Tim,
Just want to make it clear that we are not like some unethical
business that give a false "regular" price and then discount down
to a fair retail.
I’m sorry if you, or any other readers of the group thought that I
implied any unethical pricing on your part. I’m certain that your
pricing is quite fair and indeed a good discount over the Vigor or
Grobet price lists, especially since I can see easily enough that the
prices you show as the original prices of your items are indeed
consistent with the list prices for those items in other catalogs,
some of which aren’t even current, so the current list prices might
be even higher…
However, it’s been my observation that Grobet and Vigor are often
not the actual manufacturers of the items they distribute, and that
sometimes, this may allow other tool vendors who buy the items
through other channels or direct from the manufacturers, to buy them
wholesale more cheaply than Vigor /Grobet would sell them to dealers
for. That then allows them to sell them retail for less than the
Vigor/grobet list prices.
Obviously, this is not always the case. Some items may be available
only via the Vigor / Grobet distribution channel, and others might
cost the same even if sourced elsewhere. When that’s the case, no
doubt your sale prices represent a fine opportunity for craftspeople
to save significant cash.
My intention was simply to suggest that people should, even when
offered a good sale discount, take the time to compare a bit. In my
own case, I noticed a few items on your site which I don’t
immediately need, but which would be good buys if they were
significantly cheaper than they will be when I get them later on as
needed.
For illustration purposes…
You list German Vanadium steel (I assume, Busch brand) burs. a 90
degree hart/bearing cutter in a 2.1mm size you show as originally
17.60 for a package of six. This isn’t a bad price by itself. In
fact, in the building where I work, a small tools dealer has such
packages for about a dollar more, last I checked. And you’ve marked
your price down, now, to 11.61. A substantial savings indeed.
But Progress tools sells that package, normally, for 13.80. Still
higher than your sales price, but less of a savings than from your
original list, so someone buying for future needs might have less
incentive. And to save even more, Progress also sells the swiss
Maillefer brand burs (which I’ve always felt were close in quality to
the german busch, so far as I can tell…) in that size for 7.80. Of
course, this isn’t quite the same item, but it’s a reason why
comparing carefully can be useful for those of us on a budget.
My advice to people to compare pricing on tools is certainly not
directed only at your prices, by the way. I routinely do the same
when shopping at Rio Grande, Contenti, Progress, Otto Frei, or
anywhere else. The internet makes such comparison shopping much
easier than it used to be, and the savings can be substantial at
times. None of these dealers are gouging or dishonestly or
deceptively pricing things. Yet they often differ on prices. I’ve
often seen sales prices at other sites that I know were honest
discounts, yet which still were not quite the bargains they initially
seemed. And of course, a price isn’t the only consideration when
choosing a vendor. Customer service and reliability are also to be
considered, and harder to put a price tag on. Some of the vendors
I’ve found to be on average less expensive, are also the hardest to
get a reply from when there’s a problem.
Again, I apologise if my post gave the wrong message to anyone. I’m
certain that Tim’s prices are fair and honestly arrived at. I’ve no
reason to believe or suggest otherwise. All I mean to suggest is that
people take the time to compare first, whether things are on sale or
not.
Peter Rowe