Ex Demo? what does that even mean!

[throwoff]

Im confused.

I often see basses and guitars for sale with ex-demo or ex-display on them and a bit of a discount.

Surely any instrument thats been in a store is ex demo!
Maybe some of the big stores like GAK have one on the floor and a couple out back but almost every guitar ever is ex demo! at least ex display!

Edited March 10, 2010 by throwoff

[robocorpse]

[quote name='throwoff' post='770256' date='Mar 10 2010, 12:22 PM']Maybe some of the big stores like GAK have one on the floor and a couple out back but almost every guitar ever is ex demo!
Strikes me as an incredibly cynical way to get away with bigger discounts.[/quote]

Strictly speaking yes, but Ex Demo is generally taken to mean the "floor model" that has never been sold, and is still "new" but may have picked up fingerprints or the odd little dink by the saturday morning warriors.
What, pray tell, is wrong with a discount? cynical or otherwise!

[Musicman20]

IMO, and bass that has been hung up over half a year is ex demo. Despite the fact they could still be in 100% condition, things still wont be brand new like the strings etc....so I expect a discount. Usually they have also ditched some of the paperwork or lost various little bits n bobs that come with it. Thats in the major stores anyway.

Amps and cabs are the same. Recently I have seen some TC Elec gear in local stores and they have SERIOUS scratches and marks on them....literally scraped off the coating. You cannot sell items like that....id expect a huge discount or a new one ordering in.

Most shops are happy to order in new, but the ones that wont I ignore (PMT Leeds for one).

Edited March 10, 2010 by Musicman20

[OldGit]

[quote name='throwoff' post='770256' date='Mar 10 2010, 12:22 PM']Strikes me as an incredibly cynical way to get away with bigger discounts.[/quote]


Er what does that mean?
Why should the store need to "get away with" a bigger discount?

[Pete Academy]

Usually anything scuffed, scratched, or has been knocking around the shop for ages and needs to go. The shop should automatically discount it.

[throwoff]

[quote name='OldGit' post='770437' date='Mar 10 2010, 03:23 PM']Er what does that mean?
Why should the store need to "get away with" a bigger discount?[/quote]

Nothing wrong with a discount but sometimes you feel its more that they are bored of looking at it and by marking it as 'ex demo' it alows them to go lower than others just to shift it.

Please don't take offence, nothing wrong with retailers knocking a bit off but strikes me that using ex demo is not a great way of doing it

And anyway my point is more about the terminology than trying to cause debate about discount culture in modern MI stores.
Ill edit my first post accordingly

Edited March 10, 2010 by throwoff

[OldGit]

[quote name='throwoff' post='770466' date='Mar 10 2010, 02:46 PM']Nothing wrong with a discount but sometimes you feel its more that they are bored of looking at it and by marking it as 'ex demo' it alows them to go lower than others just to shift it.

Please don't take offence, nothing wrong with retailers knocking a bit off but strikes me that using ex demo is not a great way of doing it

And anyway my point is more about the terminology than trying to cause debate about discount culture in modern MI stores.
Ill edit my first post accordingly[/quote]

I'm not offended I just didn't understand why a shop would need to defend its discounts (unless the suplier was shirty about it)

I like ex-demo stuff

[neepheid]

[quote name='throwoff' post='770466' date='Mar 10 2010, 02:46 PM']Nothing wrong with a discount but sometimes you feel its more that they are bored of looking at it and by marking it as 'ex demo' it alows them to go lower than others just to shift it.[/quote]

If they don't start shifting old stuff then as a customer I get bored of looking at it. Aberdeen shops - take note!

[purpleblob]

The terminology is used in all stores, not just musical instrument...

Ex-display/Ex-demo are simply items that have been on display. This means (in the case of a music store) they've been pawed over, possible even knocked around a little. In the world of other types of retailers these are literally the models on display or used in demo rooms (which I'm sure you knew already ).

Certainly your point is well taken, in some music stores the item on display is the one and only item of that make/model they have in stock (i.e. they do not have the same make/model in a store room - but this certainly isn't always the case) in which case I would tend to take it that it's listed as Ex-demo/Ex-display and discounted because it's not in perfect condition and/or they need to rotate/get rid of stock. Obviously there's no need to class an instrument as Ex- anything just to discount it to try and get rid of it.

EDIT: Whoops, I left the actual sending of my reply a bit of a long time - looks like you've got more than enough answers to the question

Edited March 10, 2010 by purpleblob

[iconic]

I bought an ex-demo amp from GAK....has a knob in-fill missing, no docs or proper box, was a bit dusty and saved £170....I love ex-demo!

[Marvin]

Usually reserved for items that may have picked up some light damage and have a quarter inch of dust on them.

[KingPrawn]

it can and often does mean items that a store has sold, and has been returned for upgrade. if the item is in reasonable condition, they will but back and display as ex demo. This happens alot. so always ask is it pre-owned. They work on the premis that punter believe ex- demo means it has never left the store.

[thepurpleblob]

The musical instrument retail sector is clearly a bit weird in that almost *everything* is technically ex-demo. Guitars are made out of bit of tree and there's an assumption that they are all slightly different and you want to try *the* one you might buy. I can't think of any other type of shop like that - even expensive things like new cars.

In this case "ex demo" is really just meaningless marketing blurb for this week's special offer or whatever. Who cares? A discount is a discount

[LukeFRC]

I got my H&K Q600 bass amp for under the trade price because it had been sitting around for a few years at the bass merchant and I think mike wanted rid of it.
This is a good thing.

[Prosebass]

If 2 same model basses are hung on a wall and one is listed ex-demo , has a tiny chip and fingerprints but sounds identical to the 'mint' new bass but is 20% discounted I know which I would buy , pocketing the change and giving some to my charities.

Surely all that matters is the tone and how it plays. Unless you are worried about residuals and its going to live in a case under the bed and get polished once a week

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='OldGit' post='770490' date='Mar 10 2010, 03:00 PM']I'm not offended I just didn't understand why a shop would need to defend its discounts (unless the suplier was shirty about it)[/quote]

This can be the case with some of the bigger brands and their punishing dealership systems. (Glad I'm out of retail)

[tarcher]

Think of it as supplied with mojo.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

[quote name='Johnston' post='770900' date='Mar 10 2010, 08:40 PM']As an example as a driver delivering carparts I seen the same escort cossie in around 5 different showrooms across the Provence.[/quote]
That would explain the ocassionally noticed rotating stock in the 5 Denmark Street musicground-owned shops

[guybrush threepwood]

Ex demo can be brilliant for basses; cheaper price and if it's got a mark or two it means you won't feel quite as bad when you give it the first, inevitable ding. Years ago I bought a brand new Warwick Streamer, it was absolutely gorgeous, but I was almost in tears when it started getting belt buckle rash.