By dealer markup I meant, perhaps imprecisely(?), selling price as percent of dealer cost. Just reading the PB gives that conclusion. If the SMP is calculated based on a standard formula markup from the dealer's wholesale cost and Steinway sells its pianos for a smaller discount from SMP, then I think my conclusion would follow. It's already been mentioned a few times on this thread by other posters.

PLU,

I ask exactly the same question again. How do you arrive at your supposition/conjecture that Steinway is not "being very upfront" about their prices? No one has ever stated that is the case. Are you trying to say that Steinway is lying about being an expensive piano? Are you trying to contend that their instruments are sold at deep discount based on SMP?

Read and comprehend what you write and don't spout mere conjecture for the sake of ill-informed verbage.

I just think it's funny that someone feels the need to steer potential customers away from this site. If anything it shows how much power all of us people who don't exist are percieved to have. Don't go to pianoworld, they will confuse you with ideas and personal experiences and opinions that may interfere with your ability to walk to the nearest seller of pianos in a zombie-like state and mutter "I'll have a number three, super-size it, hold the benches."

I don't think you understood my post and/or don't understand the concept of SMP.

For example, both I and other posters on this thread said the opposite of what you said I was "trying to contend". We said the discount from SMP was small(not deep). It's also clear from my posts and other posts that Steinway is an expensive piano. Their SMP is high and they typically sell for little markdown from the SMP. Everyone on the planet knows Steinway is expensive.

I think the phrase "Steinway is lying about being an expensive piano" makes no sense in any context, and I certainly didn't say it. Does that mean they'll be really cheap if you just ask them for a lower price?

The PB and Ori and I said the Steinway markup from wholesale cost was higher than most or perhaps all other makers. That is what I think Steinway is not being very upfront about.

PLU,

I asked you two direct questions about a statement that you made as the summation of a response you made to another poster. It was not in reference to SMP at all. To help you with your memory, I shall re-post our exchange.



You have yet to answer my questions to you directly. Your summation contains very strong implications of how Steinway conducts its business practices.

Please answer my questions without dodging them. Is your 'if/then' statement based on conjecture or fact? Nothing more, nothing less.

Thanks for making such a good point!

And thanks for attempting to help get this thread back on topic...

I have answered your question several times. There is no way to make it any clearer. Why would I have to be privy to a Steinway dealer's cost if their cost relative to other makes is available in the PB using the SMP? That's the whole idea and point of the SMP. Until I have any evidence to the contrary, I assume the PB figures are quite accurate. Fine has been publishing them for over 20 years.

Do you agree or disagree that Steinway's markup from wholesale is higher than most or all makers?

Do you agree or disagree that this conclusion follows from the Piano Buyer and has also been stated by two dealers on this thread?

Do you think that Steinway tells this upfront to their customers? Unless your answer to this question is "yes", then what are you disagreeing with?

Of course, Steinway is not the only maker who doesn't volunteer everything about pricing to potential customers. And I assume this is the case in almost every industry. For example, the whole idea of having a MSRP when the MSRP is much higher than the SMP could be called deceptive. All I did was repeat what has been said countless times before at PW and in the PB.

If the above is not clear, then there is nothing more I can say to make it clear.

PLU,

Now I understand you completely. You have no basis for your statement, you have no direct access to that information, and are merely parroting what other have stated based upon their opinion.

There is no way that I can answer your questions as I don't have access to the facts on which to construct direct and accurate answers. I won't answer based on my conjecture or my assumptions. That would be fruitless.

Of course I have a basis which is the Piano Buyer, Piano Book, and Supplement to the Piano Book which have been around for more than 20 years. If you disagree with any of the figures you should contact Larry Fine. I think it's perfectly reasonable to assume his figures are quite accurate, and what you call "parroting" I would call just repeating information that's generally accepted in the piano industry.

Fine's figures aren't "opinion". That word applies to something subjective like piano tone. They may not be perfect, and I think he says somewhere in the PB that occasionally he doesn't find the dealer wholesale costs as given to him by industry people to be completely reliable. I certainly think the figures a generally correct.

Plover may not be privvy to the actual dealer cost on Steinways, but I (and many others) are.

Plover's conclusion in correct. However, Sieinway is under no obligation, actual or ethical, to broadcast that information.

Steve,

My question to PLU was asking if he has direct access to the Steinway information for the basis of his conclusion. He has yet to admit that he does not. I believe that Steinway has every right to conduct their business practices however they choose and I never intimated that they are anything other than ethical. It was he who intimated that they are not being honest in the way they present their pricing structure. He basically accused Steinway of lying to the buying public. I asked on what he based that conclusion.

No, I said they were not being upfront ...meaning, as I specifically said, not telling the public about their pricing mechanism...upfront meaning open and direct about how their selling prices compare to most makers in terms of their margin. Anyone one who has read any of the Supplements to the Piano Book or Piano Buyer would have reached he same conclusion.

