The best prices from dealers are typically at quilt shows and at the state fair. These are massive sales opportunities for dealers, and I think they get a price break from manufacturers for buying in bulk. It's not always necessary to actually go to the show; typically the dealers will offer the same prices in their dealership during the run of the show (or fair).
This is also the time to get demo models. At the fairs, they will have a number of machines set up for people to "test drive" during the fair. At quilt shows they often provide classroom machines.