What to expect
Billy
about £1500 on a guitar. What is the generally accepted technique for
getting a good deal - haggle the price down? try to get some extra
stuff thrown in? All of the above? I'll be honest, guitar shops
intimidate the hell out of me, but they (especially the small
independant ones) seem to be one of the few businesses where haggling
and bargaining won't be met with confused laughter, and with this much
money at stake, I want to take advantage of that fact...
Steve Cobham
Look on the net and get some prices so that you have some gen to back
up your haggling.
Don't go for stuff thrown in - go for a cash discount.
IME it's better to take the actual cash with you so that if necessary
you can surreptitiously reveal that you have "real" money.
As for haggling - don't concern yourself with how you might appear if
you want to get the best deal.
Start haggling after settling on your own figure of whatever the shop
is quoting minus about 30%. You've then got a bit of a margin to play
with.
10% below list price is what most shops would be happy to sell for in
a cash deal - so that's not a figure that should interest you.
You're aiming for somewhere around the 20% figure. More would be nice
- slightly less is acceptable - bearing in mind that if the shop is
offering a fair initial price then their profit margins will allow
less leeway.
Stick to your guns and walk if necessary.
£1500 is a lot of money for a guitar and if you're after a good
instrument it may be the case that you'll have to wait for that
special instrument - particularly at a special price.
Good luck.
Steve.
--
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Cybernaut
"Steve Cobham" <st...@XSPAMXguitarsXMAPSX.powernet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ugggt09dcmr5c7tkp...@4ax.com...
Check out prices with a number of dealers nationwide and try to haggle as
close to the cheapest as possible. If they can't get close, then be prepared
to walk, as Steve suggests. You may be eating into their desired profits,
but I reckon they'll take the "any sale is better than no sale" position.
I find www.gak.co.uk get pretty cheap, and usually print out one of their
web pages before going to my local dealer for a haggle. If they won't play
ball, then GAK tends to get my business.
I'd have a serious look on eBay too. I got a virtually spotless 10-top PRS
Custom 22 for a grand a few months back. I was well chuffed. Likewise, my
rhythm guitarist bought a month-old ES-335 for the same amount. You'd have a
decent amount left over for a good valve amp.
Cybernaut
t...@inscrutable.plus.com
buy a semi-acoustic - ideally something not new - don't generally like
the feel of a brand new guitar. Toyed with the idea of buying over the
net and chickened out. I finished up by going up to Frailers in
Runcorn having spoken to Frank (I think) to check out their stock.
I'm so pleased I made the effort to do the travelling as the feel of
the instruments varies dramatically, e.g. 1981 well worn 335 felt fab
compared to a Ltd edition new model - not very nice at all. I was
there for hours going through loads of really interesting guitars
before I settled on a Heritage 535 against which all other Gibsons
paled by comparison - it was also priced remarkably well - and even
then they gave me 10% off.
So, if you're going to spend that much on a guitar - in my recent
experience - go and enjoy the auditioning - it's the only way you'll
know that you've made the right choice - IMO, FWIW etc etc.
Best of luck
Tim
D M
Coda are quite cheap and have always haggled , as long as you get the right
sales person . also hertford music, all have web pages
Nick Mason
Bill...@hotmail.com says...
> At some point this month I intend to go into a guitar shop and spend
> getting a good deal - haggle the price down? try to get some extra
> stuff thrown in? All of the above? I'll be honest, guitar shops
> intimidate the hell out of me, but they (especially the small
> independant ones) seem to be one of the few businesses where haggling
> and bargaining won't be met with confused laughter, and with this much
> money at stake, I want to take advantage of that fact...
>
>
like to give the impression that only time wasters and pikeys haggle.
I always print prices off the net and take magazine ads with me to back
this up. Often once they realise that you are serious and you've done
your homework they're usually willing to talk. If not move on to
somewhere that is.
