High end stores closing do you really care

Interesting thread....

I can't imagine losing my local dealer. Sure, he and I don't see eye to eye on everything, but he has always taken good care of me. I don't pay retail there, but my discount isn't huge. The extra that I pay is easily made up in the level of service that I receive.

For instance:

Ordered a new pair of speakers with 6 week wait (no deposit taken) and he's given me his demo pair to use in the mean time.

Equipment loans are very common. At one point I had close to 50K worth of gear on loan as I was trying to decide between multiple preamps and amplifiers. After realizing that I couldn't satisfy all of my criteria with the products that he had available he encouraged me to look for a couple of used/discontinued products that would work. Let me keep the demos until I located the used gear.

I've spent a lot of money with him over the years (probably close to $100k), but the level of service has always been like this.

His shop isn't much to look at, but that really doesn't matter at all. The interesting thing is that he is the last true high end shop left in town. 5 years ago there were at least 5 true high-end stores. 3 years ago there were 3... Now he's the last one left.

Sonicbeauty wrote:

Great advice. Let me know if you ever hear of one will you?

Sarcasm noted, but it doesn't have to be so. If you don't like how you are treated by a dealer there are things you can do besides buying over the phone or the net. For one thing, the dealer needs to know he could do better, especially if it involves something you were ready to purchase. Drop a note to him anonymously. If you were really put off, tell the distributor or manufacturer.

Chadnliz summed it up well.

I generally agree with Sonicbeauty, save that it was not the attitude of dealers that did them in, it was the internet and world competition. Local dealers need a 35% profit margin (this was years ago when I was involved as a dealer). There is no way that internet sales needs such a margin. They can afford to give "deals" to customers state, nation, and even worldwide.

This is going to happen or has happened for most goods. I just bought a suitcase on the internet, as local prices are substantially higher and I can find just what I want, not just what local dealers choose to have. Restaurants, grocery stores, cars, and houses are all that is likely to resist this.

When I first used the internet in the 80s, I had no vision to see where all of this was to lead.

and the high end will vanish as the industry is dumbed-down and commoditized. It truly is a self fulfilling prophesy.

Man, that's far from reality!

You need to see the manufacturer's forums in AudioCircle, starting with Channel Islands Audio. Now, that Dusty V. is a real threat to the establishment, let me tell you...

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Psychicanimal, we are talking about different things.