Spoke to one of my suppliers today. Wanted to know if I'd like to get in on a second batch of limited edition guitars. The first batch of 100 was snagged up by collectors almost as soon as it hit the streets. Not a single one left in the entire country. Not so, I told him. I've got one sitting in the display window. Serial number 25. Been there for six months. Not a single person has picked it up or even given it a second glance (except for me). Nobody has inquired about the price. And as for the flame guitar, bought it a year ago. One person picked it up besides myself. A year ago. That was one of my guitar instructors. My supplier was aghast. They've sold thousands of the things. It's one of the fastest movers at Ed Roman's in Las Vegas (arguably the largest guitar store in the world). I'm in a different world, I told him. My customers will haggle me for a $40 guitar. They demand a free $50 case on a $60 guitar. Everybody else sells hard cases for at least $100. I sell 'em at cost because otherwise they'd be more than the guitar. My customers won't pick up a guitar with more than 2 leading digits on the price tag, unless they're kids. (The kids will pick up anything, because they're not buying anything). Man, your customers really suck, he said. It's refreshing to hear it from somebody else...

Then another supplier stops in to say hi. He sells $200-$300 guitars. I used to buy some of them. Want to buy some more?, he asks. Well, gee. I sold one of those last month. I've still got four or five. Bought them oh, about two years ago. I see you've got our vintage model and one of the grand concerts. Those are really great guitars. And they're cheap. Not cheap enough for my customers, I inform him. Got any guitars for under fifty bucks that sound like cardboard? I might be able to sell one or two. Otherwise, no thanks. Man, your customers really suck, he says.

Then a patron informs me that he overheard a couple of folks talking about my shop over at Gryphon Strings the other day. One was inquiring about whether or not I was a total price-gouger for offering a 1907 Gibson mandolin for $1200. The salesman told him that it was in fact a very reasonable price. I would hope so. I bought that mandolin from Gryphon for $1300 five years ago, before vintage instrument prices skyrocketed. It's still hanging on the wall, just like it has for the last 3.5 years. It'll probably be hanging there when it turns 100 and everybody else is selling them for $4000.

The next customer had to have a Martin guitar. Nothing else. Price doesn't matter. Apologies but Martin is anti-competitive and won't sell instruments to me. Could I interest you in some really nice guitars that sound just as good (or maybe better) and don't cost as much? Nope. I send her to (you guessed it) Gryphon. Couldn't even get her to take a listen.

Total take for the day - a set of strings and 3 picks. Five dollars and seventy five cents. Sometimes it makes me want to scream.