Ohh my gosh, is it me or ShannaQuay is way too expensive?

Whistle
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Maybe my brain is a little tired this morning, but I seem to miss something. A complete set of Generation at the Whistle Shop is about 30$US, and the same at ShannayQuay is Euro 80.00, more than twice the price!!! I’ve noticed that most of prices on ShannaQuay are twice as much as the Whistle shop, and even though shipping is included at ShannaQuay it’s doesnt make (by far) the difference of price. Is the cost of living in Limerick that expensive? :wink: Anyway, I have to get this O’Briain Eb whistle, I think buying a ticket and getting the whistle myself in Dingle would be as expensive (or as “cheap”).

[ This Message was edited by: Azalin on 2002-09-18 22:37 ]

[ This Message was edited by: Azalin on 2002-09-26 09:24 ]

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Costs are high in Ireland. Whether it’s a pint of Guinness or the rent check, it’s high. Shanna Quay has to pay the rent too. By European standards Shanna Quay (cute name, play on the Irish word for “storyteller”) is probably reasonably priced. There may also be other factors, such as service.

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Not having shopped through The Whistle Shop, I can’t compare, but I get extremely responsive service and assistance from Shanna Quay, to the point that Steve’s tracked down CD’s for me with very little information to go on, and made excellent recommendations.

Of course, the cost of the giveaways has to be covered somewhere. . .

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The O’Briain Improved D is worth more to me than what I paid for it. You may find that to be true also for the Eb.

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My Improved D cost about $35 including shipping which was less than I expected and it arrived sooner than expected. And besides all that, I LOVE the whistle! I’m perfectly happy with Steve and his service and products.
Susan

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I think Steve’s prices are reasonable.I ordered 3 Megs for about $13.60. That’s about $4.55 per whistle and that includes shipping from Ireland.

I also ordered 2 O’Briain improved brass whistles in D. The cost was about $62.17. Thats about $31.09 per whistle also with shipping included.

He included a nice whistle pouch and a Doolin whistle at no charge. And Steve’s customer service is second to none. :slight_smile:

Jenny

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On 2002-09-14 11:48, E = Fb wrote:
Costs are high in Ireland. Whether it’s a pint of Guinness or the rent check, it’s high. Shanna Quay has to pay the rent too. By European standards Shanna Quay (cute name, play on the Irish word for “storyteller”) is probably reasonably priced. There may also be other factors, such as service.

There is definitely great service at Shanna Quay. In the wild rush of the 2 FREE Birthday Whistles in July, I ordered a Clarke Real C but was inadvertenly sent a Clarke Real D. When I emailed Steve to tell him of the mixup, he emailed me immediately and said to expect another FREE whistle in the mail and with in a week I had received the 3rd FREE whistle and paid a meager 12.50 Euro for the one Clarke and 14.00 Euro for 3 Megs I bought and I didn’t have to pay for shipping.
Yeah Steve!

Kathy

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On 2002-09-14 14:03, 24BRIX wrote:I also ordered 2 O’Briain improved brass whistles in D. The cost was about $62.17. Thats about $31.09 per whistle also with shipping included.

Jenny

The O Briain improved D usually costs around 20 euro in various outlets around the west of Ireland. Do your sums and draw your own conclusions.

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What, if it is other than one-for-one, is the current rate of exchange between the Euro and the Dollar?

Thanks,

Tom D.

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There’s a terrific web service for currency conversion at:

http://www.xe.net

PR

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On 2002-09-14 14:47, Peter Laban wrote:
The O Briain improved D usually costs around 20 euro in various outlets around the west of Ireland. Do your sums and draw your own conclusions.

What’s the cost of the trip to Ireland Peter?

As usual, in your haste to do me a diservice, you have got your facts wrong, Peter. Most retailers - including Custy’s where you are - actually have the ‘improved’ at 27 Euro (which is Cillian’s own recommended retail trade price). I sell it in the shop for 26 Euro. The additional cost is for the pouch and the postage. It costs me 8 Euro to send it USA for the stamps alone (without pricing the envelope and time etc).

Steve

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On 2002-09-14 11:01, Azalin wrote:
Maybe my brain is a little tired this morning, but I seem to miss something. A complete set of Generation at the Whistle Shop is about 30$US, and the same at ShannayQuay is Euro 80.00, more than twice the price!!! I’ve noticed that most of prices on ShannaQuay are twice as much as the Whistle shop, and even though shipping is included at ShannaQuay it’s doesnt make (by far) the difference of price. Is the cost of living in Limerick that expensive? > :wink: > Anyway, I have to get this O’Briain Eb whistle, I think buying a ticket and getting the whistle myself in Dingle would be as expensive (or as “cheap”).

Azalin
My prices are in Euros, not dollars. Perhaps US retailers buy from UK distributors at a more favourable price - and my postage is geared for the USA. Others (I don’t name names) also have a $30 minimum charge for overseas orders. Mine is 15 Euro. My prices are based on RRP’s either from within Ireland or from the country of origin (converted to Euro). Please buy your goods where you get the best deal.

It’s no secret that you and Peter Laban have taken a personal dislike to me, but such an attack - potentially libellious as it is - on my business is a serious matter.

