Just got back from the Janome dealer here. I have my baby in the shop for maintenance. He has a Janome 9500 Horizon on display listed $2800 but will "let" me buy it for $1999.00 because it is a demo. Never saw it in his shop before, he said he picked it up at a Janome convention and it was being demonstrated there.

It is like buying a car. No upgrades for me in the future. But there is no other option it seems.

That way of doing it reminds me of the old "sleezy used care salesman" way of doing things. Wouldn't give them my business!

I agree. Already made the mistake once - won't do it again.

I very strongly doubt that. I expect it to be closer to 40% unless there is a special deal.

When I am in the market, I check patternreview.com to see what others are paying for the same machine. That gives me a range. Often times, I can also find the MSRP for a machine online and then I decide what it is worth to me. Not crazy about haggling but I WILL on sewing machines.

I totally agree. I used to work for a large Car Dealer and they totally took advantage of the customers. The trade ins were a joke. They would say they gave them 2000.00 but in fact they gave them 75.00.

Why do we have to ask for the price. It should be there in the open.

Quilterfay

It's really bad news that so many people have had bad experiences with their sewing machine dealer. I love my dealer and trust her. I wish they were all this way. Having had a retail business (not sewing machines) I know that the profit margin is not always what the consumer believes it is. Covering the overhead is unbelievable and theft usually makes a significant dent in any profit made in a business. There are also manufacturers/wholesalers that require the retailer to set a certain price. It's a mess. I'm getting a new machine this week and am so excited. I know that I got a good deal and the support is wonderful. Good luck everyone and happy stitching!

I agree! If we can't afford the price, we will back off but do they want to spend time trying to sell to someone who doesn't have the money? And I certainly don't want to learn all about a machine and it's selection of features if I can't afford it. At least when I read car ads is says starting at $xxxxx and often says exactly what the car pictured costs and what is standard on the car and what is extra.

I just add to shopping cart, get the total price including shipping and then don't buy it! That way I have a price to compare. Ya gotta get sneaky somtimes

OHHHHHHHH - I've told me DH many, many, many times that folks that sell sewing machines are collectively some of the oddest folks I've ever met! They either think what they are selling is GOLD - or - you have almost got to BEG them to even acknowledge you in the store! They decide when you walk in if you can afford to buy or not - now how they decide that is a mystery to me - but that's the feeling I get. Today, at a Viking shop in Iowa, when I inquired what kind of chairs they had available - I was told to go to Office Max. And, not another word was spoken to me. Wanted to look at their machines, but guess they couldn't be bothered. Guess I'll buy a new Janome instead.

OHHHHHHHH - I've told my DH many, many, many times that folks that sell sewing machines are collectively some of the oddest folks I've ever met! They either think what they are selling is GOLD - or - you have almost got to BEG them to even acknowledge you in the store! They decide when you walk in if you can afford to buy or not - now how they decide that is a mystery to me - but that's the feeling I get. Today, at a Viking shop in Iowa, when I inquired what kind of chairs they had available - I was told to go to Office Max. And, not another word was spoken to me. Wanted to look at their machines, but guess they couldn't be bothered. Guess I'll buy a new Janome instead.

I agree with you 100% just try to find out the price of a Bernina, a Babylock or Viking and the dealers act like you are a spy. Then they wonder why people are not buying their products. It is just not right. I will pay fair market value, if I know what it is.

The name of the game is MONEY==some dealers want to make more money than others. sad, sad.

It's too bad dealers will sacrifice customer service to make a few bucks more.

To bad they'll cut their noses off to spite their faces. LOL

Iwent to buy a new car, a few yrs back, and the salesman told me that when I brought my husband in, he would tell me the price. I laughed at that one, and told him I had the check book in my purse. I wonder what would happen if I sent my DH into a shop to buy a machine. Lol

I also agree completely.
But I have another question that pertains to machine pricing. I went to my LQS today, and they had a Husqvarna Embroidery Machine for $750. It was previously owned, and takes floppy disks- but has been checked over and runs like new. All I want is something very simple, and easy to work with since I'll be starting out new on a embroidery machine. Can anyone advise me as to if this is a reasonable price for this type of machine? (if anyone can help me, please PM me. Thanks.)
Stephanie

If they don't post a price, then I don't look....

If only the industry would listen....and why not make it like cars in advertising price, downpayments etc.

Ditto!!!

My dealer told me that it would be in the $10,000 range!

I purchased my two newest machines (Janome) from a store out of town and even called my LQS to see if they would match the price before I purchased them (they would not match the price.)
Someone told me that individual stores do not pay the same for the same machine; it depends on the quantity purchased. (The more they purchase the lower the price they pay.) It also depends on how motivated they are to sell; some would rather sell more machines at a lower price while another dealer may charge more because they do not sell that many.

A machine that uses floppy's is very outdated. Computers don't come with Floppy drives any more; you will have to buy an external drive. I'm not saying it is a bad machine. I'm saying you can get a new Brother with a USB port for the same amount or a spot less.

My motto...."If it's not priced, you can't afford it!!" :)

I was wondering the same thing. Probably more than my
MC 11000 cost brand new.

