-----Original Message-----
From: Joseph M Grib <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:22:40 -0500 [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
a lot of people want/need hand holding which is
unfortunately also going by the wayside. The big point I'm trying to
make
is that
no-one in the biz is making a killing at a store. The "big" perceived
profit isn't there.
I heard that argument constantly when I was working for them and
frankly,
it just isn't true.
Agreed. But that fact isn't well known.
I wonder - was ham radio equipment ever high-mark-up? Say, back in the
1950s,
'60s, '70s?
But we're not talking about a design
team here, we're talking about a retail merchant.
Why should there be a difference?
The guy/gal behind the counter
answering your questions, giving you advice, assisting you with the
sale,
and if necessary, service after the sale.
With all due respect, if you buy an Elecraft, the design team or their
knowledgeable
reps will answer your questions, give you advice, assist you with the
sale and
provide service after the sale.....
Regarding the K3, it's a very impressive piece of equipment I must say
from what I've been reading on the 'net. I have a few K1's and a K2
myself. Not for sale any price either. They're great rigs.
I'm saving up. I would gladly sell my Elecraft rigs for a price that
would
let me buy more of them!
The question is, why do the rigmakers allow their product to be
distributed that way? Don't they realize that, by doing so, they are
killing off
their distribution network?
Agreed, but like everything else, once a dealer/distributor grasps a
means of selling something
be it the net or a '800' number the others must follow or see their
sales
greatly diminish.
The rigmakers could stop it if they wanted to. Simply have a code of
behavior
for authorized dealers. And only authorized dealers get the product.
Unfortunately though, there are still a lot of people who flock to
shows
and dealerships
to 'see' and 'touch' a piece of equipment before they buy. Why do you
think consumer
electronic shows are so busy?
Elecraft is a presence at those shows. They even get volunteers to help
out!
Why do you think car shows are so busy?
The scenery...but how many cars are sold at car shows?
I don't care if it's a camera or a
Corvette. People will
want to see it and touch it if possible before they buy, even if that
purchase is months or
years down the pike.
*Some* people.
They'll buy magazines (QST) for reviews of equipment
and compare
endlessly the specifications of one piece of gear to another before
they
buy. They'll ask
questions and get opinions on reliability and ease of use. Let me tell
you, you're not
going to get that from a shopping cart on a webpage or a 800 number
order
taker.
But you *will* get it from other hams, reflectors, eham.net, etc.
Your local dealer is going to try to keep you, the customer happy. If
there's a known
problem with a rig, a respectable dealer will tell you up front. If
you're making a mistake
a respectable dealer will tell you and try to help. If you're not sure
what antennas to
raise or what to buy, a dealer will try to help you. If you have a
issue
with a radio, a
dealer will try to help you with the problem to keep your business.
But how do I know if a dealer is respectable and knowledgeable or not?
when you go to buy a car, haggling over the price is often part
of the deal -
even a new car that's in demand. Same for when you buy real estate.
Why is it
OK to haggle for those things but not a ham rig that costs hundreds
or thousands of dollars?
Can't answer that, but there is a point where a car dealer will no
longer
'haggle' with you or anyone else because that point of profit is built
into the
sale and no matter what you do, or try to do, they won't reduce the
price
any further.
Agreed. The trick is finding that number.
My uncle worked out a scheme for carbuying that worked for him:
1) He determined exactly what car he wanted, accessories, etc.
2) He wrote up a sealed-bid form letter describing the car and had
copies made,
with SASEs, with instructions on how to bid, deadline date, etc. Bids
had to include all taxes, fees, etc.
3) He visited all the dealerships in the area and asked to see the top
sales
manager for 5 minutes. Gave him the form letter, a brief set of
instructions, and left.
4) When the due date came, he opened all the bids, then called the
lowest bidder
and told them they'd won, and he'd be by with a check for the exact
amount.
Worked like a charm.
The markup on a car is a lot more than any ham rig I
believe.
*THAT* is the key.
But why did Heath go out of business? Was it because people didn't
want to build any more?
No.
Was it because people found Japanese equipment
be it TV's or stereo's a lot cheaper and ready to go out of the box?
Partly.
Was it their equipment didn't have all the features of the latest item
on the shelf at the local store?
Partly.
The big reason IMHO was this:
Heath (and Eico, and EFJ, and a number of other electronic kitmakers)
made their money on the fact that assembly labor was a big part of the
cost of electronics in those days. Automated assembly changed all that.
In addition, they were faced with the challenge of designing stuff that
could not only be built by the average person with a few tools, but that
could also be aligned by them without a lot of test gear. That was easy
in DX-40 days but became increasingly challenging in SB-104 days.
Make no mistake - a lot of the reason so many hams built a Heathkit
was that it cost so much less than an assembled rig.
Most people either don't have the time or desire to build
from scratch and if they do, no matter how badly they screw it up,
they expect the item to work the first time, or they expect the kit
maker or someone else to fix their problem.
Google my call.
Why do you think guys had a small business of assembling K2's? I
saw the book and the instructions are pretty clear, and
straightforward.
Some people want the rig, but not the work that goes into building or
making it. They want to buy a finished product, not a kit and am
willing to pay someone else to pick up parts and solder it together.
And some people can't physically build one. Vision and other
impairments prevent it.
as you stated,
the price is the same for everybody. Why should it be any different at
a
ham store?
Agreed.
Last time I needed to fix an appliance (old Maytag D8300 dryer -
yes, even Maytags
break) I got the parts online. Ordered Saturday, at my door
Tuesday.
No argument here, but a question.... Where did you buy the dryer?
It came with the house. If it ever became unfixable, I'd shop around
for a new one.
the point I'm making is that you went
somewhere local, agreed on a model, and either brought it home yourself
or had it delivered from a local merchant.
Sure - because transport charges would be enormous for something like a
dryer.
If your dryer broke during it's
warranty period, your merchant was expected to provide (or at least
assist you) with service for that unit.
In many cases, warranties are serviced by the manufacturer and not the
dealer, in my experience. I've had to deal with Dell computer
warranties,
and they were top-notch.
I had a few
Maytag items break too, but I do admit I got a lot of years out of them
before they did!!
Part of this is that I subscribe to the old Yankee saying:
"Use it up,
Wear it out
Make it do
Or do without"
I think of that philosophy as a big part of ham radio, too.
If you're comfortable buying something for several thousand dollars
off a
webpage then great. But I'll tell you, from my experience, there are
still a lot of guys out there that want to turn the knobs a bit before
they pull
out their wallet. Even if the purchase is made later using a 800
number or
the net' later on, they'll travel to a show or store (even hours away)
to see
the item before they buy it.
Agreed. It's all up to the person and the item.
The big thing is educating hams on what it really takes to run a
business. Any
business.
73 de Jim, N2EY
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