[Jonathan C.]

Do you support the local music business by surporting the little guy? Buy/Consign stuff to local music stores? Or do you just ebay it? The reason why I ask is becuase with the internet you can just click and buy all the reeds you need for the next year on line. I would call it courisity.

I personally Buy/ and Consign stuff to the Small local music store. Instead of Ebaying it.

So the question is DO you support the local Music store?:? :? :?

 

[milandro]

I buy things like mouthpieces, ligatures and reeds at local shops.

Up until now, I always bought my saxophones used on the internet (with two exceptions one soprano bought in Italy and another in China) and re-sold them on the internet.

This as opposed to consigning (never done that) or part-exchange (done only once) because most shops here in the Netherlands won't do that if not at a very low rate for your instrument . They won't buy anything from you either if not at a ridiculous price and only if it is a well known brand so it is hardly a surprise that most of the trade is shifting to the internet.

By the way the only very local shop I have at a walking distance where I can buy reeds charges 35% more than most shops and almost 50% more than internet rates and admits to not sell almost anything woodwinds related.

 

[Isle of Jazz]

I don't have a "local music store" — the nearest one is, like, an hour and fifteen minutes away. And "Mom and Pop" aren't the proprieters so I don't feel too bad about ordering reeds and stuff online. I try to spread my buying around, using different sources and not just relying on WWBW — in the past few months I've gotten gear from Discount Reeds, Sam Ash, and Weiner.

 

[Jonathan C.]

I used to do almost all my shopping Online Via WWBW. Mouthpieces, Reeds. If he doesn't have it. He can order it. He hasn't ordered anything for me. Though I have been close to picking up a Otto Link Metal Tenor Piece. His prices are close to the same as WWBW's, and the box of Tenor Reeds are like $15. In stock, almost all the time.

 

[milandro]

then I guess you are lucky!

 

[TMadness1013]

For saxophone accessories/instruments...80% of the time, I will buy online.

For guitar accessories/instruments, I will buy from my local stores 100% of the time.

Know why? Music stores actually carry guitar merchandise that's decent & lots of options

Should've been alive & kickin' in the 1920's when saxophone was a million times cooler than the guitar & all the local shops were probably stocked w/ great sax stuff.

 

[Othello3]

I have found that not only are the people at the local music store snobs, they don't know what they are talking about at all. I buy sheet music all the time there but most other things I go to the web for. I always buy reeds and small accessories online because they are outrageously expensive in stores. Everything else I buy in a store but usually not locally.

 

[saxmanglen]

Most of the true horn stores have gone bye bye or have morphed into drum/guitar shops in my area. The one I used to frequent has now leaned toward guitars and really doesn't even keep many decent strength reeds in stock.

It's unfortunate beacause it was the owner of that shop that got me involved with a local bigband when I started playing again about 5 years ago. That's led to me playing more regular with a few other bands too.

I'm usually ordering reeds and supplies exclusively online now.

 

[jacobeid]

junkdude is 30 minutes away from me. Is that a local store or no?

 

[jmartin]

I just recently sold a guitar, 2 amps, and a pedal board through a local store. While I was there I bought a tuner, reeds, and some strings. And all without shipping or ebay fees.

 

[littlemanbighorn]

junkdude is 30 minutes away from me. Is that a local store or no?

I think that qualifies.

It's VERY important to support your local store (if they're good.) It's more than worth it to pay a little extra for reeds instead of buying them from Woodwind Megamart if it means it'll help keep a skilled local tech in business so that you've got somewhere to take your horn when you drop it and need it done for a gig in a couple of days.

Plus, being able to sit down and play through a wide variety of mouthpieces (many more than 4) is vitally important to finding the right piece for you.

 

[Face Ache Mike]

Well, I did until they closed down

 

[Othello3]

I think that qualifies.

It's VERY important to support your local store (if they're good.) It's more than worth it to pay a little extra for reeds instead of buying them from Woodwind Megamart if it means it'll help keep a skilled local tech in business so that you've got somewhere to take your horn when you drop it and need it done for a gig in a couple of days.

Normally I would agree wholeheartedly, but... I think it is outrageous that these small local stores think that it is okay to charge 50% extra on small items like reeds. I paid $25 for a box of blue vandorans last week from an area store.

And yeah I know, "the little guy needs the extra money to make it work". You don't need to tell me, I'm an Econ. major. But the fact is, if Joe shmoe is making his money from reeds to begin with, he's going to have problems. Ripping people off on reeds isn't going to make or break a business. Small shops have to work on attracting customers, not ripping off the ones that do come in so that they don't come back.