I bought a Viking Sapphire 870 3 years ago. Local dealer proudly advertised his was the lowest price anywhere - $2300, and he was so sure, he would "beat" any other price. When I went to the Viking website I had to give my address to get a Viking dealer and I was only given this one dealer so of course there was no way to compare prices.
I had to use my father's address in San Francisco for the website to give me additional dealers.
Then I began calling around. I found a place in the San Francisco Bay area that would sell the machine to me for $1699. I returned to my local dealer and to his credit, he did meet the price. But he was not at all pleased about it and implied that I had somehow cheated.
I hadn't cheated. This is called competition but the sewing machine manufactures and dealers manage to keep price competition very difficult and it seems that we all become cowed by this and go along with the secrecy by not quoting prices on list serves etc.
I've known a few people to be really "taken" in sewing machine purchases because it is so difficult to find what they usually sell for.

The Bernina Store in Albuquerque has the prices on each machine, but I think this might be a case of, " If you have to ask, you can't afford it." The 830 (I think that's the number) is over $13,000!!!!!!!! I bought my first Janome at a place in Milwaukee that didn't have the prices on their machines, either. BUT, the sales person didn't steer me to the priciest model, but rather the lowest in the line! I bought the Memory Craft 3000 for $799. I love that machine & it's still hums right along. I did want a machine with a few more bells & whistles, do 5 years ago, I got the 6600P! I love, love , love my Janomes!!!

Yeah. The higher end berninas (not the bernettes) are one of a few machines still made in Scandinavia, not Asia, out of metal (not plastic) parts. They know this, and have priced for that kind of luxury. My 440 retailed for something like $4500 CDN. (I didn't pay that, because I got a demo machine) but it was crazy expensive.

Here's another question - what is it that these $$$ machines do that make people willing to mortgage the house to buy them?
I have old Singers - METAL, that do fancy stitches, sew forever, sound good, if the motor dies - put on another motor....
I also have a brother and a singer embroidery machines that 'do everything but wash the dishes' and fortunately I got them from 'george' way back when...
I can't fathom spending 2, 3, or more thousands of dollars for a sewing machine = possibly if I were in a sewing business and depending on a machine, but it WOULD have to wash the dishes - and run the sweeper too!
These machines have computer motherboards - just like the computer you are using to be on the internet - the software generates the different stitches - if the motherboard dies, there goes the machine...

Now, think about the last time you upgraded your computer - all new goodies, all new software but the prices are holding or even going down in some cases - so why not with the COMPUTER sewing machines?

It's just like the embroidery software - outrageous prices - their excuse? well we only sell a 'few' copies so we HAVE to charge those prices to pay us back for the work....

Frankly, sewing machines, embroidery machines are areas where you DO NOT get what you pay for...

I have been able to find out some prices by googling for the machine brand name and price.

[quote=Grannymom]Here's another question - what is it that these $$$ machines do that make people willing to mortgage the house to buy them?


I have Viking 870 with a lot of bells and whistles and a 40 year old Kenmore zig zag with cams for fancy stitches. Truth is I sew on my Viking most of the time - but at a cost.

How often do I need to spend $100 + to "service" my Kenmore - never. I know it intimately, can oil it and clean it thoroughly myself. Now, our machines are sealed so we can no longer care for them. Even the mechanical ones. My DIL has a new Kenmore, but she has to take it in for cleaning and oiling because she cannot get to the working parts.

Automatic tension on my 870 is usually very nice but occasionally I wish it were easier for me to control like the Kenmore. Thread cutting, nice when it works but it fell apart at one point and was expensive to fix so now I only use it in the middle of a big quilt.

Foot up, needle down - this I like, but even than, after sewing again on my Kenmore for awhile I get into the rhythm were I have to admit it doesn't make a lot of difference.

Bobbin winding - much more stable on the Kenmore.

Buttonholes - not nearly the options on the Kenmore, but they are reliable and well done, and I have never had to tear one out because the machine didn't do right. Viking - alas, I'm always a tad surprised when I do get a good buttonhole.

And, to be honest, while I pretty much have my Viking figured out and do well with it, it is a lot more finicky than the Kenmore which seems to sew anything pretty easily without balking. Even FMQ without any special foot - I just reduce the pressure foot pressure.

To answer your question, Grannymom, I'm not sure what that spending the big bucks makes a lot of sense unless money really isn't much of an object.

That happened to me at one of the local car dealerships. I walked away, I'd told the salesman that the car was for me, not DH. He kept asking why my DH wasn't with me. :x
Dh only needed to be there to cosign the loan.

They worked out a lot of the "bugs" of the 870 in the 875. I used to sell new Vikings, I have owned both machines. The bobbins wind much more even on the 875. I love my 875, for both quilting and garments.

dup.

Because some of the machines are way OVER PRICED!!!!
They don't want to scare you off before they can get their sales pitch in.

I agree..I do not like looking at new machines for just that reason !

Manufacturers/Dealers are afraid customers will be scared off by a listed high price. By having to request price, you give the salesmen the opportunity to justify his price by pointing out all the "must haves" of his machine that the cheaper don't have.
This from a college Marketing/Merchandising course years and years ago LOL