Mars goes bankrupt...

  • Thread starter Thread starter CarmenC
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As much as I like the idea of a liquidation sale, I have to feel bad for my friends that work there.
 
While I feel bad for MARS Music, it was just a question of when they or some other major chain would fail. The industry is just not that large to support three major chains.

Support your local independant music center. They can get you the same deals. All you have to do is ask!!!
 
alanhyatt said:

Support your local independant music center. They can get you the same deals. All you have to do is ask!!!
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Amen to that. I've always had a hard time dropping $2000 for studio toys on the advise of a 17 year old kid with a pierced eye brow.
 
alanhyatt said:
While I feel bad for MARS Music, it was just a question of when they or some other major chain would fail. The industry is just not that large to support three major chains.

Support your local independant music center. They can get you the same deals. All you have to do is ask!!!
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Not in my city Alan.
The only local independent music store in my city is called Strait Music. While they do carry a variety of music and recording equipment, they cater mostly to school band instruments.

I have asked if they could price match on items before, and they simply weren't interested in doing it at all!

I'm sorry to see Mars fail. Competetion is always a good thing. Now I'm left with 2 choices:
GC
or Brooks Mays

Looks like internet buying for me for most items in the future.
 
Filing for Chapter 11 doesn't mean the chain is going out of business,it means the business is in trouble,and Chapter 11 gets creditors off it's back.
According to a Miami Herald article,MARS says most stores will stay open.
Obviously,they have to dig themselves out of a hole,and there's no certainty that they'll be able to do it.But they haven't thrown in the towel yet.To mix a couple of metaphors.
I expect to see some good deals at Mars.One of the things that is messing up the airline industry is that airlines that are in Chapter 11 are undercutting the ones that aren't.They can offer lower prices because they don't have to pay a huge monthly debt to creditors.
 
alanhyatt said:
Support your local independant music center. They can get you the same deals. All you have to do is ask!!!
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A former bandmate of mine bought the local inde store he managed for years. He's always straight-up with the local players he knows are struggling because he's been there (still is in fact). The only bummer is a lot of times he simply can't get the same gear as the big chains because of their distribution deals.
 
The last several time I was in the Mars in Indy, they were empty. No inventory, the inventory they had was broken. The sales help was on dope,crack or worse, and they couldn't find things the computer said they had. After two trips there, I decided to never go there again. Worthless. That and they don't carry half the brands I really like anyway. I can't say I am sorry to see this, except that I know they owe money to some of our favourite manufacturers and they will probably never see it. That isn't such a good thing.

--MIKE
 
They closed all of the california mars stores last sping, so I guess it was an early sign of things going not well. They had some decent deals, but a lot of it was broken and had no return policy.

I was buying a power amp, and I, despite the opposition of the sales associate, insisted on trying it out. Turns out it didn't power on. There's NO return policy so I'm glad I did. I have the strange feeling he knew it was bad.

Anyway picking stores to buy from is always the lesser of multiple evils.
 
the mars in vegas is where im starting to pick up equiptment..........hopefully it will liquidate next week and instead of spending 300 i only spend 50........LOL!!.......that will never happen nut it never hurts to dream......
 
the oklahoma city store has some nice people working at it. mars did put their okc location into a very expensive place to lease and it's not that great of a location.

i would not read too much into the bankruptcy. mars might still survive. people need to remember the economy in the usa as in many places is awful at present.

steve
www.piemusic.com
 
ozraves said:
the oklahoma city store has some nice people working at it. mars did put their okc location into a very expensive place to lease and it's not that great of a location.

i would not read too much into the bankruptcy. mars might still survive. people need to remember the economy in the usa as in many places is awful at present.

steve
www.piemusic.com
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You are right about the OKC location. I work in the office complex just west of Mars music. I've gotta tell you though... the service in there is not good ... unless you are looking at guitar stuff. Nobody knows beans about the studio equipment, keyboard modules etc. The guys in the drum section at lunch are just plain rude. It's like your bugging them to try and buy something there.

They guy who made the comment about buying a $2000 piece of studio equipment from a 17 year old kid with a pierced eyebrow was right on the money.

Mars in OKC is a pretty good place to go look at the things that you can buy cheaper from somewhere else on the internet, before you actually buy them.
 
Up here, We had our local shop get bought out by Long and McQuade (A big Chain)

This shop was great... you could go in and hammer out Stairway to heaven on a guitar without some zit faced-tie-wearing-kid-of-a-salesman giving you a dirty look......

I knew all the guys there, even had some outside dealings with them......