One thing I do is when they ask if they can help is I tell them up front
I fancy such and such and that I've seen it for whatever the price is
and that I've come to their shop to try one out and if they're
competitive on price then they might get my custom. This lets them know
where they stand and puts them on the back foot chasing your business
not doing you a favour letting you in the shop to play with their toys!
Be direct and only do this if you really are serious about buying.
This is more often than not successful. One shop I use always checks
Internet prices, they even ring up and check availability, if available
they deal and usually price match. If what you're interested in isn't in
stock with whoever is offering it cheap then they won't deal, which is
fair enough but you need to check yourself before you go or right from
the start you are on the back foot.
Shops love to make you think they've got people queuing up out the back
to buy the very thing you're looking at or that it's the only one of its
kind anywhere in the country and they'd be doing you a favour selling it
to you. Don't believe them. They wasn't your money, they need your money
to stay in business.
Good luck and don't give in to them.
--
Regards
Nick
Mark Williams
"Cybernaut" <cybe...@orion-nebula.co.uk> wrote in message
news:cr9h3g$728$2...@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk...
>
> "Steve Cobham" <st...@XSPAMXguitarsXMAPSX.powernet.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:ugggt09dcmr5c7tkp...@4ax.com...
>> On 2 Jan 2005 10:47:34 -0800, "Billy" <Bill...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Look on the net and get some prices so that you have some gen to back
>> up your haggling.
>>
>> Don't go for stuff thrown in - go for a cash discount.
Not necessarily. Don't take what they offer, ask for what you want - it
only costs the shop the wholesale price but it is worth the retail price to
you (if it is what you want). I'd take £75 worth of strings over £50 cash
any day, but it costs the shop the same. This is an area where you can be
really imaginative - ask them service your amp or refret another guitar
instead
>> IME it's better to take the actual cash with you so that if necessary
>> you can surreptitiously reveal that you have "real" money.
Or just park your Aston Martin in front of the shop. A wad of cash might
persuade the shop to let a 16-year old try out a £5,000 guitar, but they
might not take your haggling seriously. If you are carrying £1500 cash that
then you are clearly going to make a purchase, so why would they offer you a
discount in order to make a sale?
<snip>
> You're aiming for somewhere around the 20% figure. More would be nice
> - slightly less is acceptable - bearing in mind that if the shop is
> offering a fair initial price then their profit margins will allow
> less leeway.
At the moment, shops should be able to restock at pretty low prices because
of the £/$ interest rate, so they may have even more leeway. For example,
last year maybe they bought in a guitar at £1000 that they are selling for
£1500. If they can shift the first guitar they can restock at £800, which
they can then price at £1350 (i.e. at a lower price but bigger margin), so
they may be happy to sell the first guitar for much less than £1500.
<snip>
>> Stick to your guns and walk if necessary.
If you are dealing with a retail chain a good technique is to wait until the
late afternoon on a Saturday, particularly the last Saturday in the month so
that there is more pressure on the shop manager to report sales. Make sure
you are speaking with somebody with the authority to give a discount - ask
to speak to the manager if necessary. The more you want to buy the more
effective this technique becomes.
This doesn't work so well with independent retailers, but you can always try
the "I was actually looking for the model below this one but I am prepared
to meet you half way on price" technique. Try that in a big store and they
will tell you they can get the other model in 3 days, but a smaller shop
won't want to tie up money by buying in guitars for you to try, so they may
just try to sell you the guitars that they have.
Steve Cobham
<mark.w...@btopenworld.com> wrote:
>
>"Cybernaut" <cybe...@orion-nebula.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:cr9h3g$728$2...@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk...
>>
>> "Steve Cobham" <st...@XSPAMXguitarsXMAPSX.powernet.co.uk> wrote in message
>> news:ugggt09dcmr5c7tkp...@4ax.com...
>>> On 2 Jan 2005 10:47:34 -0800, "Billy" <Bill...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>
>>>
>>> Look on the net and get some prices so that you have some gen to back
>>> up your haggling.
>>>
>>> Don't go for stuff thrown in - go for a cash discount.
