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I am interested in retailing new horns from Aurora IL. I don't know of a showroom any closer than Detroit, and after that the ones I know about are farther still. Please school me about ones I have missed.

West Music in Coralville, Iowa sells Accent... their own line of new low brass.

You're dreamin' if you think the schools are going to buy from you when they can save $10 shopping on line. You will be using a lot of working cash on stock just to spend your time wiping the fingerprints off of it. ... just to have to eventually sell your now 'used' instruments at a loss.

Besides... what would you offer that isn't already available from the two dozen or so folks who currently hawk JinBao?

In Camanche, IA, Lee Stofer Music: http://www.tubameister.com

Closer to our homes in the Chicago area:

In Palatine, IL: http://www.hornstash.com

In Downers Grove, IL: http://www.bandsourcecompany.com/Brasswinds.html

In Naperville, IL: http://www.ellmansmusic.com/EllmansPage ... lmans.html

In Elmhurst, IL: h[url]ttp://www.luscombemusic.com/[/url]

In Burr Ridge, IL and other Chicago area locations: Quinlan & Fabish (website may be down: http://www.qandf.com)

...and in Naperville, IL: one shop of many called Music & Arts in a tiny chain of stores known as Guitar Center: http://www.musicarts.com/Brass-Instruments.mac (never mind their once-great brick and mortar store in South Bend, [url]http://www.ww&bw.com[/url], which is now only mail/online order ).

I am interested in retailing new horns from Aurora IL. I don't know of a showroom any closer than Detroit,

Swillafew, by mentioning "a showroom...in Detroit," it's clear that what you mean by "new horns" is primarily
tubas, euphs, and related items. FWIW, after I received a very cordial invitation to represent Wessex Tubas in the US, the following announcement was made last month: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=51227&p=440768&hili ... ee#p440768

If it were an easy, non-competitive business, I might be chatting with you about a joint venture because we share a common interest (tubas, sales, etc.). But hats off to those who are retailing musical instruments, particularly in the current challenging economic environment.

P.S. If it were pianos, I could identify where there is a very fine shop in the Chicago area...

I am thinking of servicing the colleges and adult market, making myself a much smaller enterprise than a dealer like Ellman's, which services a large school market. This corner of Illinois has more people than most states, and we still wind up driving as far away as South Bend to toot on many new horns. As far as I know, that option is closed now too.

Music Factory Direct moved into the Woodwind and Brasswind store in South Bend.

I live within an hour of Aurora and and it does seem odd that here in the Midwest, land of municipal/community bands and strong school music programs, there is a paucity of places to actually see, touch and play tubas. Great repair techs everywhere, but as I casually begin a search for a smaller, lighter horn (its happened despite my best efforts - I'm now old and humping a 38K sousaphone or 20J tuba to gigs is losing its allure), my plans necessarily involve excursions. This is a vote in favor of a dealership in Northern Illinois.

It is very expensive to stock expensive,low sales volume,low profit items like tubas.many have tried and failed...

MikeMason wrote:It is very expensive to stock expensive,low sales volume,low profit items like tubas.many have tried and failed...

+1

"This country was built by Greater Fools."

I only want to sell what I can identify as a needed product. Which is to say, if I can deliver a new horn to a midwestern buyer, a brand which is otherwise unavailable in the midwest, I would give it a shot. I would reckon the units per year to be few, but still worthy of whatever trouble required to distribute them.

For 9 years, I ran a French horn specialty shop on the east coast. Before the popularity of the internet, my sale of professional model horns was based on consignment services. At that time, clients were willing to pay an 18% consignment fee to sell there horns in order to avoid dealing with advertising, shipping and the risk of sending instruments out on trial. As my business name spread, I moved into selling new horns.

However, what really sustained the business was my repair shop. I was trained over many years by a former employ of the Walter Lawson horn shop as well as benefitting from much valuable advice from Walter Lawson himself. I had repair clients from the National Symphony, Philadelphia and New York Philharmonic Orchestras as well as from free lance artists and the general public. Repair work billed by time and materials is guaranteed profit. However, it will take some time build your shop's reputation in the repair world.

I sold my business in 1999. In my last years of business, I could see the horn sales diminishing because of the internet. I stepped out of the business and never looked back.

If you would like to contact me for further information, send me a private E-Mail.