Sticker shock

[6L6]

My granddad sold Cadillacs during the Great Depression and never suffered. I remember him telling me, "When times are tough you want to be selling Cadillacs, not Chevrolets. People with money will always have money. And, they want their new Cadillacs!"

Makes sense to me.

Bill

 

[Bing k]

Bing at Guitars of Montana'd be the guy to ask, he's authorized and he's a member here. :wink:
Bing, gotchyer ears on, big buddy?

Sorry I missed this thread folks
There are some requirements. As with any company, Guild wants dealers to represent the line. We try to do that here but as stated in previous post it can tie up a bunch of capital in a hurry with inventory that tends to hang a while. Factor in much interest$$$ and the price on each instrument goes up and the margin goes down. A dealer operating on cash is one thing, but if a dealer is paying interest on an operating and inventory loan it's another.
Since becoming a Guild dealer we have probably stocked way more than we should and not turned inventory as quickly as what I would call "fiscally responsible". That probably needs to change. :lol:

I don't think Fender is looking for a lot of new Guild dealers at this time simply from the production standpoint.
The "Cadillac theory" does have merit but it requires location which we lack here at our own stores. There has to be people with money around.

No insult intended but I have to laugh some times when someone posts on this forum that they have found a store with "Whoohoo! a couple of American Guilds.
That alone tells me I'm way over stocked.
About half of our American inventory:

Makes my banker very nervous. :roll:

Smart? not smart? embarrassingly stupid? Only my accountant knows for sure

 

[Default]

I have to note that I've purchased 2 guitars from Bing and have been very pleased - if you are looking for a new Guild, I would check with him first.

 

[walrus]

I've never been to your store, Bing, but those photos are very attractive! You have more Guilds than my local dealer, who has maybe 10 or so. I hope you have a great year financially, and many more!

walrus

 

[Bing k]

I've never been to your store, Bing, but those photos are very attractive! You have more Guilds than my local dealer, who has maybe 10 or so. I hope you have a great year financially, and many more!

walrus

Thanks, I know it's definitely too much inventory for the market we sit it.

I think most dealers "need" a great year. The last few have been fairly lean for most of us in any sort of luxury retail which guitars in the American made price range are. The coming holiday season may give us an indication of what's down the road 6-12 months, maybe not. So many questions on the American consumers mind right now makes them very hesitant. And I can understand their position and mind set.

Annalist call it "consumer confidence" and "disposable income"

Some say it's going to take a recovery in housing to make things better. If that's the case; a lot of business is in for a hell of a long wait and many won't be able to last through the bottom. Many more will be gone that aren't already.

 

[adorshki]

I've never been to your store, Bing, but those photos are very attractive! You have more Guilds than my local dealer, who has maybe 10 or so. I hope you have a great year financially, and many more!
walrus

Thanks, I know it's diffidently too much inventory for the market we sit it.

Since I've spent literally 90% of my career in wholsela distribution, I'm entirely symapthetic to the issues related to cost of money and inventory turnover. We actually have a platitude in my current company:"Turns is earns"
What I'm really leading up to is that I would perceive you as an example of the kind of shop that is fully justified in conducting a web-based side of the business, and I think Guild is "getting" that. Turning some of those beauties over can only be good for both of you. :wink:

 

[Bing k]

I've never been to your store, Bing, but those photos are very attractive! You have more Guilds than my local dealer, who has maybe 10 or so. I hope you have a great year financially, and many more!
walrus

Thanks, I know it's diffidently too much inventory for the market we sit it.

Since I've spent literally 90% of my career in wholsela distribution, I'm entirely symapthetic to the issues related to cost of money and inventory turnover. We actually have a platitude in my current company:"Turns is earns"
What I'm really leading up to is that I would perceive you as an example of the kind of shop that is fully justified in conducting a web-based side of the business, and I think Guild is "getting" that. Turning some of those beauties over can only be good for both of you. :wink:

Absolutely!!!