>
>Not necessarily. Don't take what they offer, ask for what you want - it
>only costs the shop the wholesale price but it is worth the retail price to
>you (if it is what you want). I'd take £75 worth of strings over £50 cash
>any day, but it costs the shop the same.
If a shop is going is going to offer you £75 worth of strings, for
example, that's going to be £75 at off the shelf prices - say 15 packs
- if you're very lucky.
Even the most inept internet shopper could blag 25 sets for that sort
of dosh.
A £50 discount would net you 15 sets.
After a few Pimms I'm not sure what all that maths means and proves ;)
but I always say - get cash, then you can spend it how you want.
>
>>> IME it's better to take the actual cash with you so that if necessary
>>> you can surreptitiously reveal that you have "real" money.
>
>Or just park your Aston Martin in front of the shop. A wad of cash might
>persuade the shop to let a 16-year old try out a £5,000 guitar, but they
>might not take your haggling seriously. If you are carrying £1500 cash that
>then you are clearly going to make a purchase, so why would they offer you a
>discount in order to make a sale?
IME, and cash is something dear to my heart, being self-employed ;),
cash - folding, sponduliks, greenbacks, moolah - makes an impression.
Never underestimate the power of the wedge!
>
><snip>
>
>> You're aiming for somewhere around the 20% figure. More would be nice
>> - slightly less is acceptable - bearing in mind that if the shop is
>> offering a fair initial price then their profit margins will allow
>> less leeway.
>
>At the moment, shops should be able to restock at pretty low prices because
>of the £/$ interest rate, so they may have even more leeway. For example,
>last year maybe they bought in a guitar at £1000 that they are selling for
>£1500. If they can shift the first guitar they can restock at £800, which
>they can then price at £1350 (i.e. at a lower price but bigger margin), so
>they may be happy to sell the first guitar for much less than £1500.
I agree - nothing says you have to pitch at the figure I quoted -
everything is negotiable.
Stewart Ward
would think you're having a laugh, although he wouldn't say so.
Say: "I want to buy this guitar (having tried it and being satisfied with
its sound/playability), what is your very best price if I buy today?" Walk
if you want... but don't burn your bridges with the dealer. You might find
he was not that unreasonable in the first place and you may want to go back.
Don't be surprised if he lets you walk! He may not wish to sell to you at
stupid prices!! He may prefer to let his competitors make no profit, which
is to your good fortune, but the sensible dealer will have many, many other
customers that will pay his prices. That dealer is likely to be their in
five or ten years time too, whereas, the cheaper one might not.
GOLDEN RULE - Always try to buy locally... as the cost of sending
instruments back if faulty might wipe out any initial savings. Unless
specifically stated *in writing*, it is your responsibility to pay the cost
of returning. Read warranty terms offered by *the retailer* not the
manufacturer. He should be in a position to give you a written statement of
terms, as they are also licensed credit brokers offering 'contracts' of
purchase. The contract of sale is betweeen you and the reatailer
*exclusively*, *not* the manufacturer.
If you buy by mail order, which is a bit silly for a guitar purchase, you
have the right to send the guitar back, for *any* reason, within *seven
days* and get a refund... but *not* the carriage costs! (This is set in
Trading Standards law by the 'Distance Buying' rules)
Take into account the dealers level of service too. A re-setup might be
needed in a month or so... and this could cost.
Someone else mentioned exchange rates... well, the trade price is decided by
the wholesaler *not* he dealer. Many wholesalers opt to ride the peaks and
troughs of exchange fluctuations... so you'll generally see very little
price changes with when good exchange rates exist.
Just be sensible and reasonable. We all have to make a living!
--
Stewart Ward
*** Session amps = great noisseS ***
Crash-Out prices on Celestion speakers and more!
http://www.award-session.com/special_offers.html
in...@Award-Session.com
"Steve Cobham" <st...@XSPAMXguitarsXMAPSX.powernet.co.uk> wrote in message
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