Shopping in Nashville

[Marcus CA]

I think that sales tax charges depend on where the buyer is making the purchase, rather than shipping. If you buy the instrument from your home in another state, it’s interstate commerce, so the store may not have to pay sales tax —- which they would collect from the buyer —- to their state government. However, if you buy the instrument at the store, the store (and therefore you) owes sales tax, regardless of where you live and whether you take it with you or have it shipped.

[Cheryl Watson]

I found out that anywhere I buy an instrument, that it is smart to make certain that the instrument fits in the case WITH THE END PIN IN because you cannot assume that it will fit. I bought a very expensive mandolin from a music store (no name mentioned, but in Nashville) and it turned out (after it was shipped to me) that the mandolin did not fit in the case (from the previous owner who had it on consignment) with the end pin installed. It was also clearly not the original end pin (it was a very old, dry, and strangely shaped guitar rosewood end pin). The mandolin still did not fit in the case with a correct end pin that I borrowed from another mandolin. They never did give me a correct end pin; they gave me an ebony guitar end pin and the second case they tried did not fit either, so they ended up giving me a little money back and told me to keep the second case for which I have no use. So, anyway, just a heads up and yeah, I know, never assume anything.

[johnhgayjr]

Got to go to both Gruhn’s and Carters last summer. Both had a good selection of mandolins. Carters had more and everything I assume was available to play at both. I was with some friends looking at high end instruments and got to go up stairs at gruhns. George hung out and picked with us. He brought out his July 9 1923 Gibson and I couldn’t pass up a chance to try that. Pretty cool. Agree with a previous poster about George. Talking instruments with him is like talking to a phd in physics. Dude knows his stuff.

[mandroid]

Re: "The sales tax is high, over 9%."

I'd assume if you found a mandolin you liked & had them ship it to a house in another state, they would wave the TN sales tax.

Washington waves sales taxes for Oregon resident customers in the south of the state , at least.. there is cross river business done ..

[Jeff Mando]

I'd assume if you found a mandolin you liked & had them ship it to a house in another state, they would wave the TN sales tax.

Maybe, just maybe if you went to the parking lot and called them and said, hey I'm that guy who wants to buy such and such, here's my debit card number, please ship it to......not sure even that would work...?

There is something about being in the store and getting ready to pay means they have to charge sales tax -- no discussion -- even when I politely pushed the issue -- don't know why, certainly it is something they must hear several times a week.......maybe it is built into the cash register? Anyway, it was clear to me they were running a business, not a flea market, and certain procedures had to be followed. Why? Too many witnesses, maybe...? Maybe I look like a narc......

A similar situation exists when I sell something on eBay and an international buyer "tells" me to declare it as a "gift" on the customs form, so they won't have to pay duty. I politely explain that I am known at my local post office and I am in business to sell things to people. In other words, giving a "gift" to someone I don't know in a different country would more than likely be a red flag...something to be avoided.

[Captain Kirk]

There is something about being in the store and getting ready to pay means they have to charge sales tax -- no discussion -- even when I politely pushed the issue -- don't know why, certainly it is something they must hear several times a week.......maybe it is built into the cash register? Anyway, it was clear to me they were running a business, not a flea market, and certain procedures had to be followed. Why? Too many witnesses, maybe...? Maybe I look like a narc.....

Eliminate the witnesses.

[bcaldwell]

True, but if you ship it from the store to your house, you pay shipping but not their sales tax.

Gruhn, for one, now collects the sales tax applicable for the destination state.

[Nashville]

I think you should want to pay Tennessee sales tax because it does good things for us here! So don't seek to avoid it, just embrace it. :-)

[stuart.gamble]

Got to go to both Gruhn’s and Carters last summer. Both had a good selection of mandolins. Carters had more and everything I assume was available to play at both. I was with some friends looking at high end instruments and got to go up stairs at gruhns. George hung out and picked with us. He brought out his July 9 1923 Gibson and I couldn’t pass up a chance to try that. Pretty cool. Agree with a previous poster about George. Talking instruments with him is like talking to a phd in physics. Dude knows his stuff.

Wow, very cool. I think if I got to play a Loar, I would play all tremelo because my hands for be shaking :-)