[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference napalm::commusic_v1

Title:* * Computer Music, MIDI, and Related Topics * *
Notice:Conference has been write-locked. Use new version.
Moderator:DYPSS1::SCHAFER
Created:Thu Feb 20 1986
Last Modified:Mon Aug 29 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2852
Total number of notes:33157

2004.0. "Showroom see and buy .vs. Showroom see and MO buy" by FDCV06::ARVIDSON (Truth is simple, but seldom seen) Wed May 24 1989 14:42

	The purpose of this note is to get a ratio of the people
	who see a product in the showroom and buy from the showroom
	.vs. those who see the product in the showroom and buy MO.

	Obviously this is voluntary.  This note is for replies to the
	above, discussion of the results will occur in note 1783.


	Please enter:

	- What was the new product/equipment purchased?

	- Where did you first see the product?

	- Where did you purchase the product?

	- Purchase price .vs. quote price

	- Any additional explanation (Like dealer delays, 'freebees'
		thrown in buy the dealer, etc.)


	Thanks,
	Dan
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
2004.1Here's mine...FDCV06::ARVIDSONTruth is simple, but seldom seenWed May 24 1989 14:5540
	Product:  Roland D-50

	Seen at:  E.U.W. Framingham

	Bought at:  ProFound Sound, MO

	Purchase/Quote:  $1300+shipping(MO) / $1595+tax(Showroom)

	Comments:
	   Price-fixing influenced my decision along with lower price
	   and shipping was less than tax.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

	Product:  MC-500

	Seen at:  E.U.W. Worcester

	Bought at: 'Same' / DEC outing

	Purchase/Quote:  $599+tax / $599+tax

	Comments:
	   Good price on a good product; immediate satisfaction to an
	   educated impulse buy.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

	Product:  Tascam Porta-2

	Seen at:  E.U.W. Worcester

	Bought at: 'Same'

	Purchase/Quote:  $795+tax / $795+tax

	Comments:
	   Good price on a good product; immediate satisfaction to an
	   educated impulse buy.  Also, dealer thru in some extras.
2004.2OK I biteNORGE::CHADWed May 24 1989 16:0092
OK, I'll play this little game.  It is always fun to brag about the toys.

Roland D-50

First seen:  SYNTRAX music -- Orem Utah  no prices really discussed
Bought: Daddy's Junky Music -- Nashua NH
Price:  1595   I had a quote about $1350 plus shipping for MO

reason for buying where I did:  Wanted to establish a good relationship
with local store, immediate satisfaction, received 2 Roland ROM sound cards
free with purchase (retail value -- $180 -- perhaps $130-150 by MO at the 
time??)

------------------------

Roland MT32
(I don't have this any more)

First seen:  SYNTRAX music -- Orem Utah
Bought: Daddy's Junky Music -- Nashua
Price: Daddy's list -- $595

reason for buying where I did:  Naivete, impulse, immediate satisfaction,
establish dealer relationship

------------------------

Yamaha TX16W sampler

First seen: (besides magazine)  Daddy's Junky Music -- Nashua NH
Bought:  same
Price: Originally $1395 -- got $195 refund (store credit) as Daddy's dropped
price within a month of purchase (price protection guaranty stuff)

reason for buying where I did:  Establish relationship with dealer, immediate
satisfaction, no lower prices found (even MO), they let me borrow for free
the Y* sound library to copy and have helped me since a lot with securing 
the OS upgrades, sound disks to borrow, etc.

-------------------------

Roland R-8 drum machine

First seen:  Daddy's Junky Music -- Nashua NH
Bought:  SYNTRAX music Orem Utah
Price: $760 plus 1/2 shipping (2 day air)

reason for buying:  ok price, these folks were my friends before I returned
back here and had been really nice to me.  Though I MO this I don't
consider it a MO as they were my showroom store last Spring and I wanted 
to return the favor.  I didn't consider pther MO dealers.

--------------------------

Roland M-160 mixer

First seen: SYNTRAX music -- Orem Utah, Daddy's Junky Music, Nashua NH
Bought: Acton Music, Acton MA
Price: $790  -- lowest "local" price I found through DECMS

reason for purchase:  good local price, almost immediate satisfaction (they
had to order from distributor), wanted to try out the magic word "DECMS"

--------------------------

Yamaha WX7 wind controller

First seen: in magazine -- never played with one in-store
Bought: Sam Ash ( a MO!! ), NY
price: $300 plus $2 shipping

reason for sale:  unbelievable blowout price, impulse.  No really local dealer
had it.  Biggest reason is the price.

