Your thoughts on buying from dealers vs. direct?

[phantasmagorovich]

I prefer to buy from inner-EU dealers. That saves a lot of hassle with the customs. I just hate dealing with the customs dudes. They might even be nice people but still I can't stand to give money to the state because I wanted a new pedal. So if there is a dealer in the EU that sells the particular pedal I would usually got to them. It's no saving, the dealers pass on the customs tax but at least it feels like there is no hidden cost. You pay and get the package to your door. Saves me a lot of nerve.


I still want to jump on the newest prymaxe deal.


WHYY NO MONIEZZ??

[Wes Mantooth]

I usually go dealer, I get my pedal faster most of the time and cheaper since Prymaxe always has a sale going.
I do like taking advantage of pre-order offers like I did with the Sparkle Motion and Randy's Revenge, so those I bought direct.

[JuJo]

Buying from dealers is what has brought me to the builders in the first place in most cases. Obviously, the demo videos done by many of the dealers are usually the first link I have to finding new pedals and new builders. In most cases if this is my introduction to the pedal/builder I will buy from the dealer as they have done the leg work and deserve the sale.

From there, it will depend on the situation. I typically won't contact a builder unless they are forthcoming about wanting that type of business. Many builders will post up front and obviously about being open to custom jobs, or client relations. In this case i will often contact the builder directly as I am a big fan of small scale business with no middle man. If I check a builder's website and it comes off as utilitarian with no info on custom orders, or contact beyond what's necessary, I will not contact the builder.

I will also make an effort to buy from a dealer I have had good relations with over a builder I don't know of. Or if I'm buying multiple pedals from different builders, I feel more protected buying from one source, and the deals most dealers offer is great incentive in this case.

In the end, I prefer the personal touch of a friendly small builder, and I prefer to do business as directly as possible. However, dealers provide a valuable service and if they are good at providing that service I will buy from them, rather than contacting a strange new builder. But the builders that are friendly and open to individual sales will get preference over anything.

[Bassboar]

It depends on the dealer, I guess.
If I get a good vibe from a shop, then I will most likely purchase a pedal from them.
There is a sense of immediacy to a shop, the pedal is there, no wait or anything.
That being said, most of my favourite builders don't have dealers around here.
So I just buy direct.
It's all about convenience I suppose.

[Moustache_Bash]

I usually go dealer, I get my pedal faster most of the time and cheaper since Prymaxe always has a sale going.
I do like taking advantage of pre-order offers like I did with the Sparkle Motion and Randy's Revenge, so those I bought direct.

This. And usually when buying direct, builders don't have return policies.

[raphaël]

Hey Taylor,

It's a tricky question, indeed...
First of all, I'm french, and dealers here don't really have a full bunch of boutique pedals, hard to find something cool like yours or other ILF's builders...
And it's better for my wallet to buy pedals overseas with shipping rates and sometimes with custom fees than a new one directly in a french shop. Boutique pedals are super expensive here.

Secondly, it depends on the pedal.
For instance I bought a Fuzzy Lady directly from the builder (Plum Crazy Fx!!!!!!) cause we can't find them elsewhere.
I just get a Malekko e300 bright, brand new from a canadian dealer...it was a great deal so I will get back to him, I know that.
And I have half a full set (for now!!) of Dr. Scientist pedals.
I bought some from dealers and some from Ryan. I asked him this very same question because I wanted to support his work. He answered me that buying from him or a dealer was to different things but as good.
From him it is better for his wallet, but from a dealer it is also better for his wallet because if people still do purchase by them, dealers will continue to "take" pedals from builders.
So it's up to us I guess!!

I prefer buy in direct, I prefer small and human deals, the impression of being a part of a beautiful and unknown business...and i like having a pedal directly from a builder because I like to know that only him touch it before me, as if the pedal is a custom one, a special one just for me.

But dealers can provide low shipping rates, and as I am french, this is very important to me. Prymaxe can send a pedal for 15USD (and sometimes with discount prices)...builders for 60USD, for the very same result...so it's hard to choose between those two different ways of being a part of the boutique business!!!

I hope you understood everything I meant cause my english is not perfect...and I really hope it wasn't boring to read my post!!!

