In March of I decided to take a 3-hour drive to Philadelphia and visit Vintage Instruments. It is a music store more or less that carries a wide variety of vintage wood instruments. My interest was in their vintage guitar area. When I arrived there shortly before Noon (they open at 10AM), I felt like I was intruding. The guy looked at me quizically like "why are you here" kind of look. That was red flag #1. I like to be greeted when I arrive to do potential business and talked to like I am important to their business. These intruments are in the $8000 - $25000 range.in today's market, if I had a potential customer showing up at my door, I would be treating those customers like gold. There here for a reason and they have the cash if there showing up.
I explained that I had brought with me several vintage instruments and that I was interested in looking at his inventory. Once I told him what I had brought with me, as possible trades, he was much more interested in speaking with me. That was red flag #2. - Kind of goes to red flag #1 above. Regardless of what I had to trade, that should not have mattered. Treating people well, goes a long way when your business relies on relationships. I would like to develop new customers for that repeat business. I did not get that sense from Vintage Instruments - Philadelphia.
We went to the lower level where the vintage guitars were hanging. I played a few of them and the gentlemen looked over my instruments and appeared to only be interested in one of them (I had brought 4 with me). Of course, when we got down to the haggling (I wanted to trade one for something he had), he only wanted to allow a minimal value for trade in yet, when I looked at his website over the years, the guitars like mine, sold for much much more than he was willing to allow for mine. I was told that the economy was playing a role. That was red flag #2. - Be fair to people.in this case, I felt as though I was being taken advantage of or that he was trying to bilk me out of a few grand by low-balling the trade value.
I have over the years called this business several times. Similar experiences. Snotty, talk to you like your intruding on their day, that your call does not matter, etc. It is a real shame.
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