--------------------------


360 systems MIDIpatcher (old version)

got used through COMMUSIC

--------------------------

There you have it!  The few other things I have I got as a door prize at 
Daddy's or are miscellanious stuff.

Computer equipment on the other hand I have almost exclusively MO.  Reasons --
price, availability, etc.  I usually know what I want and don't bother the
stores (not that there is a great amount of Atari stuff available localy.


Chad
2004.3My tale of woeGUESS::YERAZUNISI'm not stupid, I'm not expendable, and I'm NOT going!Wed May 24 1989 16:3097
    Chronology of a MIDIholoc:
    
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
            
    
    Yamaha DX-100
    
    First seen: Drome Sound, Albany NY
    
    Bought (used demo unit): same
    
    Price:  don't remind me...
    
    Reason:  First purchase, didn't know about the MO's.  Also didn't
    know about the other (usually much better) music stores in the area.
    
    ------------
    
    Ensoniq ESQ-1
    
    First seen: Only Guitar Shop, Albany NY
    
    Bought (used tradein unit) : same
    
    Price:  $1000 or so (with loads of other stuff)
    
    Reason:  Good (well-informed) sales, let me play with it until I
    	was sure it was what I wanted.
    
    ------------
    
    Alesis HR-16
    
    First seen: Only Guitar Shop, Albany NY
    
    Bought: same (mail-ordered though, from a showroom store!)
    
    Price: list
    
    Reason:  Store confidence & loyalty if I had problems
    
    -------------
    
    Roland Octapad
    
    First seen: Only Guitar Shop, Albany NY
    
    Bought: EUWurlitzer, Worchester (Wurlygig)
    
    Price: $475
    
    Reason: extras thrown in, available (O.G.S. didn't have any and
    	weren't able to order any.  Never got a satisfactory explanation
    	on _why_ they couldn't.)
                                                                   
    -------------
    
    Oberheim Xpander
    
    First Seen: Only Guitar Shop, Albany NY
    
    Bought: same
    
    Price: (used tradein unit) $600 or so- usual cloud of extra stuff.
    
    Reason: used unit for near-giveaway price.  Xpanders are still in
    	production- for $3000 or so!  
    
    --------------
    
    Oberheim Xk controller
    
    First seen: Northeastern Strings, Albany NY
    
    Bought: COMMUSIC used equip note.
    
    Price: $400 or so. I forget.
             
    Reason:  Demo units asked $900 or so.  No new units available.  
     
    -------------              
    
    Alesis Quadraverb
    
    First seen: EUWurlitzer, Framingham
    
    Bought: Only Guitar Shop, Albany NY (MO'd from a showroom store
    	again, just like the HR-16)
    
    Price: list
    
    Reason: store loyalty, store confidence & store backup in case of
    	problems.  EUW had none to sell, OGS did, so I went for it.
                                                                    
    
    	-Bill
                                                                        
2004.4Loyal Customer - Pound Wise if Penny "Foolish"?DRUMS::FEHSKENSWed May 24 1989 18:0819
    I'm not going to bother listing all my gear and what I paid for
    it.  I've bought almost everything from EU Wurlitzer, and have never
    mail ordered anything other than rack screws.  I watch for sales (e.g.,
    I got my D-550 from EUW for $1295), and I have bought enough stuff from
    these guys that they usually bend over backward to give me the best
    price they can (they are usually willing to show me their cost and margin).
    One of the main reasons I don't have any Yamaha gear is that EUW
    doesn't carry it!
    
    As a result of this kind of "loyalty", I get a lot of support
    from EUW.  I do not play "I can get it for less over there" games
    with them.  Their prices have never been so far out of line that
    I felt it worthwhile to go elsewhere.  The only time I did go elsewhere
    it was because they couldn't get me unit quickly enough (a CZ-101,
    which I paid $450 (i.e., list price) for at that clip joint in
    Worcester).  This taught me the virtue of patience.
    
    len.
    
2004.5mostly "showroom"XERO::ARNOLDand he's good at appearing sane...Wed May 24 1989 18:3144
    Like Len, I won't mention many details (mostly due to memory lapses
    over the years).  Almost my entire home studio has been acquired from
    "showroom" dealers.  The only things I have bought mail order are rack
    rails and rack screws and, I think, an Invisible Support keyboard stand
    that I couldn't find anywhere in the area.  Oh yes, I bought my
    Mesa-Boogie mail order but that was for the same price as one of their
    dealers and it had to be special ordered anyway so I decided to deal
    directly with the people at Boogie to make it the way I wanted it.
    
