Klarinet Archive - Posting 000078.txt from 2003/11

From: Erik Tkal <bbtkal@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] music123
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 14:00:09 -0500

At 01:03 PM 11/5/2003 -0500, Walt wrote:
>Unless this situation is changed, we will ALL be buying our horns from WW&BW, there might be no other alternative.

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Walt,

The problem here is that only the manufacturers can change this. No matter how many of us here may be knowledgeable regarding long term costs, we'll always be far outnumbered by those that only look at the sticker price. I myself am guilty of buying mail order, the assumption being that when you buy a reputable brand, if you are not satisfied by support by the seller than you have a good chance of settling things with the manufacturer.

As long as the manufacturers structure their prices and discounts so that small dealers are in this position at a disadvantage, then only a huge rebellion by purchasers can overcome the momentum. But of course there's no incentive for the manufacturers to do this, they don't always care about the end user. They make money regardless, and by giving discounts to large distributors they make up in volume what they otherwise would lose by selling fewer horns at higher prices. One could even argue that this arrangement is beneficial in that the higher the volumes the more the employees the manufacturers hire, but I'm sure someone will interject that that may not necessarily be in the country that the purchaser would like, but I don't want to start that thread again.

Of course, In the past I've also paid the higher prices and bought from dealers that have then gone out of business, so you takes your chances regardless.

Erik Tkal

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