how low will GC go on a new LP Standard Faded?

[sworn_enemy]

I know their sticker price is $1899 but I also know they can give deals on these. I found a really cool sales guy at one of my local GC's who gives me good deals but I'd like to be prepared when I go in to talk to him. I also want to make sure he gets something out of it because he always takes good care of me. Any of you guys know how low they can go on these?

[veliyasin]

Re: how low will GC go on a new LP Standard Faded?

Technically all dealers are somewhat able to go for 60% of the list price. But I don't know if GC ever chooses to do so...

[XSSIVE]

Re: how low will GC go on a new LP Standard Faded?

the best i've done at GC was with a guitar that started at $1450 plus tax which would have been $1573.25 out the door if i paid sticker and tax....i walked out the door paying $1000.xx. the sales guy was real cool (younger guy around my age, 24-26 i'd say) we bs'd about guitars and our collections and bands etc and he showed me what he felt was the good stuff in the store and then gave me a pretty damn good deal. he messed with the sale price so that it would come up as close to $1000 with tax as possible and it only was a few cents over. so i guess it depends on the guy you're dealing with.

-Mike

[electrico777]

Re: how low will GC go on a new LP Standard Faded?

nice deal.

[data187]

Re: how low will GC go on a new LP Standard Faded?

yeah it all depends on the sales guy.
i read somewhere that they need to make their purchase price + 10% profit for the store + whatever they get on top of that is theirs.

[Posepatrol]

Re: how low will GC go on a new LP Standard Faded?


Not True...

A guitar that cost them $500.00 that is sold for $600.00 is a $100.00 Profit. The sales guy only gets a Precentage of the Gross Profit. at 10-20% depending where you work, that would be $10-20 for each $100.00 Profit (Sorry for the math lesson)

It depends on if you are buying from a Manager to get the best possible deal.

10 Years ago I worked at the Sherman Oaks location for a while after my store burnt down.

Guitar Center has MASSIVE Buying power.

If you are the average sales clerk, with minimal skills in selling, you get very limited access to the Computer System. You basically put in the skew number and do the sale.

You can do some adjusting as long as the system excepts their min. price.

A Higher Level Manager can access the actual Price GC Paid.



A - Mark Retail 1000.00 Wholesake 500.00
B -Mark 1000.00 600.00

and so on.

Guitar Center gets Fender about 20% below any other Music Store, but they keep the pricing locked.

For example

When I worked there...I bought a Fender USA'52 Reissue Tele for 50% Off List ( Dummy Cost) + another 20% Off. ( Real Cost)

I saw MITCHEL Acoustics we sold for 199.00 Were entered at 119.00 Cost, with my manager code, I saw we had 47.00 actual cost before shipping and all that (getting them to the store).

So make friends with a manager. I still get deals because they know that I know the drill..


I got My MBOX 3 years ago for 305.00 when the advertised Sale price was $499.00 List was $599.00.


Pro Audio is always a B or C Mark, some times D.

Most Fender and Gibson are A Marks, some are B's if they are High end, but again, Try to Buy alot of stuff at once, some Managers still have to Sell, but no longer rely on a percentage of the profit. He needs to hit a Gross SALES Number. I waited until I was gonna drop 5 Grand and walked out with more stuff and 300 bucks extra.

Their dicks get really hard on those big tickets and they forget to add alot of profit or just don't want to because they are so excited, I used to say "Great, you still have to wear a rubber" whenever a guy was writing a big ticket on my watch.

Cases usually are averaged into the wholesale price, you have all seen the GC Price of 0.00 on the case.

Gibson usually flips back and forth.

Oh, a Whirlwind Cable with a List price of $29.00 usually has a Real Cost price of about $2.75....Never buy a Guitar and cables at the same time, Buy alot of cables at once to save 60% or more. Strings are a Loss Leader, they make maybe $.50 a pack.

Good Luck.

[Reverend Timmy]

Re: how low will GC go on a new LP Standard Faded?

Thanks for the info,Posepatrol....

[Posepatrol]

Re: how low will GC go on a new LP Standard Faded?

My pleasure. I ran the Guitar Dept for a place about 3 blocks away from GC called Guitar-Guitar. I'd say around 94 I had about 6-7 San Dimas and a few other Jacksons, I used to pick them up for around $250.00 Even had a couple Rands. I worked with a Guy Named Johnny B. Who actually helped build Rands. The only way we could compete with GC was to hand select our Gibsons. We would pay $762.00 For a Gibson Les Paul Studio that GC would sell for 799.00.

So we would order them with different Pick Up Rings, I had them make a bunch with Mirrored Parts. That way I could say..."Well GC dosen't have these" That way I could sell them for 899.00.

When it came down to it, we were cooler and much more hip then those cats so people didn't mind. And since the cables are marked up so much I would throw in a bunch of stuff to be able to get the sell.

Read up on what you want, have the money with you and walk in, find the busiest guy and get started on the relationship. The desperate sales guy usually tries to make as much on each sale as possible.

I know my shit, I would have people waiting for me just so they could buy from me....I'd say every 3rd transaction I would just say.."Dude I have to make some money on this one so I don't get busted."

[jonsgon]

Re: how low will GC go on a new LP Standard Faded?

very interesting story!

thanks for the heads up
jon

[MountainDog]

Re: how low will GC go on a new LP Standard Faded?

Ahhh...Guitar-Guitar...I loved that store. Great used guitars, great deals, great people, better than any other store. I used to go there once a week. I was bummed when it closed.

What Posepatrol mentions is what I've learned shopping at GC.. the sales guy can type in lower pricing and will get to a computer set limit based on certain parameters. Going lower involves a Manager. I got a $799 'tagged-sale' price Epi Zakk bullseye for $650 out the door, and on a Ibanez S1625FB listed for 'tagged-sale' $1099, got them to match the Musicians Friend clearance of $699

[toejam]

Re: how low will GC go on a new LP Standard Faded?

[ QUOTE ]
and on a Ibanez S1625FB listed for 'tagged-sale' $1099, got them to match the Musicians Friend clearance of $699

[/ QUOTE ]
Of course they'll match MF prices... GC owns them. See if they'll actually beat the price. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[AK47]

Re: how low will GC go on a new LP Standard Faded?

You have to pretty much talk to the manager or higher up here in the Bay Area at the GC otherwise they wont cut you a deal. The employee will just wait for someone else to come along and pay sticker price, so you have to wait for a manager to help you. I remember I needed 20 guitar stands and the employee non manager would not sell them to me for cheaper than 15 dollars plus tax and I didnt want to wait around for the manager so I just went home and ordered from an on line place for 7.50 a stand and no tax from I think it was Music123 and it was the same brand.

[AK47]

Re: how low will GC go on a new LP Standard Faded?

By the way Toe Jam they will not match MF prices even though they own them, I know I have tried lots of times unless you get a manager.

[Jack Napalm]

Re: how low will GC go on a new LP Standard Faded?

I bought a Fantom X6 for 1495.00 a few months back. List is 2,395.00 and they had it marked at $1995.00. I had cash in hand and was there at the end of the month. Not sure if the timing had anything to do with it but I think I got a good deal.

[jim777]

Re: how low will GC go on a new LP Standard Faded?

great thread!