    My primary experiences have been with the following dealers:
    
    Daddy's, Salem NH
    	Guitars, bass guitars, amps, and Yamaha PF-15 (when they first came
    	out)
    Music Workshop, Salem NH
    	Tascam 38, M-30 mixer, then upgraded to M320B mixer, smaller things
    Union Music, Worcester MA
    	Acoustic guitars (I would never buy one without trying it out),
    	Korg PolySix,  Roland TR-707, drum accessories, etc.
    Acton Music, Acton MA
    	Kurzweil 1000PX with soundblock PX-A and Object mover software
    
    
    I've gotten to the point where I'm buying equipment that expensive
    enough that I don't want to make mistakes so I spend a lot of time
    shopping for the right thing.  I'm sure a lot of dealers think I'm just
    diddling and will buy mail order but they're wrong.  I eventually buy
    from a local dealer almost all the time.  In return, I expect a good
    level of customer support if/when I have questions, service, etc.
    
    The one place where I'm an avid mail order user is for Macintosh
    software and accessories.  I have yet to find a place that has most of
    the software I want where I can try it.  Thus, I rely on friends to let
    me test-drive the software and then buy from a place like
    MacConnection.
    
    I'd also like to add that the mail order people do me a great service
    by sending me their catalogs.  From these I get a good feel for what's
    on the market (in addition to the numerous magazines I read).  In
    exchange for this service, I have bought small things I can't find
    readily in stock at the local merchants like the rack stuff.  (I like
    to buy from everybody, almost.)
    
    - John -
2004.6This is hardly a valid sample base is it?DREGS::BLICKSTEINConliberativeWed May 24 1989 19:0254
    Recently, the MUSIC conference had a debate in which the magnitude
    of tape piracy was questioned.   We conducted a similar "poll" and
    discovered that almost NO ONE *EVER* pirated a tape.
    
    Therefore clearly, because all the folks in MUSIC never pirate tapes,
    it's clear that it's VERY rare for people to make copy tapes without
    buying it.  I mean none of you EVER do it right?
    
    I'd like to post an excellent note from that debate by a familiar
    respected noter that seems appropriate here:
    
================================================================================
Note 717.98           Proposal to outlaw lending and rental            98 of 101
DRUMS::FEHSKENS                                      13 lines  12-MAY-1989 12:16
                       -< It's True Because *I* Say So! >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Several times in this discussion, people have argued "this is what
    I do, so that must be so".
    
    Several times, Dave has tried (and apparently failed) to get you
    to understand that your behaviour need not be representative of
    everybody else's.
    
    Please, don't assume just because you do something everybody else
    will.  Most of the justifications offered in this discussion have
    been awfully weak and not statistically or logically sound.
    
    len.
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    I would say that this "poll" has a severe problem with its sample
    base.  Most of you probably make about twice as much as the 
    average musician - you have equipment that most full-time musicians
    I'm acquainted only dream of having, and you're in a business where
    people have a full appreciate for the value of "support".
    
    I believe the spending pattern of working musicians is a bit different
    from hobbyist engineers, professionals and technical types.
    
    The other problem with such a poll is that it asks a two-sided question
    where one side would tend not to answer.   While there will be some,
    I don't think too many people are ready to admit that it is their
    regular buying policy to "demo at the local store, buy from MO".
    
    It's like conducting a study on AIDS where you ask via a show of
    hands in a public room "Who has AIDS, raise your hands"?
    
    Like Dan, I'm NOT convinced that the loss to MO is very significant.
    
    But no poll such as this is going to convince me that it is NOT.
    
    	db
2004.7a short overviewDNEAST::BOTTOM_DAVIDThe sea refuses no river...Wed May 24 1989 19:3930
    Tascam 234 seen at EUW, bought at EUW
    
    Roland tr-707 seen at EUW, bought at EUW
    
    Roladn JX3-P, EUW
    
    Alesis midiverb II never seen prior to purchase, bought at Profound
    SOund (MO)
    
    Symetrics 525 comp/lim never seen prior to purchase, purchased at
    East Coast Sound (MO)
    
    Alesis HR-16, never seen prior to purchase, purchased at East COast
    Sound (MO)
    
    Semour duncan pickups (3) had already owned 10 Duncan's before all
    purchased at EUW, purchased MO from Profound sound.
    