 

[Bing k]

adorshki wrote:
What I'm really leading up to is that I would perceive you as an example of the kind of shop that is fully justified in conducting a web-based side of the business, and I think Guild is "getting" that. Turning some of those beauties over can only be good for both of you. end quote

We aren't using a shopping cart site right now although we do have a new one being built. It's another thing that takes a lot of time to complete.

We've always been person to person with our web sales
around the world. On the phone and email.

 

[griehund]

adorshki wrote:
What I'm really leading up to is that I would perceive you as an example of the kind of shop that is fully justified in conducting a web-based side of the business, and I think Guild is "getting" that. Turning some of those beauties over can only be good for both of you. end quote

We aren't using a shopping cart site right now although we do have a new one being built. It's another thing that takes a lot of time to complete.

We've always been person to person with our web sales
around the world. On the phone and email.

Elderly provides a pretty good model of a brick & mortar/interweb/telephone/email store that ships worldwide.

 

[adorshki]

Elderly provides a pretty good model of a brick & mortar/interweb/telephone/email store that ships worldwide.

Are they authorized Guild dealers? (Sorry, just too lazy to go look 'em up at the moment.)

 

[learnintoplay62]

Thanks for posting the pictures Bing. :mrgreen: You have more Guilds than all the stores in the Delaware valley :shock:
This is a great way to get noticed as well. You should put that up on your site :wink:
Hey I am just curious, what are the 2 sunburst in the top row corner, they look spectacular.

 

[Bing k]

4th from the corner F-40 Ice Tea Burst, corner F-30 Ice Tea Burst with first generation DTAR, opposite wall GAD F40?

 

[Jack FFR1846]

I am not surprised to find that a small store in Springfield isn't carrying high end guitars. (jack grew up in Westfield and went to STCC) Back in the day, I bought my 2 Guilds from Falcetti's in Westfield, where that's the only guitar they sold. I should say my parents bought them.

My son took lessons for a couple years from a small shop/studio in Northborough and I talked with the owner. He sold Samick guitars and the rep allowed him to return any that were not to his standard. No buy in. There's the key. To be an Ibanez dealer, there's a $50k buy in. You send in your $50k and then draw guitars out of that. As a small lesson establishment, they sell maybe $10k in guitars a year, so not feasible.

My favorite guitar store is a bit south, in Manchester, CT. They are a small family business mainly doing lessons and renting instruments to schools, but they sell both Suhr and Music Man guitars. They have a big grassroots presence in forums, generating business by shipping in Music Man. Across town is Guitar Center, who carries the most Music Man guitars I've ever seen anywhere in New England, including Boston. So I have to believe that GC is attempting to take business from the local specialized guys.

Long answer shortened.....I wonder if there is a large buy-in to get Guild into the store.

 

[griehund]

I am not surprised to find that a small store in Springfield isn't carrying high end guitars. (jack grew up in Westfield and went to STCC) Back in the day, I bought my 2 Guilds from Falcetti's in Westfield, where that's the only guitar they sold. I should say my parents bought them.

Falcetti's is the store I was talking about. I don't know what's up with their branch stores but the Spfld store is a skeleton of its former self. They list branches in Pittsfield and Auburn in Mass. and two stores in Ct. They also list a "new" store in W.Hartford Ct. The buy in for Ibanez explains why they are so loaded with their low end stuff. Even with the store reduced to one floor, it looks bleak when you walk in. They always had a big lessons program but I doubt that that would keep the store afloat. Who knows, maybe better days are coming.

 

[dreadnut]

Elderly is an authorized Guild dealer, but Bing has a lot more Guilds than Elderly

 

[adorshki]

Long answer shortened.....I wonder if there is a large buy-in to get Guild into the store.

Reading between the lines of comments from Frono and Bing, it doesn't appear to be the case, most likely since demand seems to outstrip production right now, if nothing else.
So it'd probably alienate any prospective new dealer to demand a buy-in deposit when you couldn't even deliver all orders from stock. I've seen that model in other commodities, though.
It certainly didn't seem out of line to John DeLorean, way back when...... :lol:

 

[Bing k]

As I said before Guild wants authorized dealers to represent the line well. And rightfully so. It's just good business. We find their authorized dealer requirements fit our business.