Local shop rip-offs

brady

Platinum Member
I just had to say something about this... I'm all for supporting your local economy and especially the music/drum shop of your choice but it really aggravates me to see these places trying to rip people off. I can definitely see why so many people end up shopping online, eBay, etc.
This all started when I went out of town recently for a couple weeks. Sometimes I like to check out the local music shops as you never know when you might find that gem you have been looking for. No good deals to report on this trip but I did find one shop that was selling drumsticks for $15/pair. I mean NONE of them cheaper than $15. They also had these ZBT cymbals for something like $180. As well as a Sabian B8 pack for $400. Now, I wouldn't shop for these items myself, but it appeared these guys were really setting out to rip off kids just starting out with the drums. This is just despicable to me.

Anyone else ever experience this?
 
My drum shop is more aimed at new drummers. They never have pro level cymbals, every now and then a tama starclassic will pop up but it will sit there for years before it's sold. That's why I think these shops are selling drum gear for such a high price. As for the sticks my local shop is about 13-15 bucks a pair.
 
Being a business owner myself (my family owns 2 reataurants in S. Florida) I understand that these mom and pops need to make a buck. But they have to understand that it comes from building loyal, repeat customers. My first drumset was an offbrand, imported kit purchased in '80 by my mom and dad who were first generation imigrants from the Phillippines. The store where my sisters took cello and saxophone lessons sold it to them for a then price of $400. I was 8 years old at the time. It wasn't until years later when i understood the value of what i had that i realized that my parents basically got ripped off from the owner who basically took advantage of their naivete. That store didn't last very much longer before sam ash put them out of business.
 
I wouldn't call it a Rip Off. I would call it surviving! That music store is marking up the products that it sells the most volume of to pay the overhead expenses.
It is the same as when you pay more for milk and bread in a convenience store.
No one will go on the net to order just two pairs of sticks, but you will drive to your local music store to buy them.
Dad walks into a store to buy an intermediate kit for his kid. He has already priced the kit on the net and he knows how much it cost. He didn't think about the cymbals, The pedals, etc! The store sells the kit for 10% over cost. They sell him the ZBTs, The pedals, and The Stands to go with it for 30% over cost. They made a profit to stay in business and feed their family. See what I mean?
 
I wouldn't call it a Rip Off. I would call it surviving! That music store is marking up the products that it sells the most volume of to pay the overhead expenses.
It is the same as when you pay more for milk and bread in a convenience store.
No one will go on the net to order just two pairs of sticks, but you will drive to your local music store to buy them.
Dad walks into a store to buy a Ludwig Accent kit for his kid. The store sells the kit for 10% over cost. They sell him the ZBTs to go with it for 30% over cost. They made a profit to stay in business and feed their family. See what I mean?

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.
 
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.
Small music stores don't have the buying power that the large chains do. They don't get the markup that Sam Ash and GC do. They also don't have the net exposure that the big guys do.
I thought that the OP was talking about Mom and Pop stores.
 
The little guy across the street from my shop has high prices marked and then gives me discounts competetive with anyone. Ask if it's his best price. Ya got nothing to lose abd for them something is better then nothing. Being a small business person is very difficult these days.
And I never ask him for a discount. Not anymore anyway.
 
i know exactly what you guys are saying for the most part, but every once in a while you will find some good deals in the small mom and pop stores, i think its because sometimes when they buy used they dont know what they can sell it for i mean ive seen some used sabian aax hats going for cheaper than some used zbt hats, it doesnt make sense but at those small stores you can always work down a bit, and well you just cant do that a guitar center, i also think that cerain things will be priced fairly but they will try to get you to pay much more on other items, its just always good to check everywhere before you invest a lot of money into you gear, but im sure that goes without saying.
 
Yes, I was referring to mom and pop type stores originally. I understand how their economics work; that they don't have the buying power of chain stores. It just really irks me to see some shops that jack up prices that, as I said, really seems to target beginners. It made me even madder at these guys to go across town and compare this place to a more drum-oriented shop that had decent prices and great customer service.
 
