markdavid Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Went to my local music shop to pick up some new flatwounds , only ones they had in stock were Chromes. Now when I asked the price I nearly fainted on the spot ..... £39.99 !!! Needless to say I walked out of the shop with no strings , what made me laugh was that the box looked battered , like it had been on the shelf for years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 maybe they're vintage ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdavid Posted March 18, 2008 Author Share Posted March 18, 2008 [quote name='ahpook' post='159894' date='Mar 18 2008, 08:31 PM']maybe they're vintage ?[/quote] LOL , the packaging on them was battered enough that they may well have been on the shelf since the 60's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pbassred Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 [quote]How do music shops get away with charging this?[/quote] Apparently they didn't. That box has been there since Stringbusters made strings cheap. I wish shops actually stocked stuff though. "we can get it in for you sir". Well so can I mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Shops mark up 'every day' items like strings to a horrendous amount. I could pay £29.99 for a set of standard rotos in a shop.. or £12 online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mottlefeeder Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 [quote name='Pbassred' post='160056' date='Mar 19 2008, 07:53 AM']Apparently they didn't. That box has been there since Stringbusters made strings cheap. I wish shops actually stocked stuff though. "we can get it in for you sir". Well so can I mate.[/quote] Hang on a minute - you can't have your cake and eat it. You want the local shop to pay for high street rates, and have stuff for you to look at, but you want their prices to be at internet levels, where they operate from industrial estate warehouses? Slightly off topic, there was an internet outdoor-clothing site which kept a list of retailers. They would actually direct potential customers to their local stockist to try on gear, so they would know the correct size when they came back to buy online. I think that is just wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crez5150 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 +1.... We all want to pay less for equipment but.... these shops have to make a profit to survive.... Okay so the strings in this particular shop are V OTT but I wouldn't be surprised that they are actually selling them at the SRP. What you find today is that no-one sells at SRP... it's a thing of the past. The out of town stockist who has low overheads and buy's in bulk to get better pricing as they have the room to stock will always be cheaper. The little music shops you find in town that don't have the space will 9/10 always be more expensive. It's up to us to decide if we want these little shops to survive or not. Yeah internet pricing is great.... but no good when you've forgotten to get a spare set of strings at 5pm on a Saturday evening for your gig that night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 [quote name='Mottlefeeder' post='160064' date='Mar 19 2008, 08:40 AM']Slightly off topic, there was an internet outdoor-clothing site which kept a list of retailers. They would actually direct potential customers to their local stockist to try on gear, so they would know the correct size when they came back to buy online. I think that is just wrong.[/quote] They can join Behringer on my shortlist of morally bankrupt companies with parasitic business models. Once you get into what I deem interesting bass gear the market is so small and varied that it would be madness to run a normal retail outlet. Even one as long established and well thought of as The Gallery has to mark everything up heavily because the volume of transactions is so low. Poptart's Bass Direct looks like a neat approach for such a small market, he's already got quite an extensive selection of rather cool gear - the PJB Flightcase keeps appealing to me... Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bremen Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 [quote name='alexclaber' post='160309' date='Mar 19 2008, 04:15 PM']They can join Behringer on my shortlist of morally bankrupt companies with parasitic business models.[/quote] Are Star*ucks on it? They look for succesful independent cafés, find the landlord and offer an increased rent over whatever the café is paying. Saves all the tedious, time-consuming and expensive process of building up a business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Nimrod Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 [quote name='bremen' post='160320' date='Mar 19 2008, 04:29 PM']Are Star*ucks on it? They look for succesful independent cafés, find the landlord and offer an increased rent over whatever the café is paying. Saves all the tedious, time-consuming and expensive process of building up a business.