<HTML>In a message dated 5/7/02 10:41:17 PM Central Daylight Time, josephspiano@attbi.com writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">I was trying to price out some accessories for a customer using my normal piano parts suppliers. i.e., Schaff, Pianotek and compared their "wholesale"  prices to retail prices offered by any number of on-line distributors. For example: <A HREF="http://www.mypianoshop.com/tools/">http://www.mypianoshop.com/tools/</A> Not only do many such companies offer free shipping their retail prices are, in some instances, lower than what we piano techs can get at the supply houses. So much for even considering a mark up on our end. Plus the shipping. Any comments on this annoying situation? Are the suppliers to the supply houses really under cutting us by selling direct to what I would call "jobbers" or are the supply houses just gouging our checkbooks? Joseph Alkana  RPT </BLOCKQUOTE> Joe Are you asking from the stand point of us (piano tuners), buying this stuff, and maybe getting some of the product for less on line? Or are you asking from the stand point that the general public will be able to buy things that have in the past only been available through us? In regard to the first stand point. It's a free country. Any one can buy or sell a product at any price. If you are satisfied with the service you get from the on line company, and their prices are lower, then by all means, buy it from them. Personally, I will continue to buy from companies I know and trust, for the same reason I want my customers to continue to buy my services. I hope my customers are willing to pay maybe a little higher price because they are satisfied with my credibility, performance, service and maybe even my good looks, (sic). As far as the second stand point. I don't think there are going to be enough customers who will go to the trouble to find products with which they are not going to be familiar, to take money out of our pockets. Piano customers, for the most part, do not know enough about their instrument to know what to look for. They might be able to get a bench, or bench cover, but that's about all. I don't think the public will know enough to buy and install a damp chaser system, or tools to repair and tune their own piano. The bottom line is, if you can get the same product for less, with the same service you've gotten from the other companies, go for it. Best of luck to you, and them. Just my 2.5 cents worth. Wim</HTML>