Local shop rip-offs

I get prices at my local shop that are as good or better than anywhere online. That's because I took the time to develop a relationship with the guys there, made repeated minor purchases there (heads, sticks, accessories), and never wasted their time by using them to demonstrate products and then turn around and buy online.

Now when I buy the big ticket items--drums and cymbals--I get taken care of because they know I'll be back.
 
My local shop is rockin' robin' and they pretty much put MSRP prices on everything except used gear. Then they always give you a discount at the register to make you feel like your getting a deal. I don't like that way of business and I don't really get why they do it, but I never pay the sticker price on anything there. Sometimes when I go to the register if one of the guitar guys are there they ask me "how much do you pay for sticks?" and I just tell them $7.

They treat me really well probably because they know I'm a working musician and I think I dropped over $3,000 last year there. I've bought all my drumsets from them, and most of my cymbals. I will go to guitar center too but mainly for stuff like mics and pro audio stuff that they don't carry at my local.

I like my local shop because it's good networking everybody that works there is a pro that plays around town. I also trust the advice and history there, and I know I can go in there and ask for a ludwig mini-lug off a early 70's drum and they have one in the back somewhere. They also have ridiculous stuff collected that you will never see in Guitar Center like round badge gretschs, wfl ludwigs, slingerland radiokings, vintage vistalites, etc.
 
drumtechdad said:
I get prices at my local shop that are as good or better than anywhere online. That's because I took the time to develop a relationship with the guys there, made repeated minor purchases there (heads, sticks, accessories), and never wasted their time by using them to demonstrate products and then turn around and buy online.

Now when I buy the big ticket items--drums and cymbals--I get taken care of because they know I'll be back.
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Exactly how it works for me at my MnP store. Shoot, even if I moved away and they were a couple of hours driving distance and I was to buy something high ticket, like another drumset, I'd surely return to them!
 
I once bought a Djembé at my local store, and occasionally buy snare heads there. I don't have the idea that they actually know who I am though... and they rarely have what I need other than ambassador heads... (unless it's sticks but I buy those in bulk online). Pity...
 
My more or less local mom and pop drum store is actually a Five Star shop run by Dale and his wife. How much more mom and pop can you get? They do have a very good team of people helping out and each one is a drummer and knows drums inside and out. The great thing about this shop is I have yet to find a more reasonable price anywhere, whether it be our local GC's or Internet sales. This shop does do a ton of sales over the Internet, you can see by their feedback. Do I go anywhere else looking at drums and equipment? Sure, but 95% of my purchases are from my favorite mom and pop shop. Who wouldn't when you can see almost a hundred drums sets set up and over six or seven hundred cymbals to bang on, lol.

Dennis
 
my local drum shop is Drums2Go and i do 90% of my business there. i'm friends with everyone and they always take good care of me. they are not the absolute cheapest, but they're close and they stock a lot of less common brands that you can't find at guitar center or sam ash. they offer full service too. for example, last week i bought all new tom heads. i brought in my toms (4 of them) and they replaced the heads and tuned them all for free! now that's service!
 
diosdude said:
Bob, the MAP (minimum advertised price) from places like guitar center and musicians friend, sam ash, etc is about 65%. If you see it advertised on mf for $1000, odds are they paid about $600 to stock it. MF advertises the ZBT set for 330. That means they paid about $200 to stock them. That means the mom and pop that sells them for $400 marked them up about 100%. Caveat Emptor. You have no one else to blame except yourself though, if you overpay.
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This is absolutely not the truth. GC/MF buy things in bulk at a wholesale price, like say $200 for that box set of ZBTs, because they can buy 500 of them at a time. A local mom and pop doesn't have the huge buying power (or warehouses to store stuff) that GC/MF have, so that same box set of ZBTs will cost them around $250 to stock. That's why Guitar Center can charge cheaper prices for their stuff.

drumtechdad said:
I get prices at my local shop that are as good or better than anywhere online. That's because I took the time to develop a relationship with the guys there, made repeated minor purchases there (heads, sticks, accessories), and never wasted their time by using them to demonstrate products and then turn around and buy online.

Now when I buy the big ticket items--drums and cymbals--I get taken care of because they know I'll be back.
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I did this with my local drum shop as well until they finally went out of business. Guess why they went out of business? (I'll give you a hint: G _ _ T _ R C _ N T _ R)
 
BassDriver said:
I noticed that Drumtek in Mebourne has relatively cheaper drum gear than the major music store Billy Hyde Music.

DemonDrive double pedal at Billy Hyde sells for $1200, rediculous really.

Except that sticks are cheaper at Billy Hyde.
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Now you're talking my stores BD. I've found them both to be very competative actually. I've no doubt done more business through Hydes over the years and have always found them agreeable on pricing. You do have to ask though.......seldom do I pay the ticket price and I have no problem playing one store against the other. I actually do this shamelessly and will always let them know I what price I've been quoted from the opposing store and ask them to at least match it. Can't recall a time where I've been refused......they both definitely want your business and will often try to better one another.

Hydes do get a bad rap IMHO......my experience tells me they're always worth a visit.
 
My local store is part of a small chain and the manager and I have had a running debate going on for years...their prices on sticks, heads, etc. are not bad but they really only carry beginner kits and equipment. His view is that "we don't get experienced drummers in the store" and my view is that experienced (and more likely to purchase higher end items) drummers don't come in because they know they can't get what they want.

I realize higher end kits mean more cost of inventory, but how many beginner kits and cymbals do you have to sell to equal the cost of selling one intermediate or high end kit.

Other than Sam Ash and GuitarCenter (both about 30 minutes away)...the only true drum shop is 2 1/2 hours away.

I always try to support a local business but feel like it is a waste of time to go there for anything other than a pair of sticks or a spare head.

By the way, they do carry a vast selection of guitars, amps, etc.
 
I guess I'm pretty lucky. The local drum shop here, Jungle Drums, is pretty competitive on most things and carries a wide variety of stuff from beginner to high end. Heads are rather expensive there, but I guess if you break a head, a lot of times you don't or can't wait days to get it. Gotta get your margin up somewhere I guess. I do most of my buying there, but when I replace my heads, I get them online. The only real problem is that he doesn't have anywhere near enough floor space and can't set up kits with enough room that you can try them out.
 
caddywumpus said:
I did this with my local drum shop as well until they finally went out of business. Guess why they went out of business? (I'll give you a hint: G _ _ T _ R C _ N T _ R)
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Yeah, Guitar Center is definitely having a Walmart affect on all local music stores. On one hand they have more stuff and at cheaper prices, and you can test it out. On the other they have shady & annoying sales policies & mostly dimwitted staff who try to sell warranties more than musical instruments. I worked their for 6 months and finally had to say no to the BS. It was more like working in circuit city than a music shop. I realize that the goal in sales is to make money but not by lying, harrassing, & misleading.


I have a pretty good local drum shop I go, the owner is very knowledgable about drums & is willing to make deals for loyal repeat customers. I have spent a lot of money but they have such a limited inventory, they often don't have what I need. I mostly ebay my gear these days, although it can be scary & surprising sometimes.
 
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