from Maury's for an M36 with a few personalized changes, with a very good price. I took the build sheet to my local shop where I’ve bought a couple of mid-priced electrics over the years. He is submitting the build through his Martin rep to see what he can do it for.
I was very honest with him, I said "If you can make some money doing this for me, I’d rather buy from you, since you’re local."

But, buying from Maury wouldn’t exactly be a sellout to the big box megamart either. 😉

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by Haasome

The reality is that not everyone has a good shop within driving distance. Fortunately I have The Music Emporium within 1.5 hours. I could buy online (and avoid sales tax), but I choose to buy from TME most of the time. Yes it adds a $100+ to virtually every purchase, but TME is worth supporting. Supporting the service & selection that this local shop provides makes it the right decision for me.

I'm about the same distance/time from TME and I avoid that place like the plague because I want to retire someday!

Seriously though, if I had a local retailer I actually liked that carried guitars I like I'd go to them. Unfortunately all the little guys were put under years ago and the few that remain pretty much just sell crap. There is one dealer left that carries Taylor, Yamaha and now Cole Clark but the owner is a terrible person so I rarely buy from them.

I did test drive a Cole Clark after they got them and after doing research to see what other small local retailers were selling for on Reverb I made an offer a couple hundred above that price and they wouldn't budge. So I bought a used one from a private seller on Reverb and saved myself a grand.

I made peace with buying online years ago. It's the inevitable evolution of a retail market economy and I've embraced it. I buy locally if I can and I like the retailer but I don't lose sleep if I buy online. If I test drive an item locally and I can get a fair price I'll pay a little more but that dollar amount is going to be different for everyone.

[colder]

Is the seller on Reverb an online-only Martin dealer? If they are not, why can they meet a price that the local retailer can't?

[Jim in TC]

Originally Posted by Jobe

Speaking only for me the last ditch effort would be to tell them your situation and see if they could work with you. Be honest. They understand. Maybe they say I can't do that but I can do this. If numbers come within reason it is always nice to buy the guitar you touched and saw and played. The "One"' that tripped your trigger. But the bottom line has to be reasonable as opposed to the other Cats. Small shops are getting hurt in the age of internet and pure volume of sales. Not to mention (which I am about to) the amount of minimal inventory that is required to stock a "Name" brand guitar before you are allowed to carry it on your wall. That puts a lot of small shops behind the eight ball up front.

+1 to this. Not long ago on a very different purchase I went to a local dealer with the story of the online discount and asked what they could do ...not asking to match but just bend a bit. Which they did, enough to make the deal.

[donlyn]

Personally, I would rather spend a little extra to get an instrument that I've been able to test-drive than take a chance with an on-line purchase. Instruments do vary a bit even if they are the same model.

There are some very good used instruments out there, and most dealers have a lot more 'wiggle' room with used instruments, since they have some control over the price/trade they used to acquire them. Something to keep in mind is that they still have more overhead than most on-line only operations. If it looks like a fair price, then it's probably OK to get it.

The real issue is that 'little extra' combined with 'fair price'.

Don
.