You used to be able to go in and sit down and chat with the manager or one of the salespeople..... they would even make you a coffee sometimes...

Physically, it's the same store.. Nothing much has changed, except for the people..

Now they are all these new kids, that look like they are all from the audience of a Sum 41 concert, and they are on commision...

Now, If your in there just for advice without the intent of buying something, fuck ya... They don't want nothing to do with you...

And if they do actually give you advice, you must question there motives......

"Yeah, Yeah, Sir, You SHOULD buy the custom shop strat... it will make you PLAY better...Oh, feel it, it's soooo Niiiiice"

I feel like saying.. "FUCK OFF YOU LITTLE BRAT, When you were 4 and banging on pots and pans in your mammas kitchen, I was playing clubs with my band......."

OK, So im only 27 and young myself, but I feel like saying that, if it were true... :D

I Hate Chain Stores!!!:mad:

Death to them all!!!!!!
 
Chapter 11 is no real problem for most businesses. It allows for restructure of the business plan, lots of places that grow too fast do the same thing because the original plan could't keep up with growth and keeps the money grubbing lawyers away until everything settles. Chapter 13 is the one that is the really ugly one, total liquidation of assets. In the near term, prices will drop for suppliers who future business depnds on Mars future success.

My personal practice to spread my purchases over several different suppliers. I won't go to a place that is a rip off, two of the local places in my purchasing sphere have tries to charge me above list price.

SoMm
 
ozraves said:


I would not read too much into the bankruptcy.
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Yeah, Chpt 11, is just re-organization isn't it?... Basically it protects them from collection agencies, while they get there shit together. At least thats what i'm led to believe.
 
Executivos said:
They closed all of the california mars stores last sping, so I guess it was an early sign of things going not well. They had some decent deals, but a lot of it was broken and had no return policy.
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Some of the best deals were on the broken stuff. Although they had a no return policy as part of the liquidation, the stuff all came with a full warranty, so if you didn't mind taking it to a service center, you could get a heck of a deal. I picked up a Vox guitar amp that didn't work for 80% off 'cause it didn't power on. I took it to the Vox repair shop, and they fixed it under warranty.

I would assume that some of the other Mars stores will close as part of the bankruptcy --- when a chain goes into Chapter 11, they usually use it as an opportunity to close down unprofitable stores and keep the profitable ones. If they do close some stores down and there are liquidations, most of the best deals are on their broken stuff (assuming it can be fixed).
 
You new in town or what?

Michael Jones said:

Not in my city Alan.
The only local independent music store in my city is called Strait Music. While they do carry a variety of music and recording equipment, they cater mostly to school band instruments.
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Hey Michael .....

MusicMakers, South Austin Music, Ray Hennig's, Guitar Center, Guitar Ressurection .......... there's PLENTY of other stores in Austin, the first three listed above are local and independent and the match prices. Brooks Mays??? You gotta be kidding!
 
Have you ever gone into a clothing store and noticed that about 90% of the floor space is dedicated to women's clothes. Then, way off, over there in the back, in this little corner, is the men's stuff?

That's how I feel when going to Mars and looking for recording equipment.

Guitars, Drums, Amps, and Band Instruments take up that 90% at my local Mars. With Guitars and Amps eating up about half the space.
 
QUOTE>>"Have you ever gone into a clothing store and noticed that about 90% of the floor space is dedicated to women's clothes. Then, way off, over there in the back, in this little corner, is the men's stuff?

That's how I feel when going to Mars and looking for recording equipment. "

From a store owners point of view, the ratio of Studio dudes, and Musicians is totally tilted towards the musucians side, so I do see the logic there...

I mean, at least every household has a member that plays an instrument of some sort... but each city only probably has a certain number of studios... even home ones..

Joe
 
Re: You new in town or what?

deadeye said:


Hey Michael .....

MusicMakers, South Austin Music, Ray Hennig's, Guitar Center, Guitar Ressurection .......... there's PLENTY of other stores in Austin, the first three listed above are local and independent and the match prices. Brooks Mays??? You gotta be kidding!
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Not exactly new in town, been here for nearly 20 yrs.
Yeah, I forgot about Music Makers. They are a great bunch of guys there! Gotten some good deals from them before too.
Guitar Center, and Guitar Ressurection are definately guitar oriented for the most part, some live rig equipment too I guess.
South Austin Music? I think I've been there once..... Have to check them out again.

(Yes, I was kidding about Brooks Mays!)
Nice to see another Austinite on the board!
 
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