This is not the same as lying to the public. Lying is when someone gives out false information. Neither Steinway nor any other maker is obliged to reveal their pricing methodology. I specifically said many other makers were not upfront either because of their use of inflated MSRP. This was not attack on one specific maker or an accusation that any maker was lying.

Every time you asked questions I gave the same answer(basically the same as in this post) and I was correct each time. The figures that you characterized a "opinion" were correct and my conclusions based on those figures were correct.

The conclusions were nothing new. They have been obvious to anyone who read the PB or earlier versions of the PB going back decades.

I've said several times in this thread that my conclusions were based on the methodolgy and figures in the PB and I thought the PB was correct in both those areas. Steve has verified that I was correct in my understanding of the PB and that their figures are based on figures available to industry professionals.

I never said I had direct access to Steinway wholesale pricing information. I said several times I was using the PB figures. The wholesale dealer prices are available only to industry professionals. Since you know I don't fall into that category your endlessly repeated question was pointless.

If you were trying to suggest that the PB figures are not based on valid information that's another story. You said something to the effect you would have to personally verify figures to base any conclusions on them. I said I trusted the PB figures. It turns out I was correct that the figure were correct. The figures were not "opinion".


No, I said they were not being upfront ...meaning, as I specifically said, not telling the public about their pricing mechanism...upfront meaning open and direct about how their selling prices compare to most makers in terms of their margin. Anyone one who has read any of the Supplements to the Piano Book or Piano Buyer would have reached he same conclusion as I did unless they think that Steinway announces to their customers "Our discount from SMP is less than other dealers."

This is not the same as lying to the public. Lying is when someone gives out false information. Neither Steinway nor any other maker is obliged to reveal their pricing methodology. I never said Steinway gives out false information. I did specifically say that many other makers were IMO not upfront either(because of their use of an inflated and arbitrary MSRP). My comments were not confined to one specific maker or an accusation that any maker was lying.

Every time you asked questions I gave the same answer(basically the same as in this post) and I was correct each time. The figures that you characterized as "opinion" were correct and my conclusions based on those figures were correct. I had more faith in the PB figures than you apparently did.

The conclusions I gave were nothing new. They have been obvious to anyone who read the PB or earlier versions of the PB going back several decades. I was retelling a very old story.

I just wanted to post this again.

Topic please?

I don't know Nick. I guess you wouldn't want this thread to be Exhibit A in proving that the advice here is good, but when it comes right down to specific questions from people who appear here genuninely looking for advice, my take is that the advice given is generally sound.

Understand that pianos deteriorate over time.

Get an inspection of a used piano,

Verify the claimed date of manufacture of used pianos.

Understand that "rebuilt" is a very vague term. Investigate accordingly.

Play a bunch of pianos before selling out for one.

If you're not a player, bring one along when shopping.

Understand the pricing game and exercise your right to negotiate.

Realize that acoustics and digitals are different animals with different strengths and weaknesses.

These are pretty standard cautions given here and I don't think they can be faulted. Maybe regular readers get tired of reading them, bu they're valuable cautions IMO.

Even the retailers here are pretty circumspect when it comes to giving specific answers to specific requests for advice. Maybe it's only because the glare of the public spotlight is different from the privacy of the showroom, but that's irrelevant to the genuine novice buyer.

Now, when someone comes on here asking "which piano should I buy?", the advice provided is likely to be less useful, but that goes to the impossibility of the question.

Surely you have your own opinion. Do you want to share it?

It is expected and respected that Turandot would have the last word...rightfully so and again spot on.

Oops...I guess I have the last word.

Sorry

Caution! Semi-commercial spiel coming up...

Speaking of seminars in Phoenix...I'll be putting on a (mostly) technical session at the Phoenix Young Chang/Weber dealer in conjunction with the local PTG chapter on November 5th. I'll be going through the design process and features of the new YC/Weber pianos. This will be a technical session for tuners and technicians but shouldn't be difficult for the reasonably knowledgeable amateur to follow.

I'm sure visitors will be welcomed. You'll have to track down the name of the dealer to get the time and location. I'm in China at the moment and have limited access to that kind of information. (Besides, all I have to do is arrive at the airport on time; Larry Fresch--YC's DSM--and crew handle the rest.)

ddf

Wow - that's great !! I'll definitely try to attend if I don't have a schedule conflict.

The rest of the information is:

The store is AZ Piano
Jason Sipe
4134 E. Wood St.
Phoenix, Ca. 85040
602-437-8445
info@azpiano.com

It starts at 7 pm and goes until about 9 pm or until I get tired of talking.

I'll probably put this information under its own heading later. Any and all Piano Forum members are welcome. Hope you can make it.

ddf