Try in local store but buy online, do you usually do that?

I'm suspicious about music instruments and tennis racquets. They can differ among the same models. So if there was a uke in a store I liked, it would be there---and that particular one---that I would buy.

Yes, there is a bit of a moral stickiness here, but not a very substantial thing. You're not buying it from the person, but from the business entity.
 
I wonder how many of the old timers had one ukulele, learned how to play it well (solo and accompaniment), and carried it around in a paper bag.

I agree with some of the others that we will sorely miss shopping in stores when they are gone. :eek:ld:
 
A local shop, not music, but similar problem, scuba also being a niche market. He would rant and rave about online buyers, and then finally, stopped fighting the trend and got on the bandwagon creating an online presence, offering prices that matched or beat other shops. Now his business has taken off to the point that he is building a new larger shop with a training pool.

All that being said, my approach was if I saw an item online that I wanted, I went to him with the deal asking if he could come close. More than once he said to get the deal and on at least one occasion he was able to beat the price. If he was even close, the buy went to him.
For higher end items like drysuits, I went to him, partly because they required proper fitting.
Same story, actually a story of two stores, both sporting goods stores. One of them fought the online stores and lost. Everything they sold at retail and it took a month to get a special order because they would wait until they had a pile to stuff to order before they put it in. The other sporting good store started selling at competitive prices, special orders took three days. I would just as soon buy things locally, but they have to at least try to be competitive. But then on the other end, I am buying more and more of my stuff from Sweetwater. Not ukes, but everything else. It appears that Sweetwater has assigned a person to me, Ian. However I order from them, Ian ends up involved with the sale. He calls me up sometimes to see how things are going with my purchases. Sometimes I email questions to Ian and he will call me back and talk to me instead of just sending an email back. I have never met him face to face, but I know him. He is my go to guy when I'm looking for something. He is a person, someone that I can bounce my ideas off of who knows what is out there and what other people are doing. The best of both worlds, on line convenience with a personal touch. I appreciate the local stores, but the times they are a changing. They have to adjust, or they fail. Those who adjust thrive. Look at Elderly.
 
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The music store where I shop often matches or betters internet prices when they can. They also knock a percentage off of almost everything I buy.

I’ve bought a lotta stuff there, and since I can examine it and handle it, I’ve been mostly happy with everything that I’ve bought. They take trade-ins too.

Thank God I’m lucky to have an interesting and helpful place to shop. :eek:ld:
 
The music store where I shop often matches or betters internet prices when they can. They also knock a percentage off of almost everything I buy.
I’ve bought a lotta stuff there, and since I can examine it and handle it, I’ve been mostly happy with everything that I’ve bought. They take trade-ins too.

Internet businesses might also take trade-ins. I know that Elderly does, though you have to ship it to them, of course, if you're doing internet based business with them. They give you an estimate of the value of the instrument first, based on your description and photos, so you have an idea of what the trade-in will be worth. Obviously, if they find a problem, the value will change once they have the instrument, but my experience with them has been good.
 
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