Talk to you soon Taylor cause I really NEEEEEEEEED and badly WAAAAANT a Xerograph Deluxe!!!!!!

[Nj0rd]

As much as I'd love to buy direct from manufacturers, living in Australia means postage can be very expensive. Thus I try to order pedals in groups through online stores who can do free postage (generally for purchases over $400). This often means a friend and I order things together.

amen brutha

[jrmy]

I prefer either buying directly from the dealer or from a locally-owned shop. If the pedal is something I've never tried before, I prefer the in-person experience, even if it's through different equipment. That said, the local shops around me are fine with a person bringing in as much of their rig as necessary to try something out. And of course, once I've tried it in the shop, I don't want to be a dick and cut the shop out - they took the risk of stocking the pedal, and let me use their space to muck about with it! Finally, I really love my city, and want to support the local retailers as much as possible. And I like the idea that if I get them to stock something crazy (which has happened before) other people who might not know about the small builder in question might stumble on to something cool that they hadn't expected.

[dlenaghan]

Buying direct is best unless I can buy used. I never buy new effects anymore. The best combination is to buy 2nds direct, like what Dr Scientist does with blemished pedals. All the sound and a marred finish? Sign me up! I never buy locally, though: Korean markets will slap 100 dollars on top of a 200 dollar pedal. Direct you get the best support, and most of the money goes to the builder, and that's wonderful, especially if they've really got their setup together and there's no lag time between ordering and shipping. That seems to be a sticking point for some really small builders, but I've never had issues from any of the builders represented on this forum.

Used though.. those used pedals need a caring home!

[tjlong]

i will buy direct if
- the builder is open to customising the pedal; and/or
- the shipping rates match those of the dealers (i live in Malaysia).

i would buy from a dealer if
- i want to get pedals from different brands and i want to save on shipping; and/or
- the dealer has discounts (like Prymaxe).

If i go with a dealer, usually its Prymaxe or PGS.
btw, bought two IE pedals (Xero Dlx, blue Franta) direct from Taylor. pleasant and smooth transations.

TJ

[one bad monkey]

I prefer buying directly from the builder, something about the pedal coming straight from the masterminds is appealling.

I agree. It's also not about just buying a pedal when you go this route; it's building that relationship and rapport with the builder and supporting their endeavors.

[Deltaphoenix]

One thing I have noticed recently is that there seems to be way less Iron Ether in stock at the dealers these days...Makes me wonder if Taylor is only going to sell direct or if he is too busy developing a new pedal or something... because I am pretty damn sure that the demand for Iron Ether is still there.

[JuJo]

Due to multiple lame experiences with bad customer service from what I thought were good dealers, buying direct just jumped up alot to be my preference. In my experience, the builders I've talke to (while perhaps being to busy to talk) have been MUCH better to deal with. I'd rather pay full value to an appreciative builder than get sale price from some douche that's not gonna back up the sale, or will be resentful when hearing from you.

Small business rules!

[Taylor Livingston]

One thing I have noticed recently is that there seems to be way less Iron Ether in stock at the dealers these days...Makes me wonder if Taylor is only going to sell direct or if he is too busy developing a new pedal or something... because I am pretty damn sure that the demand for Iron Ether is still there.

We're trying to catch up and get dealers restocked. No plans to change anything at this time.

[blindrabbit]

I recently started a thread on TB wondering about this issue...

For me, my preference would be to buy direct, as I think this ends up with more $$$ in the money of the builder, not to mention how nice it is to interact directly with them. Then there is the whole custom issue, and/or having a pedal that you know was built with just you in mind, as others have mentioned above.

The problem for me, not being rich and all, is that some of the dealers out there will have sales and great shipping deals that can end up meaning savings of 15-20% (or more!) on the pedal as opposed to buying direct. For me, that is a non-trivial amount of money. I do wonder if builders in general are open to (or allowed) to match the sale prices that their dealers are selling at, or if there is something about their agreement that prevents that from happening. It wouldn't surprise me if that was the case.

Anyway, if prices were equal, or even only slightly higher, or maybe even offering up some sort of custom option or perk that makes the experience unique, then I would always buy directly from the builder, no doubt about it.