Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 26 to 41 of 41

Thread: Stew-mac prices

  1. #26

    Default Re: Stew-mac prices

    Personally, I don't like bashing, or even putting speculation out there, about any business simply because I don't agree with their pricing. If they had terrible customer service then I could see advising to be wary of making purchases. Just so everyone knows, the company is combining Waverly in to their building and they are going to invest almost $3.3 million in to restore a dilapidated old building that is on the historical record. They are going to be employing 66 employees and paying 50% of their hourly employees healthcare costs. I am familiar with that area and it has struggled immensely with job loss and poverty. They could very easily, and less expensively, build a facility elsewhere but chose to stay and support that community. They're good people. They have great customer service and if you don't like their shipping costs then buy a membership like Amazon. In fact, order their stuff through Amazon. Sorry for the rant, but I'm a small business guy myself.

  2. The Following 7 Users Say Thank You to thistle3585 For This Useful Post:


  3. #27

    Default Re: Stew-mac prices

    Amazon up charges to include StewMacs shipping or I would always buy through them.
    Richard Hutchings

  4. #28
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Howell, NJ
    Posts
    26,874

    Default Re: Stew-mac prices

    Quote Originally Posted by Dick Hutchings View Post
    Amazon up charges to include StewMacs shipping or I would always buy through them.
    Amazon doesn't upcharge that, Stewmac adds their shipping charges into their products they sell on Amazon and on eBay.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  5. #29

    Default Re: Stew-mac prices

    I think that's what I meant. Either way, the shipping charge is there even if you have a prime membership.
    Richard Hutchings

  6. #30

    Default Re: Stew-mac prices

    An hour at the bench is worth more than an hour price checking. For me at least.

  7. #31
    Teacher, repair person
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    Southeast Tennessee
    Posts
    4,077

    Default Re: Stew-mac prices

    "Sorry for the rant, but I'm a small business guy myself."

    So am I. And I have always valued and appreciated Stew-mac's quality and excellent customer service.
    But the bottom line is that if a supplier raises prices well beyond standard market prices, I have three choices:

    1. To stop buying from that supplier, no matter how good their service is and how nice they might be,
    2. To pass the expense on to my customers, and run the risk of pricing myself out of the market, or
    3. To absorb the additional expense myself and hope that I can still make enough to pay my living expenses.

    Which would you choose?

  8. #32
    I really look like that soliver's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Marietta, GA
    Posts
    1,745

    Default Re: Stew-mac prices

    Quote Originally Posted by soliver View Post
    ...On a whim I checked International Violin and found A style Grover Deluxe for just under $80 after shipping. They should arrive today. So, to my understanding I am getting better tuning machines for about $20 less.
    Just as an FYI: I received my Tuners and they are actually 309's... Not "Deluxe" tuners... not the it makes a difference, because I still saved $20. I'm really not sure if Grover even still makes Deluxe Tuners but I did let the guys at IV know that what they show on their site is not what I received.
    aka: Spencer
    Silverangel Econo A #429
    Soliver #001 & #002: A double stack of Pancakes.

    Soliver Hand Crafted Mandolins and Mandolin Armrests
    Armrests Here -- Mandolins Here

    "You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage
    to lose sight of the shore, ...and also a boat with no holes in it.” -anonymous

  9. #33

    Default Re: Stew-mac prices

    True, to a tool guy like me, those prices are at the extreme end for things I know about, but I’d write that off as necessary for selling at very low volume into a specialty market, like builders and repairers.
    However - this website alone shows hundreds of members who are definitely small business and cost-sensitive; not everybody can charge more for a repair than an instrument brings on the market, or build costly products.
    So, how about a purchasing cooperative? This could even help SM as they might be able to project sales more accurately and therefore offer multiple-unit discounts for group orders. Apologize if this has already been tried. Today, software makes some inventory things much easier, especially if you have a thousand different products.
    Sitting on slow-moving inventory is a luxury these days, and can bring down any vendor who pays rent or has employees.

  10. #34
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    S.W. Wisconsin
    Posts
    7,507

    Default Re: Stew-mac prices

    Decades ago I sent SM a design for a tool I made for a violin repair to make it much quicker and easier than the method used at that time. They thought about making it putting it in the catalog. They sat on it for about two years then Dan called me and we talked about it. Because of the limited market and the fact that if you see it and you are innovative, most luthiers are, you could make it yourself. I told Dan to simply put it in trade secrets. The limited market is definitely a thing to consider in any small business that is not doing an online presence.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

  11. #35

    Default Re: Stew-mac prices

    If you are a professional repairman, the cost of tools and supplies gets passed on to the customer, in one form or another. If you charge $400 for a fretjob the fret wire costs $15 and a fret hammer costs $10 and a file costs $8 -- if you can do it without any fancy stuff. If you need the fancy stuff, with $800 worth of tools, jigs, and vices, then it takes a couple fretjobs to pay for your tools -- after that you should be in the profit zone. Either way, 5 years from now it won't be an issue and you still have the tools.

  12. #36

    Default Re: Stew-mac prices

    Quote Originally Posted by rcc56 View Post
    "Sorry for the rant, but I'm a small business guy myself."

    So am I. And I have always valued and appreciated Stew-mac's quality and excellent customer service.
    But the bottom line is that if a supplier raises prices well beyond standard market prices, I have three choices:

    1. To stop buying from that supplier, no matter how good their service is and how nice they might be,
    2. To pass the expense on to my customers, and run the risk of pricing myself out of the market, or
    3. To absorb the additional expense myself and hope that I can still make enough to pay my living expenses.

    Which would you choose?
    It depends on the product, the amount of the increase and my customer, but my point isn't about having to make those decisions. My point is about putting speculative information out there about a business.

  13. The following members say thank you to thistle3585 for this post:


  14. #37
    Registered User mtucker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Los Angeles CA
    Posts
    1,500

    Default Re: Stew-mac prices

    I’m sorry to say that it’s part and parcel for today’s climate in which we see disinformation being disseminated that starts with a question driven to create doubt and or deliver misinformation and discredit the legitimacy of what’s in question. The offender almost inevitably falls back by either veering off track to distract or saying ‘I was just asking a question’ claiming ignorance and innocence.
    Last edited by mtucker; Aug-17-2020 at 11:29am.

  15. #38
    Teacher, repair person
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    Southeast Tennessee
    Posts
    4,077

    Default Re: Stew-mac prices

    Goodness gracious.

    Well, whether you agree with me or not, or believe me or not, my motives are not to run Stew-mac out of business; and I am certainly not trying to deliver misinformation by disguising opinion as fact. But if it will make you happy, it won't bother me if you want to express your objections to my original post to a moderator. And I acknowledge their right to delete or close this topic if they feel I have said anything inappropriate.

  16. #39
    Registered User mtucker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Los Angeles CA
    Posts
    1,500

    Default Re: Stew-mac prices

    If you look back to your original posting titled ‘Chinese made mandolins (Northfield?)’ that’s where my radar antenna originally went up. The tone of the posting and certainly this one was /is off putting. This is a great group of very trusting people, so I always try to do my part to keep it that way.

  17. #40
    Teacher, repair person
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    Southeast Tennessee
    Posts
    4,077

    Default Re: Stew-mac prices

    ??? I did not post that topic.

    And, unlike you, I see nothing inflammatory in the original poster's question.
    Perhaps you should apply for a position as a moderator.

  18. #41
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Howell, NJ
    Posts
    26,874

    Default Re: Stew-mac prices

    Let's end this one now. Thanks everybody.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  19. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to MikeEdgerton For This Useful Post:


Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •