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Joined: April 2008 Posts: 1851
Location: Newington, CT | Went into a branch of a medium-sized retailer in Connecticut. Noticed that their stock of anything Ovation was dwindling. Asked the guy at the counter what was going on...His response: "What can I say...they're not selling. No one wants 'em."
I replied, "I want 'em!"
He said, "You're one of the few..."
The place was full of low-end guitars...Gretsch Electromatics, Epiphone knock-offs, Squiers, etc. I noticed that even the Applause presence was low.
Potentially very disheartening...or, just a sign of the times. Everyone scaling back...
Anyone out there noticing a diminution in Ovation popularity out there? I hope not. |
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Joined: November 2005 Posts: 4820
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Opinions are like anuses.......
Ovation still has market share, that's why Fender bought them. Facts trump opinions everywhere but in the mind of the disbeliever. |
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Joined: September 2006 Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Don't believe that crap, Alan...
If no-one wanted them, the store should be full of Ovations. If the stock is dwindling, they must be going out the door. Either that or they just did not order any. They don't just vanish for lack of attention.
Classic anti-O bias goes like this...
Costomer sees an Ovation in the store and asks, "What is That?... Let me see that, I have never actually played one of these before."
To which the shop-jerk sez, "Oh! That's an Ovation. They've been around for awhile. Alot of people don't like 'em cuz they slide off yer leg and they sound plastic"...
End of Sale. |
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Joined: October 2007 Posts: 2711
Location: Vernon CT | Alan, I assume you went to Daddy's or Music & Arts. I've been seeing and hearing that since last Feb/March. I've noticed a growing # of used Ovations at GC in Manchester. they have a Collectors there, can't remember which one for $1299.00. I swear I remember thinking that I've seen them sold for half that on the OFC or Ebay.
Thats one reason thier not selling, atleast the used ones. Plus, when I walk in all I hear them "push" are Fenders, Epiphones, Breedloves
and the high end Martins & Taylors. I still say until Fender "pushes" these retailer to stock the O's it may not get better. Only MHO! |
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Joined: September 2003 Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | And I would bet dollars to doughnuts that sales for ALL brands of guitars have gone down in proportion. |
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Joined: April 2008 Posts: 1851
Location: Newington, CT | BT: It was Daddy's -- At WestFarms Mall...
OMA: I've heard that too...Funny thing...when I told the guy at the counter that I had two (2!) Adamas 2080's, his eyes widened and he seemed genuinely to think that was a good thing. And, HE was the guy who told me the above...
Skip: I believe that has to be true as well...I was just hoping that Ovation was not suffering more than the rest. They're just GREAT guitars...'course, I really love the Adamas branch of the family. |
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Joined: March 2008 Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | I only sell used ones as I can't afford the buy in. When I do get in a used one though, it is always gone in a matter of days. I mean that literally. I have NEVER had an Ovation on the wall for even a week before it sold. |
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Joined: May 2008 Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | If it takes a dealer more effort to sell an Ovation than it does to sell something else, then he's gonna stock up on the something else. I would do exactly the same thing. It's not a popularity contest and the dealer doesn't give a shit what he sells, just that he sells something. Period. Case closed. |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | Originally posted by fillhixx:
Ovation still has market share, that's why Fender bought them. Fender bought KMC, of which, Ovation is just one component. I don't think they specifically were buying Ovation. KMC is one of the largest distributor of musical items. That's what Fender was buying. |
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Joined: November 2003 Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | ^ what he said. |
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Joined: February 2008 Posts: 747
| ...I have NEVER had an Ovation on the wall for even a week before it sold. [/QB] Might be time to raise your prices..lol |
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Joined: December 2006 Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
KMC is one of the largest distributor of musical items. That's what Fender was buying. This was a revelation to me in just having read the 'O' Book. The Kamans definitely had their 'stuff' together! |
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Joined: September 2006 Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
If it takes a dealer more effort to sell an Ovation than it does to sell something else, then he's gonna stock up on the something else. I would do exactly the same thing. It's not a popularity contest and the dealer doesn't give a shit what he sells, just that he sells something. Period. Case closed. Now Y'see? That's what's wrong with the world today! :mad:
Money isn't evil... The LOVE of money is the root of all evil.
The lust for the 'bottom line' instead of Pride in Workmanship and Joy in Life is gonna destroy us all.
I just hope that I can play well enough to 'sing for my supper' by the time all the paper money is useless!
Now, when I was a kid... :p |
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Joined: July 2004 Posts: 766
Location: New Hampsha | This might be a good time to remind all OFC'rs that after test driving guitars it is customary to leave the O's in perfect tune while leaving all the other brands a tad "off." :D |
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Joined: March 2005 Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | It looks like I'm going to be in the doghouse again by this weekend for buying another unpopular guitar. Keep it quiet until then. The guy down the hall asked why I don't ever find deals like that on a Schecter, like he wants. I told him you don't get deals when you buy something at the height of its popularity. |
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Joined: August 2002 Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Maybe this belongs in the quotes thread, but Yogi Berra once said "That place is so crowded, nobody goes there anymore". Maybe the Ovation corollary is "They sell them so fast, nobody buys them anymore". And as my southern friends tend to say ... "There 'ya go". |
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Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | There still are music stores in CT? |
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Joined: October 2007 Posts: 2711
Location: Vernon CT | Originally posted by Beal:
There still are music stores in CT? Quite a few other then the 3 mentioned on this thread. I can think of 7-8 off the top of my head that I've checked out of the last year. |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | Originally posted by Mitzdawg:
This might be a good time to remind all OFC'rs that after test driving guitars it is customary to leave the O's in perfect tune while leaving all the other brands a tad "off." :D Just a tad? |
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Joined: December 2006 Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
Now, when I was a kid... ... the air was clean and sex was dirty! |
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Joined: August 2005 Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Originally posted by 2ifbyC:
Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
Now, when I was a kid... ... the air was clean and sex was dirty! Reminds me of my hang-gliding instructor's T shirt many moons ago.
"I remember when sex was safe and hang-gliding was dangerous!" |
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Joined: October 2005 Posts: 5327
Location: Cicero, NY | STILL dying to try that hang-gliding thing.
'Course maybe I shouldn't put it that way... |
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Joined: November 2005 Posts: 4820
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | According to a buddy of mine, running off cliffs with a paraglider (fancy parachute) is safer. |
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