|
Author: Max S-D
Date: 2021-10-17 22:36
> Why is there such a massive mark-up on French instruments being sold in the US?
Selmer's North American distributor seems to add a pretty massive markup to the instruments and accessories. Most of them, at least. This has been the case for years. Mike Lowenstern's article from 12 years ago about how Americans can save money or at least break even by traveling to Paris to buy a Selmer bass clarinet is, I'm pretty sure, still full of valid information, even if all of the numbers are higher now.
For example, the Selmer Concept bass clarinet mouthpiece is priced at $389 at Woodwind and Brasswind here in the US and $189 at Thomann in Germany, both comparably massive mail-order operations. That's over TWICE the price. No wonder the Concept isn't even worth consideration for American players. It's cheaper to get one shipped to you from Thomann than to buy from a domestic retailer.
Selmer's Low C bass clarinets are listed on Thomann's site starting under $10,000 US. WWBW has them listed for over $16,000. WWBW doesn't have them in stock either. In talking to retailers in the US, the distributor probably doesn't have any on hand, either, so they'd be ordering one from Paris anyway.
The markup percentages vary from product to product.
- A Series III tenor saxophone costs $5,500 at Thomann and $7,600 at WWBW
- A Selmer Signature clarinet costs $4,400 at Thomann and $5,500 at WWBW
Price differences for Buffets are similar. An R13 with silver plated keys is $4,200 at WWBW and $2,850 at Thomann.
It always seems to me that Selmer and Buffet's North American distribution strategies are screwing the consumers, local music stores and the brands themselves over in the US. When it's cheaper and faster for me to take a European vacation and buy a saxophone on my trip than to walk to my local music store, that's a problem for music stores.
Even if you are fastidious about paying import duties (and you should be), that's not going to come close to the price of buying in the US.
|
|
|
Hugues Fardao |
2021-10-14 21:55 |
|
Robert N. |
2021-10-15 02:57 |
|
Paul Aviles |
2021-10-15 05:38 |
|
ruben |
2021-10-15 12:57 |
|
farabout |
2021-10-15 23:37 |
|
Paul Aviles |
2021-10-16 07:49 |
|
farabout |
2021-10-16 08:01 |
|
Chris P |
2021-10-15 15:36 |
|
farabout |
2021-10-15 23:05 |
|
Paul Aviles |
2021-10-15 20:06 |
|
farabout |
2021-10-15 20:32 |
|
Chris P |
2021-10-15 20:12 |
|
Chris P |
2021-10-15 20:28 |
|
Paul Aviles |
2021-10-15 22:05 |
|
Paul Aviles |
2021-10-15 22:10 |
|
farabout |
2021-10-15 22:40 |
|
Chris P |
2021-10-15 22:13 |
|
m1964 |
2021-10-17 03:18 |
|
Chris P |
2021-10-16 19:38 |
|
farabout |
2021-10-16 22:11 |
    |
Re: Selmer Muse Bb and A clarinets (new model / 2021) |
|
Max S-D |
2021-10-17 22:36 |
|
anonrob |
2021-10-16 20:14 |
|
Chris P |
2021-10-16 22:35 |
|
farabout |
2021-10-17 01:32 |
|
prigault |
2021-10-17 01:47 |
|
Paul Aviles |
2021-10-17 01:51 |
|
Chris P |
2021-10-17 01:56 |
|
farabout |
2021-10-17 02:26 |
|
farabout |
2021-10-17 02:46 |
|
Paul Aviles |
2021-10-17 03:39 |
|
farabout |
2021-10-17 04:15 |
|
Hugues Fardao |
2021-10-17 07:03 |
|
kilo |
2021-10-17 16:12 |
|
smokindok |
2021-10-17 19:17 |
|
Chris P |
2021-10-17 20:04 |
|
smokindok |
2021-10-17 23:07 |
|
farabout |
2021-10-18 03:54 |
|
kdk |
2021-10-18 04:15 |
|
farabout |
2021-10-18 04:59 |
|
Dm Zisl |
2021-10-20 05:10 |
|
Paul Aviles |
2021-10-21 19:58 |
|
farabout |
2021-10-21 22:27 |
|
Patrick |
2021-10-22 03:12 |
|
Hugues Fardao |
2021-10-23 23:11 |
|
Dm Zisl |
2021-10-25 07:55 |
|
Djudy |
2022-02-13 21:27 |
|
seabreeze |
2022-02-14 06:15 |
|
Hugues Fardao |
2021-10-25 09:01 |
|
KenJarczyk |
2022-02-14 05:08 |
|
Djudy |
2022-02-14 20:18 |
|
John Peacock |
2022-02-14 22:46 |
|
seabreeze |
2022-02-15 00:50 |
|
Djudy |
2022-03-19 14:33 |
|
seabreeze |
2022-03-19 21:32 |
|
Djudy |
2022-03-20 13:32 |
|
Hugues Fardao |
2022-03-20 15:45 |
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
