<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=windows-1252"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>List,</DIV> <DIV>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:</DIV> <DIV><A href="http://www.mypianoshop.com/tools/">http://www.mypianoshop.com/too= ls/</A></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>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.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>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?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Joseph Alkana  RPT<BR><A href="mailto:josephspiano@attbi.com">josephspiano@attbi.com</A></DIV></= BODY></HTML>