[/quote] They really are one of the worst... & who the hell wants 'em anyway? Every bloody high street is now getting exactly the same, no character. Apologies for OT rant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thinman Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I live about 50 yards from Rotosound's factory so I find it ironic that one of the cheaper ways to get their strings is via Thomann. How's that for pointless air miles? Mind you, the local guitar shop does a basic set for about £17 which I'll stomach. A worse case was I wanted to get a basic Korg guitar tuner. Thomann do it for about £11 but I thought I'd use the other local shop to show loyalty. I expected maybe £18 or so to cover their overheads. My jaw dropped when asked to hand over £30. I know they have higher costs than the mail order firms but that's just a con. I didn't buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crez5150 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Also you have to remember that most of the large internet dealers will bulk purchase which you average music shop cannot support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdavid Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share Posted March 19, 2008 (edited) [quote name='Mottlefeeder' post='160064' date='Mar 19 2008, 08:40 AM']Hang on a minute - you can't have your cake and eat it. You want the local shop to pay for high street rates, and have stuff for you to look at, but you want their prices to be at internet levels, where they operate from industrial estate warehouses? Slightly off topic, there was an internet outdoor-clothing site which kept a list of retailers. They would actually direct potential customers to their local stockist to try on gear, so they would know the correct size when they came back to buy online. I think that is just wrong.[/quote] sorry i should have mentioned , the local shop is a high street shop and not a local mom and pop type shop but a big stockist of bass/guitar stuff (just not flatwounds evidently) Edited March 19, 2008 by markdavid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassy Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 [quote name='bremen' post='160320' date='Mar 19 2008, 04:29 PM']Are Star*ucks on it? They look for succesful independent cafés, find the landlord and offer an increased rent over whatever the café is paying. Saves all the tedious, time-consuming and expensive process of building up a business.[/quote] I gather that this also goes for the paint balling company 'Delta force'. Don't bother to compete, just go straight to the landlord and screw the small guy. Clive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB1 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 (edited) [quote name='markdavid' post='159899' date='Mar 18 2008, 08:39 PM']LOL , the packaging on them was battered enough that they may well have been on the shelf since the 60's[/quote] MB1. Thatt'l be you and James Jamerson that never bought them either then! Edited March 19, 2008 by MB1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdavid Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share Posted March 19, 2008 [quote name='Pbassred' post='160056' date='Mar 19 2008, 07:53 AM']Apparently they didn't. That box has been there since Stringbusters made strings cheap. I wish shops actually stocked stuff though. "we can get it in for you sir". Well so can I mate.[/quote] It even had the old chromes packaging before Daddario revamped it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FJ1200 Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 I think it's swings and roundabouts really - I have no problems going across the road to the local retail park to look at freezers, washing machines - white goods at certain well-known hight street retailers and then buying online, but smaller specialist shops I'll help to keep open, so out little music shop in town or the one down the road from me, where you can see and test what you're buying and get some proper old-fashioned service. We make our own beer and wine and started using kits for the first time last year. We have a small specialist shop in town we use cos he's been doing it years and knows what he's talking about. Not a box-shifter, a nice guy and a walking encyclopedia as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul, the Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Sorry, I haven't read the thread. Aren't these American flats, in short supply in the UK, not grossly more expensive than other flats, are perceived by some as the warmest flats around and should last forever? Shops know how to price things by judging other prices and seeing when stock shifts. If the strings are gathering dust, the shop isn't making any money either. You should have offered twenty. They probably only cost him 10 or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 Shops have their place. 4.30pm Saturday when you're setting up and break a string, blow a fuse or realise you've left a strap at home, Thomman ain't no use to you. I lived within a mile of 3 guitar shops until recently and was quite happy to pay over the odds (i.e., internet prices) for strings etc to go in, have a chat, have a laugh and know that if there's any problem, I can take the stuff back and get a refund the same day. All three shops would say "any problem, bring 'em back", and a couple would even be quite happy to give me stiuff on the basis of "take it, if you like it, drop the money in later, if not, bring it back". The flip side is that about 50% of what I've ordered online has been either the wrong item, sub-standard, or has simply never arrived. OK, I've usually got a refund, but a refund doesn't help a lot if you've only got three strings! I guess that in life you get what you pay for Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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