    Fender Lead 1, EUW 
    
    Musicman RD-112: EUW
    
    I buy in both places, according to affordability. Service is not
    an issue, most digital stuff isn't serivced locally, the dealers
    I've dealt with in the past NEVER gave loaners when gear they sold
    went bad, even if still under waranty, so who needs service? Besides
    if I buy something I expect it to work fine and last a long time,
    and it usually does.
    
    dbii
2004.8DNEAST::BOTTOM_DAVIDThe sea refuses no river...Wed May 24 1989 19:4312
    re: .5 Loyalty didn't get me anywhere with EUW, they lost a customer
    when I moved to Maine...
    
    re: .6 I don;t remember the poll in music, but I have copied stuff
    many times...yawn 7-8 years ago even the record companies didn;t
    think home taping was a problem, then they realized how much more
    money they could manipulate out of the country if they just passed
    some funky legislation...
                                                                
    
    dbii
    
2004.9-- QUATTRO ! --USRCV1::REAUMEundergoing behavior analysisFri May 26 1989 18:4825
      Recently-
    
    	Kitty Hawk M1 guitar amp 	ordered and bought locally,
    					Guitar Studio, Syracuse NY
    					I told the dealer I wanted one
    					and he picked up the line 
    					(he ordered four pieces) to
    					get it.                      
    
    	Kitty Hawk 4 X 12 speaker cab   Same as above but not part of
    					original order.
      
    	B.C. Rich ST-III guitar   	Custom order to the factory,
    					ordered mail order because the
    					particular dealer carrying the
    					line in my area is an jerk. 
    					Bought through East Coast Sound 
    					in Danbury, CT.
    
    	Kitty Hawk Quattro tube preamp  Mail order through Hermies Music
    					in Schenectady, NY because of
    					availablity. I checked all over
    					and this was their last one!
                                                    
    	
2004.10I buy local for the serviceTALK::HARRIMANCuisine VeriteTue May 30 1989 17:4132

	Rather than list equipment which would take much of this afternoon,
	I'll just echo Len's sentiments about why I don't buy MO.

	I have developed an excellent relationship with my local music store,
	which is Advance Music in Burlington VT. When I lived in Worcester
	MA, I had the same basic relationship with Carl Kamp at Union Music.

	And I have discussed this fact with my music store people. They 
	fully understand why I come to them and I fully understand their 
	operating margins as well. I get reasonable deals (last thing I bought
	was a set of Beyer headphones for 50% off list). If I pay 'almost list'
	for something it is with an unconditional money-back guarantee, free
	servicing, eligibility for a loaner while my unit is in the shop,
	and generally hassle-free, friendly, and otherwise professional service.

	This has saved my ass at least five times in the past year, twice with
	the same unit (my MX-8), which bit the schnitz for different reasons.
	They paid the postage and gave me a loaner so my studio wasn't down
	TWICE. They got me Dr. T's Copyist on an overnight express mail when
	I blasted the resource file by accident. They call me at work to tell
	me when a rep will be in town so I can get consulting time first.

	I believe the term used to be "preferred customer". It comes from 
	understanding that price isn't the most important item. When you hand
	someone about ten grand over two years, they had better remember your
	face!

	my 2 cents

	/pjh
2004.11AQUA::ROSTIt's the beat, the beat, the beatWed May 31 1989 14:5920
    
    Re: .6
    
    OK, I'll upset the sample base here....
    
    I buy all over the place all the time.  I have bought from EUW, where
    in general I have felt not too welcome, because they had the right box
    at the right price.  Same thing with Kurlan's.  I bought my last bass
    amp MO because no local dealer seemed to be able to get one for me
    (believe me, I asked) and I saved big bucks in the process. 
    
    On the other hand, I do patronize at least one local dealer regularly
    (MacDuff's in Shrewsbury) but that's because most of my recurring
    business is maintenance on my basses (strings, setups, etc.).
    
    I will admit that I really don't have the big bucks to drop so that
    no dealer is going to think of *me* as a prefered customer.  So
    if one delaer can undercut every local place plus mailorder by $30
    on a >$200 microphone, then that's where I'm going to buy it. That's
    life.
2004.12MO are for the discerning shopper...MASTER::DDREHERWed May 31 1989 16:2417
    I've bought half showroom, half MO.  After spending real heavy at
    Lasalles and Wurlitzers a few years ago, they have had turnover
    and don't know who I am anymore.  I didn't get much service from them back
    then, anyway.  I bought a Tascam 38 for $150 lower MO than Lasalles or 
    Wurly's.  When it broke, Lasalles serviced it, no problem.  Music
    stores make thier big margins on low ticket items.  Accesories
    (strings,picks,music,etc.) is the money maker.  That and impulse
    buyers and naive, novice customers.  Also, alot of showroom stores
    advertise in national publications (Keyboard, EM, Mix, etc.) for
    MO business.
    
    Do you really think that even if MO's didn't discount Roland, that would
    mean cheaper prices in showrooms to you?  No way.  I'll take tax free,
    cheaper prices any day.  Plus, Roland stuff never breaks anyway... ;^)
    
    Dave