ilovefuzz.com

What's the etiquette of haggling with small guitar/gear shops? I've got a local place that has all the Fender stuff at MSRP. They can't really be selling for that much, right? Can I talk them down to Guitar Center or online prices? Tell me about your experiences in small shops.

It depends, what kind of service are you getting? Do they set up the guitar? Carry stuff you ask for? Do random stuff that makes them special/better? If so it might be worth it to pay the price to keep them in business.

For me, the only local places I go to specialize in vintage stuff and it's not the kind of inventory you see in a guitar center. I want an old rick or gibson, I go to Guitar Maniacs in Tacoma, I want a schecter, I go to guitar center. I also haggle everywhere but dont get offended if they wont deal, I just might not buy whatever if I don't like the price.

Yeah.... I used to deal with a place like that. They were real dicks about pricing for a long time, I just kept going to them for little things: cables, strings, picks, etc. Then after a while they started cutting me deals, first was on a bag of pricey picks. They were supposed to cost $20 but the guy was like, "that must be a typo," and sold 'em to me for $2. After that they cut me deals on EVERYTHING.

I'd just tell them that all things being the same you'd rather support them.
Then ask if they can price match.
It's not too likely that they'll match online retailers but they should be able to match GC.

they should be prepared to match MAP and not complain about it.

I wouldn't expect them to match any "15% off" or "no sales tax" kind of breaks, though.

My local mom and pops match online standard pricing.

You have to ask at one. The other does it automatically.

They'll cut deals past that, typically if you don't ask and aren't an idiot.

What I can tell you is from being on the other side of that counter when running a gun shop is that the best way to usually ask, unless the dudes really like haggling (and there are some in sales who live for it, and they drive me batty), is something along the lines of "I want this item. What's the best deal you can give me right now?" and be willing to pay it if it's acceptable.

Do that a couple times and you'll often find them revealing the actual cost and detailing some of the specifics of what they need to make.

that's definitely a situation in which haggling should be acceptable. they know what GC sells the shit for. i think it's fine to approach them and be like, "i'm shopping around for one of these and i'd honestly rather give you guys my money, but they're selling the same thing at GC for x-amount. can you do anything with this price?" if they're cool, then i'll normally buy it from them if they can get at least in the neighborhood of a reasonable price. sometimes people are dicks about it though. fuck 'em. go somewhere else. there are plenty of small guitar shops that i've been in that are staffed and run by assholes who are clearly trying to take advantage of people and rip off folks who don't know better or haven't shopped around. inflated new gear prices, used stuff priced higher than it is new, shit like that. if you try and talk about prices, their dicks 'casue they'd rather wait around for a sucker then sell it to you at normal price. fuck those people. just cause you're a local shop doesn't mean you can do shit like that and still expect to be supported. there are shops here that i would love to see go out of business. i would like for them to fail miserably. i don't care if they're local. they suck and represent nothing that i want to see in my local stores. my favorite shops have good to normal prices on all their stuff when you walk in the door. and a staff that's decent and helpful. i'm rarely inclined to haggle in that situation 'cause they're treating me good off the bat and i want to support them. one shop i like is a little pricey on some items from time to time, but i also know that if i need to sell something in a pinch, they'll give me a really good price for it and be super cool about the whole thing. i always make a point of buying my picks and strings and stuff from them. and i managed to find my bandmate's guitar for a great price when he was looking to buy one and made sure to send him there to check it out. and he bought it.

I haggle with varying success at most every shop be it local, big chain, or online. Def doesn't hurt to try. The "price match" is a powerful negotiating tool.

Chicago has a ton of shops and some are filled with cock monglers and some are awesome. I've gone to a shop for a firebird, they had it at 1800. Great price I guess, but the thing is it was sitting there for a year, refin'd, and reliced. It was not a nice looking piece I tried to haggle and he was so dismissive acting like I didn't know shit about profit and when I showed him up he just dismissed me.

Suffice to say I wanted it but I just bought a clone for a third of the price because he was a cock. On the other hand Chicago music exchange, and 312 vintage always gives me great deals and are super friendly to me, I am friends with some of them outside of work but okay.

rfurtkamp wrote:
something along the lines of "I want this item. What's the best deal you can give me right now?" and be willing to pay it if it's acceptable.

Yep I do that at markets/car-boot sales/record fairs etc here in England. 'What's the best you can do on that, mate?' If they decline make an offer and see where that leads you. Of course, don't make an offer that takes the piss, that's just rude and you'll look a twat.