Steve Power

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Steve,

My message has nothing to do with the fact that I like you or not. You keep on posting commercial messages on this board, I don’t feel ashamed at all, then, to discuss openly your prices, which I find very high. It seems that you want to have the best of both worlds, sending commercial messages and at the same time saying that criticism is hurtful for your buisness? I was looking at your tweaked Eb and found the price very high, also prompted me to compare a few prices, and I openly said that I think your prices are high compared to others and wanted to try to understand why. If what I said might have prompted others to check elsewhere before buying from your shop, well, good for them.

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On 2002-09-14 18:25, StevePower wrote:

What’s the cost of the trip to Ireland Peter?

As usual, in your haste to do me a diservice, you have got your facts wrong, Steve

No Steve, I do not have my facts wrong and I usually don’t. I am not trying to do you a disservice, I was merely stating an observation that was relevant to the thread.
I have not seen the O Brians in Custy’s but over the summer have seen them for sale in at least four different places for 20 euro and I do remember that well as I considered buying one on all four occasions [but eventually didn’t].
And it is hardly relevant what the cost of a trip to Ireland will be, the only relevant question here is what the cost of pack and post will be which can be added to the retail price of the whistle.

And I add to that, in the past I have taken the Mickey out of you on a few occasions, if you wish to see that as ‘taking a personal dislike’ that’s fully your interpretation of things.

[ This Message was edited by: Peter Laban on 2002-09-14 19:39 ]

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On 2002-09-14 19:09, Azalin wrote:
I was looking at your tweaked Eb and found the price very high

Compared to which other retailer’s price
for the O’Briain improved Eb? Show me another price for the same whisle, with postage to the USA. If it’s less than mine I’ll send you the whistle free!

The price of the Eb O’Briain cannot be high, unless you compare it to another price for the same whistle. The price is the standard retail price for this whistle in that key. It includes a pouch and postage. As I’m probably the only store selling it online, it can’t possibly be ‘high’. It’s just the price. I think, you simply took a chance to have go at my business.

Peter:
No one in Ireland is selling the O’Briain with a pouch (that costs me 5 Euro), except me and my price also inlcudes shipping, as mentioned. By the way, if you saw the O’Briain at Listowel and Willie week, on the street, then it’s a bit unfair to compare those prices with a shop price (just guessing).

If you object to commercial postings (and I know that’s the real root of your objections to me) then why not just say so. Instead of trying to ruin my business? Oh, and you do get facts wrong - remember me quoting Paddy Keenan’s website at you?

Steve

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Just because I’m a practical and frugal person (ok, I’m cheap), I’m pretty familiar with pricing at the various whistle outlets on-line. All of them are better than any of our local music shops. Buying a whistle retail in NYC is a giant waste of money. I know of one big name music store that sells Clarke originals for more than Thom Larson charges for his tweaked Clarkes!

Anyway, Shanna Quay’s prices are not that out of line. Compared to House of Musical Traditions, The Whistle Shop and Elderly Instruments, Shanna Quay fares very well. On pricing for a Meg, shipping included, they are the best by $2.91 (USD). Quite a bit of savings on a whistle that’s supposed to sell for $3.00 retail.

On a Clarke original D, Shanna Quay is $13.60, shipping included, beaten only by Elderly at $13.45. The Whistle Shop is $15.34, and HMT is $19.95.

For the Generation D, Elderly is cheapest at $10.35, The Whistle Shop second at $11.19, and Shanna Quay third at $11.65. HMT is $14.95 for the same whistle.

The O’Brian improved is $38.85 including shipping at Shanna Quay, but they’re the only shop selling it. Similarly, Thom Larson gets $30.14 for his tweaked Clarke, a Whistle Shop exclusive.

Each place has better deals on some whistles than on others. Shop around and find what suits you best.

Finally, Azalin, I think the title you posted for this thread is inflammatory (aside from being wrong, as proved above) and that it violates the reasonable person principle. I encourage you to change the title to something more appropriate to this forum.

For the record, I have no commercial association with any of the firms mentioned, and in addition, I have never (yet) done business with Shanna Quay, nor have I received any gifts, favors or bribes from any whistle vendors or manufacturers, though I am always open to some.

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On 2002-09-14 14:47, Peter Laban wrote:

On 2002-09-14 14:03, 24BRIX wrote:I also ordered 2 O’Briain improved brass whistles in D. The cost was about $62.17. Thats about $31.09 per whistle also with shipping included.

Jenny

The O Briain improved D usually costs around 20 euro in various outlets around the west of Ireland. Do your sums and draw your own conclusions.

I don’t have access to those various outlets, so what good are they to me?

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Another fight thread!

What fun!

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OP: it’s bad form to open a thread like this about another poster or their business. If you think Steve’s prices are too high there’s a simple solution. Take your business elsewhere.

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Maybe Steve would do better to price his merchandise exclusive of shipping and then add those charges on to the total sale. OTOH, some people might prefer his current pricing scheme. It’s really his perogotive to choose what he thinks is best and then let the market decide.
Compared to some of the tripe that’s posted here, the occaisonal commercial post is a breath of fresh air.
Regards,
jb