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Thread: Price Wars???

  1. Price Wars???

    I was in my local music store yesterday to pick up some valve oil and some treble clef duets to take with me to England. I noticed a brand new Yamaha 321 (lacquer not silver) hanging on the wall. The small paper price sticker said $1,495. That seems like a very good price, since I know that the same store was selling the same model for nearer $2000 a year ago, This led me to believe that something is happenning in the market.

    I know that franchise agreements do not permit retail and internet stores to "advertise" a price below a certain point. I usually use WWBW or Dillon's web listings as the benchmark for the best "advertised" price on horns. Since WWBW lists the lacquer 321 at $1,995 (which is a recent reduction) and Dillon lists it at $2,595, I am assuming that Yamaha's best advertised price is close to $1,995 for the lacquer 321. However, clearly stores such as mine are willing to "deal" at prices significantly below this price point and they have to be making some profit.

    As a general comment to all...Is the price of brass instruments (Euphoniums in particular) undergoing a change? I would be interested in your experience on what the "real" price of the following three reference horns would likely be if purchased through a local dealer as compared with a large regional dealer such as Baltimore Brass, Dillon or Ferguson: (I will include WWBW advertised pricing for reference

    Yamaha 321S (silver) - WWBW $2,095
    Yamaha 642S - WWBW $5,401
    Besson 2052-2 - WWBW $6,670

    Any recent experience?

    Doug
    Adams E3 0.60 Sterling bell - Prototype top sprung valves
    Concord Band
    Winchendon Winds
    Townsend Military Band

  2. #2

    Price Wars???

    I was browsing the Tuba Exchange website yesterday, and was surprised to see that the silver 321 price was less than that of a silver 201 ($2095 vs $2,216.00, respectively)!

    FWIW, TE's website price for the three reference models is identical to WWBW's. There's definitely some wiggle room on the prices, so you could probably get it for less if you're willing to haggle and stick to your gun. They're local to me, but they probably fall more into the "large regional dealer" category.

    I wonder whether the current pricing represents a change in Yamaha's back-to-school sale strategy? The past couple of years, the local Music & Arts store put up posters advertising back-to-school rebates on Yamaha instruments right after July 4. No rebate posters (yet) this year. Maybe Yamaha's recognized that, in this economy, people are more inclined to make buying decisions based on the cost at the cash register than the price 6-8 weeks down the road.

  3. #3

    Price Wars???

    An educated guess is that the cost to WWBW on the 642S is somewhere around $4,500-4,800. For the 2052, somewhere around $5,500-5,800. What they sell them for at any one time is multi-determined: at a minimum inventory size, cash flow needs, and general market conditions are factors.

    Don't know about 321 pricing, but do know that euph sales have dramatically slowed with the economy. My guess is that your local store was selling cheap to liquidate inventory.

    John

  4. #4

    Price Wars???

    Later thought: in todays market buying a euph should be thought of like buying a car. What they ask is not always what they will accept, so a little gentle bargaining may save hundreds, especially with a local shop vs. a chain.



  5. #5

    Price Wars???

    From what I read on Yamaha's website, it looks like they are trying to recapture some of the market share they lost to Jupiter and other off-brands in the school market. Schools and parents are strapped for cash and kids really beat the tar out of the school horns. So, why would the school keep paying more for Yami's when the kids are just going to completely destroy them anyway.

    My son plays trumpet in his school band. He brought home some Yamaha valve caps and I found them in his case. I asked him what they were for and he said the teacher was throwing away several Yamaha trumpets. So he grabbed some spare parts for his friends in band. My son plays on a Silver Flair himself.

    I was disgusted that schools have to throw horns in the garbage. I think parents should be held accountable for the abuse of school property by their kids, but that is another topic altogether.








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