parties could have avoided tariff troubles. I understand that music product manu- facturing is complex, and products don’t magically appear at a moment’s notice, but I would also like their incubation period to be shorter than that of a human baby. Being closer to caught up on orders would have the added benefit of sticking to the agreed price. I wouldn’t begrudge any manufacturer for raising their prices on short, or even zero notice, in 2025. Several have done this, and in some cases, they’ve issued multiple price lists in 2025, even before we’ve reached the summer. I think the most I’ve seen from one manufacturer is four new price lists in 2025. And I ap- plaud this. I want these manufacturers to be around for a very long time and to continue to do business with them. If they need to raise prices so they can continue to be around, then I want them to do exactly that. On the day I order, I will look at the current pricing they decided upon, factor that into my decision of what to order and know the terms of our purchase agreement. But now I’m worried. How do I know a tariff surcharge won’t get tacked onto the new, higher prices? If it becomes common practice to change pricing after the fact, what other terms of the sale can be unilater- ally altered? I want to get the manufactur- ers’ wonderful products into the hands of my wonderful customers. Sometimes, when items are back-ordered for long periods of time, this requires taking pre-orders. And my clients, quite understandably, want to know the price of something when they put down their deposit. This goes double for more expensive items. How can dealers accept pre-orders when they don’t know what the items will cost? Imagine accept- ing a pre-order nine months ago based on the pricing at that time, only to find out the item will cost you an extra 12% (the highest tariff surcharge I’ve seen so far) when it actually ships. If we can’t have shorter lead times, we at least need firm, guaranteed pricing from our manufacturing partners. Pricing that we can trust, come hell or high tariff. NOW, IT’S YOUR TURN As this uncertainty plays out, we as MI retailers must all reevaluate our stores and focus on what works best for ourselves and our customers. For me, I’m pumping the brakes on orders from manufacturers who have imposed tariff surcharges, as well as orders I import myself from foreign com- panies who have no U.S. distributors.
Instead, I’m focusing even more on re- pairs, presenting clinics and repair courses, and stocking up on products from manufac- turers who charge the exact prices stated on their price lists. While it’s not an ideal situation, I still have confidence in our manufactur- ing partners. Our stores wouldn’t exist without them, and I’m under no delusion that manufacturing isn’t tough. I trust that when manufacturing costs stabilize or go down, they will lower prices and is- sue tariff credits as quickly as they raised
prices and issued tariff surcharges. I know, I know … wishful thinking. I look forward to continuing to work with the amazing manufacturers I’ve aligned my business with, getting their products into my clients’ hands as quickly as possible and in the largest quantities possible. And I believe the best way to do this will be with clear, transparent pricing. MI Miles DeCastro owns North Country Winds in Potsdam, New York, and teaches courses in band instrument repair tech- nology at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam.
AUGUST 2025 I MUSIC INC. I 21
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