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From: dce@smsc.sony.com (David Elliott)
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth,rec.music.makers,misc.consumers,comp.music
Subject: Playing the game (was Re: Bad Vibes from Schroders Keyboard City)
Message-ID: <1990Feb24.064948.6782@smsc.sony.com>
Date: 24 Feb 90 06:49:48 GMT
References: <48c8010c.13778@pieta.UUCP> <2450@se-sd.NCR.COM>
Reply-To: dce@Sony.COM (David Elliott)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Sony Microsystems Corp.
Lines: 34

In article <2450@se-sd.NCR.COM> lowery@se-sd.SanDiego.NCR.COM (Tim Lowery) writes:
>I wanted to add that another thing that bugs me about many musical instrument
>dealers is that they refuse to give you a straight answer on the price they
>will sell merchandise.  You ask them for a price, and all they'll give you
>is list.  They insist on playing games with you, trying to see how much
>they can get out of you (shades of used car salesmen).

As I see it, you have two choices: mail order and playing hardball with
the dealer.

Mail order will generally get you the lowest price with the least
hassle, and if you buy from out of state, there's no sales tax.  The
problems come when you need assistance, but most of the mail order
places are pretty good about this, as they want your repeat business
and don't want a bad rep.

Playing hardball with a dealer requires some research and practice.
First, you have to find out what a "reasonable" price is.  Call up mail
order places or ask on the net and find out what the going price for
the item is.  When the salesman asks how much you want to pay, use this
as your starting point.  Allow for a profit, but if the salesman comes
back and wants a lot more, be prepared to walk.  If the salesman asks
"Are you going to let 50 dollars keep you from buying this item?", be
prepared to say "yes".

Of course, this is much easier to do in a populated area with lots of
music stores.  There are at least 8 music stores in the South Bay Area,
so getting deals is often just a matter of driving to the other
stores.
-- 
David Elliott
dce@smsc.sony.com | ...!{uunet,mips}!sonyusa!dce
(408)944-4073
"...it becomes natural, like a third sense." -- Homer Simpson