Best place to buy a Blichmann Conical?
 

Doing a google search, it looks like they are pretty much the same price everywhere. But, I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask if anyone knows of where to get a good deal on a 14.5 conical...

Thanks in advance,
Greg

Stores are only allowed to sell Blichmann equipment at 2 prices, and almost everyone sells them at the minimum price they can. If you are looking for a better price you would have to find one on CL, or Ebay and buy a previously enjoyed conical.

Ed

+1 on fixed price. When I got my 14gal they were $809 everywhere. The week after pricing was increased to $839... EVERYWHERE.

From the backend of a stolen 40' tractor trailer down a empty dark alley.
JMO don't take me seriously on this one. Way beyond what I would pay for
two of them I need.

I thought price fixing was illegal.

As I understand it, price fixing is when competing businesses agree to sell the same product at the same price (for their benefit, at the expense of the consumer). Blichmann is not in direct competition with their distributors since they are the product supplier.

Price fixing as Yuri explained it is illegal but what Blichmann is employing is fairly common.

John Deere consumer tractors, Weber grills and Maytag appliances are just a few brands off the top of my head that have similar agreements with retailers where they set a minimum price they can sell the product at.

Next time you have like a Lowes, Home Depot, Best Buy, etc. XX% off coupon look at the fine print and they list a whole host of brands or models that are excluded from discount due to the price agreement.

Go buy any Stihl product you'll see the high price. I could of saved over $182 on a 40.5 cc commercial grade weed wacker no cat over 40 cc, by Stihl thru out of state. No you must buy in your state and area. A set contract with the power equipment shops and Stihl. Stihl sticks it to ya big time. Granted the best product and takes a beating for many hours had to pay for it the big dollar price it sucked. Replacement parts well plastic is worth more than gold with a Stihl product. If that isn't price fixing what is it? Greed?

Trust me, no one is making very much money on conical fermenters. Blichmann has a minimum advertised price on his products. I advised him to do so. In retail there is a drive to sell things at cost. If there was not a minimum advertised price on conicals, within 6 months of their debut, someone would be selling them at cost. Then everyone would stop selling them because there is no profit to be made if you sell one.

This is what happened to Polarware Brewpots and Ventmatic faucets and is currently happening to Perlick faucets.

Forrest
Austin Homebrew Supply

Ed, you have this wrong. There is a minimum advertised price and a suggested retail price. No one sells it for the suggested retail price. Everyone *advertises* it for the minimum advertised price. Stores can sell the conical for whatever price they want to. The simply cannot advertise a lower price.

You have seen this everywhere. Ads that say the prices are too low to print. Or Best buy says this plasma tv is $2,000 before $400 savings. They can't advertise the tv for $1600 but they let you know that if you buy it it will be $1600. Amazon sometimes won't tell you the real price until you have it in your shopping cart, same thing.

When store W tries to sell everything below store M&Ps cost from the manufacturer, a minimum advertised price is a good thing for M&P and the economy.

Forrest
Austin Homebrew Supply