[Harp-L] Re: Hohner pricing and blister packs




Lets take a look at the good and bad of it.


Blister packs make sure no one else blew on your harp. With all the virus' circling the globe
at least you know your harp hasn't been in the mouth of your buddy from across town the day before...
or even worse, Gus' mouth. :) I wouldn't be surprised if store clerks occasionally toot on a harp just out of boredom or curiosity.


When I go into music stores I don't automatically go looking for harps but if I don't see them by accident I don't see them at all.
Some Guitar Center stores use the spinning Hohner display case, others sit them behind glass beside the used pedals in the counter display case.
Sorta like candy at a grocery store checkout. One last thing to buy before you leave the store.


Getting the harps out from behind the counter in the public eye is a good thing but I don't know how successful it will be. Hohner sold it's el cheapo harps that
way for the past couple of years. Maybe they saw a rise in sales and decided to move the rest of the line that way. Until someone from Hohner pipes up we'll never know
the truth. Like someone else mentioned, using a blister pack may allow Hohner to describe the harp and it's qualities to a first time buyer. It all depends on how well they thought
it through and what they put on the package. Will it be tacky or classy looking.
If it were still the days when stocking Hohner's was affordable for the dealer I would recommend large floor display cases over counter cases.


The downside of blister packs is more crap to put in landfills. (My wife and I do some much recycling that it takes a month to fill the regular trash can).
Also the ego of serious harp players having to buy their harps in a blister pack. Online dealers have to stock larger shipping boxes to deal with larger packaging.
There is always a trade off isn't there?
I wonder if the blister pack will have a warning label about choking. Do they mean children or the reeds????


I do know for a fact that players aren't the only ones complaining over prices.
My long time wholesale supplier stopped carrying all but the cheapest Hohner chromatic after the last price increase and refused to special order any harps
for me unless I ordered a minimum of 10. They told me it was Hohner's policy. Hohner told me otherwise. It will be interesting to see what I CAN"T stock this time around
because the distributors don't want to be burdened with more overhead. Another reason for me to stop stocking Hohner's. If I can't get the product to the consumer what's the point in
trying stock it.


The increase could go in several directions since Hohner is the most stocked harp in stores. Either the stores give up and seek out cheaper chinese harps to stock, give in to local
harp players to stock the harps they actually want to play thus keeping the inventory moving instead of stagnating or do nothing and pay the cost to be the boss. It should be an interesting
year to say the least.



On Jan 22, 2010, at 8:13 AM, harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:


As far as blister packs, yeah that's kinda weird...

I agree it does seem strange given the established harmonica sales process.


Usually blister packs are used for very low-end, low-value, low-priced
instruments or novelty items such as plastic recorders and Jaws harps.
Introducing BP to a long established lineup of iconic musical
instruments does NOT enhance one's perception of Hohner's quality nor
value.

Michael Easton www.harmonicarepair.com






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