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Author Topic: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?  (Read 12973 times)

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Stiamh

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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #40 on: June 08, 2016, 04:20:32 AM »

Foreign exchange rates seem to have a tenuous connection with purchasing power. In the 30 years I have lived in Canada, the £ has generally varied from Cdn $1.60 to 2.50 and most of the time hovers around $2. So you have to pay $2 to get £1, but in the UK £1 generally buys you what $1 would buy you in Canada. So visit Britain and flush half your money down the toilet!

How this affects the retail price of accordions made in Italy or China I don't know, but the moral would seem to be: buy in N. America and when you have to dump a box, try to sell in the UK...

Steve_freereeder

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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #41 on: June 08, 2016, 07:58:18 AM »

...
As Lester said, you can talk them down on price just like at the car dealership, but what about those who don't know they will negotiate price?

I have bought a good few items from the Music Room over the years, both on-line/phone and in person, ranging from melodeons down to smaller items such as gig bags and tune books. Certainly in the case of the more expensive items, say gig bags and upwards, I have always been offered a lower price than what the ticket on the item stated. I've not needed to ask for it first, and have never haggled*. They are basically good guys who have a business with overheads to run.


* perhaps I'm naive, but I do believe in letting 'your yea be yea and your nay be nay'.
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pete /acorn

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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #42 on: June 08, 2016, 08:11:46 AM »

Hi

Just to clarify a few things,as you all know we sell Castagnari boxes,when we approached Castagnari we said we would carry a stock of instruments which they said no one had done for several years.
Yes a lot of our sales are from customers away however do you realize that under the ''Distance selling rulles'' we could get that box back and have to give full refund,check out my web site terms and conditions
We also do festivals when we can get in because it seems to be a very closed shop and this year we have had to cancel some because of Jills health.
There are also other costs which you may not realize, our insurance for public and product liability and to cover our stock is in the region of £1700,festivals are not free to stand,our Whitby stand costs £260 this year.then there is diesel and accommodation
We also give a full warranty
We may not have a plush showroom but you can come to see us and try the boxes and have a cup of tea with and make buying a new box a pleasurable experience however as you can see even small businesses have fairly hefty costs if they do it right.

Pete

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Acorn Instruments are the official retailer for Castagnari Instruments,Melodeons and Accordions for England and Scotland and have an extensive stock of new instruments on the shelf for prompt delivery in standard layouts however these can easily be changed to customers specia lrequirements
 We also have the largest stock in the UK of  pre loved melodons all fully serviced,and with 12 months warranty
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Lester

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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #43 on: June 08, 2016, 08:12:51 AM »

Certainly in the case of the more expensive items, say gig bags and upwards, I have always been offered a lower price than what the ticket on the item stated. I've not needed to ask for it first, and have never haggled.

They can detect Yorkshireists at 100 yards and know they are 'careful' with their money   ;)

Helena Handcart

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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #44 on: June 08, 2016, 08:21:10 AM »

...I have always been offered a lower price than what the ticket on the item stated...

I have yet to succumb to the lure of the music room stall at festivals but have been offered some attractive prices when interested in a particular box. That gunmetal black pearl with the swarovski crystals nearly got me at Chippenham but I escaped to a broom dance workshop just in time  :|||:
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Winston Smith

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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #45 on: June 08, 2016, 08:28:39 AM »

Being a (very) small businessman myself for 40 years, I've not had the wherewithal to just buy whatever takes my fancy, I've always had to shop around for the lowest price, and forget about the "added value" of the extra services which a shop, such as the Music Room, no doubt provide. There are many grades of customer, which fact determines that there should also be a wide range of retailers able to offer, or not offer, these add-on services with commensurate pricing structures.
It's evidently quite possible, as it occurs, increasingly, in the general grocery world. Aldi and Lidl have slashed the prices of the traditional supermarkets on many common lines, and yet still manage to regularly come out on top when quality is put to the test. But, they have a less wide-ranging regular stocklist, don't provide a delivery service, toilets or tearooms.
However, generally speaking, the uncomplaining British do put up with higher prices for most goods or services, it seems that we're recognised by the rest of the commercial world as a "soft touch", with an ever growing sector who have cash to spend, which we evidently are!
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #46 on: June 08, 2016, 10:57:10 AM »

I bought my first box from MR at Sidmouth.
The ticket price made me cough, so discussions happened and we came to an amicable agreement which was not the ticket price.

I appreciate what Pete says and there are surprising overheads, I'm amazed at the price of stalls, and then as you say, accommodation needs to be added.
I enjoy looking over music stalls at festivals, often trying boxes that I've only ever heard about from this forum. That in itself is a ( good ) service and so any service comes with a price in this world.
Festivals would be a less attractive place without the option of browsing, looking, squeezing and occasionally buying, and so a price increase over factory prices has to happen.

Of course, the other service on top of factory prices is the ability to obtain a service from the seller, and point of contact if something goes wrong as opposed to sending it across Europe to the factory.
All in all, in my opinion we'd be at a huge loss without MR and our traders who frequent this forum.
cheers
Q
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Julian S

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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #47 on: June 08, 2016, 11:42:53 AM »

I agree with Q. I certainly wouldn't have bought the Dino online in the sale without having played one at the shop just the previous day, along with most of the other goodies. Thought great but too expensive ! I think it's essential (from bitter experience) to try before buying. Maybe us brits just aren't used to haggling !
Looking playing and coveting boxes is definitely part of the fun of festivals for me (thinks must always avoid drink beforehand to avoid unwise decisions - if only !)

