[1117]

YAY CAPITALISM! ahahahaha

 

[lbholde]

At least one of the Grados on this site (Sr-225) says it's a special order item and requires 5-7 days.

 

[bsdlite]

Head-fi, how do I hate thee; let me count the ways:

219.88 + 7.21 = SR-325i

... and I thought 325i for $270 from TTVJ was a good deal

I suppose I should give myself a day to think it over. That's a big purchase, but I've been waiting for this price for a long time.

 

[lbholde]

Quote:

Originally Posted by konis I think these are reconditioned. no where on this site states NEW

I don't think so. Many of the Apple products they sell ARE reconditioned and clearly say so. Why would they not do the same with the headphones?

 

[909]

I didn't say shut down the seller.

But to clarify, I meant Grado may try to shut down the seller’s ability to sell Grado headphones.

This can be done in a number of ways:

1) If Grado is selling to them they can stop selling to them; or
2) find out who is selling to them by tracing the serial number and stop selling to them; or
3) send a nice letter or email requesting they stop.

I am sure Grado doesn't want their authorized dealers to suffer because of one rouge e-seller.

 

[lbholde]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1117 I'm just saying all this stuff because I want to keep myself from spending money... ...and it's not working. Thanks to Mr Faust, and this site... ... I swore I wouldn't spend anymore till next year. I just spent $105 on the HD555, just to hear the Sennheiser sound... ...and now THIS. Grado ...mmmm...

[darth vader breathing]It is your destiny![\darth vader breathing]

 

[909]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lbholde I don't think so. Many of the Apple products they sell ARE reconditioned and clearly say so. Why would they not do the same with the headphones?

I seriously doubt that they are "reconditioned" headphones. I’ve been looking at Grado headphones for at least 3 years and never seen any Grado headphone described as reconditioned. I’ve only seen new or demo. That doesn’t mean Grado recondition headphones don’t exist, but it would be very bizarre that only one eseller sells Grado’s reconditioned headphones and no other.

 

[Mercuttio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 909 I didn't say shut down the seller. But to clarify, I meant Grado may try to shut down the seller’s ability to sell Grado headphones. This can be done in a number of ways: 1) If Grado is selling to them they can stop selling to them; or 2) find out who is selling to them by tracing the serial number and stop selling to them; or 3) send a nice letter or email requesting they stop. I am sure Grado doesn't want their authorized dealers to suffer because of one rouge e-seller.

That's probably what will happen, Grado will just send a letter asking them to cease, or they'll just stop providing them with headphones to sell.

And yeah, I don't think Grado does re-conditioned. I've only ever seen demo units for sale too.

 

[lmilhan]

I think a few people missed this, so I will quote it here again:


Quote:

Originally Posted by MrFaust I just called powermax, all headphones are NEW and come with the manufacturer's warrenty on them... I still may bite the bullet and get some SR-225 at that price.

Way to go MrFaust, I like it when people take the proverbial 'bull by the horns' and get the facts instead of just postulating out of their posterior.

That's some spectacular pricing for sure. As others have mentioned, I wonder if/how it will effect the sale prices in the 'headphones FS' thread?

 

[Headphony]

Wow, this is really really tough to resist.

 

[DarkJC]

I'm not sure if this has already been mentioned, but I just read that "price fixing is illegal in this country" comment and I had to respond.

Grado is not price fixing.

Price fixing is when a few manufacturers of the same product (let's use RAM as an example) get together and agree to all price around the same amount, usually way above production costs for big profit margins. The DRAM industry just got nailed for this recently for price fixing in the late 90s and are now having to settle for massive penalties. However, if a company, such as Grado or Apple, want to specify a minimum retail price for their own products, they are perfectly within their right to do so, and can refuse to deal with companies that don't want to abide by that standard. Many other companies do it as well, and even though that doesn't make it right, it's currently lawfully acceptable.

Even though I love the low prices, Grado has every right to cut off contact with them and stop supplying headphones to them.

EDITED to make my meaning more clear.

 

[fierce_freak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Headphony Wow, this is really really tough to resist.

yeah, tell me about it...i'd really like to have a pair of 325i again or get an rs2

 

[facelvega]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkJC Grado is not price fixing. Price fixing is when a few manufacturers of the same product (let's use RAM as an example) get together and agree to all price around the same amount, usually way above production costs for big profit margins.

Amen, I didn't want to have to be the one to explain remedial economics. Grado sure ain't price fixing as long as all the German companies sell competing headphones on the top end for hundreds of dollars less per pair. Grado just doesn't want to get into a position like Sennheiser reached a few months ago, when all of its top cans were selling all over the place for way under MSRP. It hurts the brand's image, and for no good reason. Nice for us, though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mercuttio And yeah, I don't think Grado does re-conditioned. I've only ever seen demo units for sale too.

Sure they do, they just don't sell them directly. Send some headphones back to Grado for repair, and they'll send you back a reconditioned pair. Not necessarily the pair you sent in-- I got back a nonpackaged pair of what I guess were returned merchandise that tested fine, but that still usually counts as reconditioned.

 

[Mercuttio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by facelvega Sure they do, they just don't sell them directly. Send some headphones back to Grado for repair, and they'll send you back a reconditioned pair. Not necessarily the pair you sent in-- I got back a nonpackaged pair of what I guess were returned merchandise that tested fine, but that still usually counts as reconditioned.

Right right, that's most likely true. What I meant is that you couldn't buy re-conditioned Grados through a reseller to the best of my knowledge, unlike say Sennheisers.

 

[The Monkey]

Guys, in the U.S., any manfacturer that enters into an agreement with a retailer whereby that retailer agrees not to sell below a specified price is engaging in resale price maintenance. That's price-fixing and per se illegal under the antitrust laws. This is a vertical restraint, unlike the horizontal restraint of trade that we more typically discuss and which is the example given by darkJC.

Now, as explained earlier in a couple of posts (Seacard, DarkJC), a manufacturer can get around this legal thicket by refusing to deal with a retailer that sells below the suggested minimum resale price. But a manufacturer and retailer cannot agree to set the price below which the goods or services will not be sold.