Really i think the mom and pop stores carry the more higher quality drum brands than a chain music shop. But yes sometimes the prices are a little high and some ripoffs too. But i would prefer the mom and pop stores.
 
I wouldn't call it a Rip Off. I would call it surviving! That music store is marking up the products that it sells the most volume of to pay the overhead expenses.
It is the same as when you pay more for milk and bread in a convenience store.
No one will go on the net to order just two pairs of sticks, but you will drive to your local music store to buy them.
Dad walks into a store to buy an intermediate kit for his kid. He has already priced the kit on the net and he knows how much it cost. He didn't think about the cymbals, The pedals, etc! The store sells the kit for 10% over cost. They sell him the ZBTs, The pedals, and The Stands to go with it for 30% over cost. They made a profit to stay in business and feed their family. See what I mean?

I see what you mean, but when the dad gets home and finds out he could have gotten the same stuff for loads cheaper he never goes back to that store again. It's better to have repeat business than to always be having to get new customers. Businesses that don't get this aren't in business for very long.

Then again, what do I know? I'm a truck driver :)
 
I grew up in Mississippi,where there used to be regional chain called Mississippi Music.. Most of the time, they were the only game in town. In 1985, a pair of Pro-mark sticks was $12.00. 14" Remo CS Black Dots were. $17.00. That had to be almost twice the MSRP. In 1976, they charged my Mom well over $200 for an Acrolite ,for me to play in beginner band class. They made most of their money selling overpriced gear to churches and schools. They weren't doing anything out of necessity. They were doing it because they could.
In 1985 I moved to New Orleans. I couldn't believe that I could find sticks for $5.00 a pair almost ANYWHERE. I moved to Florida almost 20 years ago. I never pay more than $7.00 for sticks ,TODAY.


Can you tell that I'm still bitter??? :)
 
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.

Simply not true.

Wholesale on most drum items is 50% to 60% off of list price.
Some items, like heads and cables have bigger discounts, other items like electronics sell have far less.

If something has a suggested retail price for $1000, the average music store paid roughly $400-500 to stock it, and it's probably selling for roughly $600. That is no where close to a 100% mark up.
 
If you go into any mom pop store with a price off the internet,say for a cymbal if their smart they will match it.Just like a car.If you pay MSRP shame on you.They still make a few bucks,just not a killing and they pay the rent.Thats how it should be.I always try to by local first...................
 
When I read threads and comments like most of these I realize how fortunate I am. I make 90% of my purchases at a locally family owned Drum Shop. Before I make any sizeable purchase I check online sources, ebay and the local Guitar Center. This mom and pop often has equal if not better pricing than anywhere else. They are also willing to match any price if needed but so far they haven't had to. I have purchased two full kits including cymbals, two extra snares and numerous heads and sticks and I was very satisfied I got good deals each time. It seems this situation is the exception not the rule so I feel pretty lucky.
 
Simply not true.

Wholesale on most drum items is 50% to 60% off of list price.
Some items, like heads and cables have bigger discounts, other items like electronics sell have far less.

If something has a suggested retail price for $1000, the average music store paid roughly $400-500 to stock it, and it's probably selling for roughly $600. That is no where close to a 100% mark up.

And another factor to consider is that the chains get lower wholesale costs per item than small stores due to buying in large volumes, so even if they each marked up by the same percentage, the chains would be cheaper. It's the same logic as the industrial-size can of green beans at Sam's or Costco- the more volume you buy, the cheaper per bean/instrument.
 
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.
 
Unfortunatly, the reason Mom and Pop stores have to keep their prices on the high side and try to make a killing with each sale is in large part because of the internet. They are just trying to compete and survive in a tough market. If you try and barter them down by mentioning a cheaper price somewhere else, they will usually bend. If they don't bend then that person buy's on-line and they then will try to feed on the next patron that hopefully may be unwary and uninformed. It's dog eat dog now and it is only going to get worse.
 
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