Klarinet Archive - Posting 000646.txt from 1998/09

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Buying Clarinets on Time
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 05:23:24 -0400

At 05:25 PM 9/17/98 -0700, Kevin Fay wrote:
>For furniture, it truly was a method to bilk poor people out of their money.
>People don't often want to take their couch back after a 3-month trial
>period. Rent-to-own is a great way to get instruments into the hands of
>kids, though, many/most of whom will play no more than a year. With the
>two-pool method, the rental instruments can take a real beating--and the
>parent loses a credit towards the purchase.
>
The only real problem with the separate rental pool is the increased
inventory it requires, driving up costs. And if you think RENTAL
instruments take a beating, you should take a look at SCHOOL-OWNED
instruments!

>It certainly is not the most economical way to get a horn. For many,
>however, its a good way to go--and one of the few services that the
>mom-and-pop music store can perform and not get cut out by the catalog
>houses. It's a shame that it has been outlawed in this context.
>
No, it is NOT the most economical. It is also cheaper to pay cash for a
house, but few people can afford to, so monthly payments are the norm.
School bands would be a LOT smaller without the rental option.

Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html
ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.

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