Markets are not overly hot anywhere, so here is my question:

If you have adopted a new brand recently, why have you chosen to do so?

Have you done so because you simply needed to "sharpen the pen for your customers", or have you done so because you genuinely believed in the quality of the brand you have chosen.

Why is it that some "high end only" dealers have recently adopted certain brands they thought they never *would* only few months/years ago?

Don't play 'silence of the lambs - it takes guts to come forward and make your points:

"Share your insights with us"!

Norbert

In my opinion there is not a shortage of great pianos in the marketplace worldwide both new,preowned or rebuilt. With an unlimited pricepoint one can basically acquire whatever his or her heart desires. If one wants to fly and visit all the high end piano manufacturers/factories all over the globe in search of that ultimate piano,I'm sure there won't be a problem in having limos at your beckon call at each international airport. My perspective has always been acquiring the best piano that an individual can realistically afford and $ allocated toward their purchase whether $500 or $500,000.
An astute dealer will pick and choose the manufacturers that they feel is the most bang for the buck in all the various pricepoints. In the present piano market,their are few retailers that can sustain and survive specializing in only Rolls Royces.A proven fact,those who invest in an Essex may hopefully be ready for a real Steinway in the years to come. Business is business! Survival for many is the sole objective in hard times

Good point!

It could also be shown - the market offers several examples in this regard - that one could invest today quite nicely at the Essex price point and never really have the need for a 'trade up' later.

Are there some dealer out there who happen to agree with this [they perhaps agree already silently...] and are corougeous enough to come forward and make their point?

How would this affect their own business and the prospect for 'trade up' to more expensive pianos in the future - should this be even one of their considerations...

Norbert

Nice to see you posting again Norbert. Seems like only yesterday I was accused of BEING you.

From Norbert:

There are probably many that will agree. But that is likely also the reason why they do not take these brands on board if they just think that an upgrade is another sales which brings more money in the pocket.

Sorry I shouldn't have commented here as the question was for dealers only.

schwammerl.

Looks like most dealers here don't wonna go anywhere near this.

Either you get accused of 'hyping' things here on the Forum, or you get the supplier of your other lines give you an angry call next day.

Worst, you could alert some other dealers to the same brands you have chosen, and after giving your reasons, these guys will perhaps take note and follow suit: making the supply of these pianos in national warehouses even more scarce.....

As they say in German: "man graebt sein eigenes Grab"
[you're diggin your own grave...]

Any gravediggers courageous enough to step forward in sight?

Doesn't actually feel too bad down here......

Norbert

Es war nicht mein Fehler.
Könnten Sie das bitte erklären.
Als Nachtisch nehme ich Apfeltorte.

Sure, I'll jump in.

We recently took on a couple lines of pianos because we are now a "former' Baldwin dealer. A real shame because we had been a dealer for Baldwin since the Woodrow Wilson administration!

So . . . . what brands did you pick up?

Sohmer and Kohler and Campbell. Really could be considered one line, but there are subtle differences.