J
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jonm

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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #48 on: June 08, 2016, 12:17:16 PM »

The issue I have had is that if you want the item in stock, you can negotiate a reduction. However, if you want something a little more special, you swiftly lose that bargaining position.

I was admiring the Dino Baffettis at Chippenham. My ideal would be one of the standard 2V in the Notturno blue with blue and silver buttons (tasteless, yes, but morris team is blue and silver) with the Super reeds. Not so much a special as a mix-and-match of the options, but no opportunity for negotiation.

That's where the cheaper basic prices come into their own.
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Graham Spencer

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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #49 on: June 08, 2016, 01:36:52 PM »

I'm amazed at the price of stalls,

I'm not - well, except that I'm surprised it's so reasonable for a week in an indoor venue with a decent expected footfall. When I was selling hand-carved marionettes on the UK craft market circuit  (those were the days!) a 10 or 12ft stall in a marquee would run us between £160 and £230 for a weekend, and that's 10 or 12 years ago. Admittedly that was largely in the Thames Valley area or at heavily visited stately homes at high-profile designer-maker fairs, but even so £260 for a week all these years later seems to me good value.

Graham
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #50 on: June 08, 2016, 02:41:29 PM »

Yes I suppose it is reasonable Graham.
It's a classic thing that until you think about it, overheads such as Pete describes aren't always obvious and of course need to be factored in to the selling price.
....and if you don't sell anything or very little, then you've lost a lot of money, time and effort for nothing.
Q
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Ebor_fiddler

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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #51 on: June 08, 2016, 09:27:55 PM »

Lester - we are NOT "careful" with our money. Mean, miserly, tight-fisted, niggardly wi' brass, stingy  - yes, but never "careful"! Never forget that "A Yorkshireman is a Scotsman with the generosity bashed out". We have a reputation to maintain you know!  >:E

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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #52 on: June 08, 2016, 09:38:33 PM »

 ;D
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Helena Handcart

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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #53 on: June 08, 2016, 11:04:36 PM »

...I was admiring the Dino Baffettis at Chippenham. My ideal would be one of the standard 2V in the Notturno blue with blue and silver buttons ...

I know the box you mean, personally the gunmetal one with the swarovski crystals caught my eye but as you say, underneath the bling it's the standard 2v but with no or little negotiation on price.
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Broadland Boy

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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #54 on: June 08, 2016, 11:11:12 PM »

I would expect there is probably a considerable amount of time and cost invested in showing prospective customers through a variety of boxes having supported the cost of having them in stock and available for sampling, only for them to wander off and order one on line...........
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squeezy

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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #55 on: June 08, 2016, 11:20:30 PM »

I would expect there is probably a considerable amount of time and cost invested in showing prospective customers through a variety of boxes having supported the cost of having them in stock and available for sampling, only for them to wander off and order one on line...........

That's the precise problem.  If you live by totally capitalist principles you always go for the lowest price to buy - and the highest price to sell.  It's a very short sighted way to live your life.  What you gain in the short term, you lose many times over in the long term.  There's a saying somewhere about "knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing"
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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #56 on: June 09, 2016, 12:10:11 AM »

Just like to add a little air freshener to the pollytickin...

[quote ]
If you live by totally capitalist principles you always go for the lowest price to buy
[/quote]  ::)

and if you're on a pension you make it go as far as you can   :P

[quote ]
It's a very short sighted way to live your life.  What you gain in the short term, you lose many times over in the long term. [/quote]

I didn't get where I am by not recognising Llobocks when I read it!

I wonder how many septuagenarians/nonagenarians worry about the long term ...

What's for tea t'night darling?

'principles', would you like them fried, boiled or proselytised?

 
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Winston Smith

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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #57 on: June 09, 2016, 12:13:20 AM »

Whilst it would be rather difficult to argue against squeezy's summation, if your finances won't stretch to the higher price, you don't have much choice but to go for the less expensive option. (Or do without, of course!)
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squeezy

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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #58 on: June 09, 2016, 12:54:34 AM »

Just like to add a little air freshener to the pollytickin...

[quote ]
If you live by totally capitalist principles you always go for the lowest price to buy
  ::)

and if you're on a pension you make it go as far as you can   :P

[quote ]
It's a very short sighted way to live your life.  What you gain in the short term, you lose many times over in the long term. [/quote]

I didn't get where I am by not recognising Llobocks when I read it!

I wonder how many septuagenarians/nonagenarians worry about the long term ...

What's for tea t'night darling?

'principles', would you like them fried, boiled or proselytised?

 

[/quote]

I absolutely disagree ... as you baby boomers probably can tell ;-)

But bringing it back on subject, a melodeon is always a luxury.  You can't expect a Castagnari for less than it costs, no-one owes you that.  All I was saying was that I believe that while a globalised internet driven market is great for buying something unseen and untried at a low price, in the melodeon world, you need to try instruments out against each other to find the right instrument.  And you can't do that on the internet.  I think that shops are vitally important in that respect for box players - and I'm not proselytising there - that's a simple fact.

Edited to remove a long and rambling and probably proselytising speech about politics that has no place on a melodeon forum
« Last Edit: June 09, 2016, 07:43:53 AM by squeezy »
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Re: Anyone noticed the massive discounts on the Music Room website?
« Reply #59 on: June 09, 2016, 01:09:57 AM »

Quote:
 The money will have all been spent on the baby-boomers - just like it was in the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's.
unquote

Ta! Don't think it's not appreciated ;D

It's a bit like blaming me for slavery ...it wasn't me guv, honest I wasn't there at the time (BC or AD ! {to bring it back on topic}  :-* )
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