Re: filmscanners: Nikon 8000

[Isaac Crawford <isaac@visi.net>]

Moreno Polloni wrote:
> >
> > I see, and how long have you been in the business? If by fair profit
> > you mean 0-5 percent, I guess you're right. They can make some decent
> > profit on gray products, but not on most Nikon USA products.
> 
> The mail order places might be able to survive on 5% if they have minimal
> overhead and no storefront. B&H's markup is more than that. Local dealers
> might be two to three times that. It varies on the product and the business
> model. Obviously a full service dealer need to charge more, but their
> customers are willing to pay extra for service, support, and intelligent
> sales advice.

        Once again, Nikon cameras, with few exceptions are sold at or very near
cost. Everything else they sell isn't, that is how they (and we) make
their money.
> 
> Who do you know that's selling Nikon scanners at cost.

        Nobody because (drum roll please) of what David said in the first
place.
> 
> > You have it almost right... If they make 5 bucks on a camera, plus
> > whatever they make on the other things they sell, they will (and do)
> > make quite a profit with volume. It is in all the other things that they
> > make real profit. Straps, filters, film, bags, etc... Sell a couple
> > thousand of these things a day and the money will roll in... And I can
> > assure you, they do not lose a dollar, at the very worst, they will
> > break even. This has been going on for some time. Have you ever wondered
> > why so many local camera stores are going out of business all over the
> > country? It is because there is no longer any money to be made on 35mm
> > equipment. Many places are strictly photo finishing and used equipment
> > these days instead of new equipment sales.
> 
> The mail order places might be able to survive on 5% if they have minimal
> overhead and no storefront. B&H's markup is more than that. 

        B&H does not have more than that on most of their Nikon products. How
are you coming up with your numbers? I get mine by having to match their
prices. We pay the same amount that they do (I work for one of the
largest photo retailers on the east coast), and I can tell you that the
markup is rarely above 5%.

There are of course people that need
> > specific features, but there are many that do not even consider the
> > Polaroid just because it is Polaroid.
> 
> Probably. So what?

        Nothing... Sheesh. I was just pointing out my opinion on blind
consumers, nothing more.
> 
> > > I think you need to give people more credit than that. If someone is
> > > dropping $3k on a scanner, they're likely to do some product research
> and
> > > make an informed purchase decision.
> >
> > You'd be amazed... In my *experience* of selling camera gear, the
> > higher the price, the less serious the user is for the most part. There
> > are of course many professional and deadly serious amateur photographers
> > that make investments in good tools (like the members of this list), but
> > the majority of high ticket items are sold to people that want a high
> > ticket item, not a tool.
> 
> I can see how that would apply to cameras. A lot of dentists own
> Hasselblads. A lot of Leicas will never even see the factory shrinkwrap
> opened, as that would reduce their collectible value. I could be wrong, but
> I've never heard of anyone collecting scanners.

        It has very little to do with collecting. Collectors influence the
price of rare, hard to get used items. In other words, collectable
items...:-) High ticket items like the F5, EOS1V, Leicas, F64 bags,
expensive binoculars, etc. are bought mostly by people that "want the
best". I've sold plenty of expensive scanners to people with impressive
computers that didn't have the first clue on how to use them. Anyway,
this is drifting awfully OT, so I'll stop now:-)

Isaac