Hardman Peck

[Gregor _]

Shawn,

as Andrew mentioned: check Wendl & Lung (or Hailun). Very nice Chinese pianos.

I am a tech and Wendl & Lung dealer from Germany. I opened my store 13 month ago. 3 days a week I sit in the store and 3 days I am in field service. I offer used pianos (right now 12 uprights) and the W&L instruments. For me that concept works. At least until now. I am not shure what that wall street trouble will bring the next months. I would not like to be only a dealer with different brands and only new pianos. That would be a too big financial risk for me. I am shure that you could sell a new piano at times when you are out in the field and people know your face and your skills. That might work even better than a huge piano store with salesmen who can´t play or tune. That´s what I call the boilersuit bonus.

I am not shure if you can get Wendl & Lung in the USA, but Hailun are available. I am not shure about the differences between the 2 brands. The pianos are in principle identical. But when it´s labled W&L you can be shure that this piano has gotten the final quality check by a W&L trained tech. E.g., all W&L pianos that come to Germany are checked, tuned and voiced by a German tech who works for W&L. The same situation in all other countries where W&L pianos are sold.   I guess it´s mainly the very good voicing that makes the difference. When the pianos arrive at my store, they are nearly ready to be sold. Even the tuning is fine for the next weeks. And the brand name has a good reputation, at least here in Europe.

Gregor
www.weldert.de

From: shawnbrock at fuse.net
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: Hardman Peck
Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:35:15 -0400












Will,
 
I think people are misunderstanding my intentions 
here.  I have never had any intentions of going into piano retail, I'm 99 
percent technician.  I am just looking at carrying between 1 and 3 pianos 
at a time.  Yes the Hardman Peck is Chinese.  We are talking about 
uprights that start at $1300 wholesale.  So I don't know that it would be a 
major business risk for me.  After all, I have sold used pianos that I have 
had as much money in.  The 2 things that makes it easier for me to 
move product is I can play it and I can work on it.  People seem to trust 
and respect you more when you can do one or the other or both.  The dealers 
here can't do either vary well.  I think you guys are correct in your 
thinking, but I don't think you got a clear perception on what I was trying to 
ask.  Sorry for my lack of clarity.  So, that's the bottom line, I'm 
just looking to shove a few pianos into the back of my shop and get rid of them 
as I can.  Gosh!  I would never want to get a retail space...  

 
Best,
Shawn Brock, RPT
513-316-0563
www.shawnbrock.com

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: 
  Will 
  Truitt 
  To: 'Pianotech List' 
  Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 6:37 
  PM
  Subject: RE: Hardman Peck
  

  
  Shawn:
   
  In 
  general, I agree with Wim.  I was a Baldwin and Young Chang dealer for 7 
  years  until 2002.  I never worked so hard for so little money and 
  so much risk.  And that was when the market was still good, a low volume, 
  high margin business, whereas  now it is an even lower volume, low margin 
  business.  
   
  I 
  would ask you this:  If these well positioned and experienced dealers 
  can’t make it work in this economy, what do you bring to the table that would 
  lead you to believe that you will have a different result?  If you want 
  to go ahead anyway, buy  one or a very few with cash and be able to let 
  that money sit in those pianos for as long as it takes to sell them.  
  That may be longer than you think.  I don’t know the Hardman Peck 
  (probably Chinese?), but I would say only that it has no name recognition and 
  the name won’t be meaningful to your potential buyers.  What is your 
  business plan to market these pianos?
   
  I 
  don’t mean to rain on your parade.  I can tell you that in this market, I 
  have no desire to be a piano dealer again.
   
  Best 
  wishes,
   
  Will 
  Truitt
   
   
   
  
  From: 
  pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of 
  wimblees at aol.com
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 2:28 
  PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: Hardman 
  Peck
   
  Shawn

Unless you have 
  the capital to buy them outright, I would not recommend you get in the 
  new piano market, even on a limited basis. It looks glorious, but in the long 
  run, it will drive you out of business.  For what you have to pay for the 
  new pianos, and make a profit, you'll be money ahead if you bought used pianos 
  with that money. And I would definitely stay out of the new piano 
  business if you have to finance them. The interest will kill you. Stay with 
  the used market for now.

Take it from someone who's been there, done 
  that, and lost his shirt. 
  
  Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT
Piano 
  Tuner/Technician
Mililani, Oahu, HI
808-349-2943
Author of: 
The 
  Business of Piano Tuning
available from Potter 
  Press
www.pianotuning.com
  

-----Original 
  Message-----
From: Shawn Brock <shawnbrock at fuse.net>
To: Pianotech 
  List <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 9:04 am
Subject: 
  Hardman Peck
  
  
  List:
  
   
  
  in this sputtering 
  economy and with every piano dealer in Cincinnati crying about not making the 
  capital to stay afloat I'm looking for something new to add to my 
  arsenal.  That something is new piano sales.  For a while I have 
  been picking up used pianos to push out the door as rentals or in the case of 
  the nicer instruments good old cash on the barrel head.  I would like to 
  pick up new pianos that are decent but not priced unrealistically, or are not 
  junk!  Anyone have thoughts on the Hardman Peck?  You can email me 
  privately if you like.  Most of the economical piano lines are taken for 
  a while, but these guys have an opening and I need to decide something fairly 
  soon.  I know I have worked on a few of these, but its just that, a few 
  and I would like to get the thoughts of some of you who might be more 
  experienced with this product.  How do they compare with Hallet Davis or 
  other similar lines? ! ; Thanks as always!
  
   
  
  Shawn Brock, 
  RPT
  
  513-316-0563
  
  www.shawnbrock.com
  
   
  
  
  
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