Let me give you "before" and "after" examples based on my personal experience to better amplify today's topic.

Before: Back when I was buying my first car, I confess that I was a less than sophisticated shopper. I wanted a car and I knew what I could afford. I didn't spend any time checking out any kind of "Consumer Reports" publications or consult "Blue Book" pricing on used autos. Ultimately, I think I got a pretty good deal on a used '76 Pontiac Astre (the Pontiac version of the Chevy Vega). The price was right, the car looked good and drove well and that was that.

As I soon discovered, the aluminum engine blocks used in Vegas and Astres had a tendency to warp and seize (mine didn't, but I waited for it to happen whenever I drove it and thought I heard a funny noise). I also found that these models were apparently made of compressed rust which ate away at the body and frame with a frighteningly voracious appetite (listen closely and you could almost hear the metal oxidizing).

I soon became quite proficient at basic body work and engine noodling and managed to get a fair amount of use out of the car before the frame rusted to point where the body literally wasn't able to support the rear axle and actually collapsed, leaving me with my rear tires pressed tightly against the wheel wells. As at least one Pontiac Web site notes, the Astre and Vega "are embarrassing moments in American car-making history that need to be forgotten." I have a lot of fond memories associated with that car, so I'll respectfully disagree; plus I learned lessons that I use to this day to help me make better buying decisions.

After: About a year ago, I was looking to upgrade from the basic, auto everything camera to something with more features and better quality (I wanted to be able to capture some photos of my kids as they grew up and the old camera just wasn't cutting it). So I set out to buy my first high end camera. This time around I read voraciously to learn more about cameras, photography and current technologies. I talked to friends who knew more than I did. I visited Web sites and read reviews on-line.

When I had a reasonable idea as to what feature set I wanted and understood the amazing array of accessories a little better, I had to figure out where to actually buy the gear. I called a few retailers that advertised in the photography magazines I'd been reading and found them to be extraordinarily consistent. That is, consistently not very helpful beyond offering a price and a tiny hint of actual product knowledge. Not one single dealer I contacted actually tried to understand my application or level of expertise. No one inspired confidence in terms of customer service. None made me feelvalued as a customer. None of them offered more than a product at a price. But the prices seemed very good and really didn't vary much from dealer to dealer.

Granted, I wasn't buying a car here or even seeking a pro camera, but the investment was still significant for me. What I wanted was a salesperson or company that I could feel really comfortable doing business with; a company that would back up the products and be there for me if I had problems down the road with my purchase.

At this point, I remembered an old friend of mine who was a professional photographer and had opened up a camera store. It was not a big splashy place, but the kind of place that dealt in new and used equipment and was frequented by people who really knew photography and staffed by people who not only knew, but also cared about photography. I called my buddy up and was immediately asked a bunch of questions. I thought, "Wow, he's making me think about some stuff that had never occurred to me!" He was honest almost brutally frank in some cases with his opinions.

He helped me put together a list of gear and nailed down the details all the way to film recommendations. I mentioned the prices I'd seen and he didn't flinch. He also didn't match them because he knew what the competition really had to offer and what he had to offer. He did, however, quote me a fair price and I very happily paid it. I haven't had a single regret and have since gotten a ton of use out of the equipment (and bought more) and taken photographs that will make me smile when I'm an old man with grown children and grandchildren. I've called him with technical questions a few times and always received solid advice, including recommendations to not buy things that I'd pre-sold myself on based on a perceived need.

So, what's the message? I guess that if there is any lesson I've learned over the years, it's that price is only one component of value and that I, as a consumer, definitely want the best value. Price for me is a component that becomes less and less significant as the decision increases in importance and/or complexity. I can recall many instances where I've saved money and caused myself additional grief and expense by doing so.

Cheap cables for audio gear or cheap paint for a house aren't good buys. Working with a cheap attorney or investment or tax advisor isn't likely to be in your best interest. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Society today seems to be getting more and more oriented towards immediate gratification. The ability to purchase almost anything over the Internet is perhaps the best example of this.

Nearly 20 years ago, I watched the hi-fi industry go through tremendous turmoil as the plethora of specialty and high-end shops dissolved and my tweaky audiophile friends were left with superstores carrying mid-level gear and salespeople who didn't have any depth of knowledge. Is this a good thing for the general public? Perhaps. Is it a good thing for the people who really need help or really need access to better products, support or service? Probably not.

At Sweetwater, we talk about value an awful lot. We are fortunate in that, due to the volume of business we do, we are able to offer very aggressive prices to our customers. In fact, we’re often able to provide the lowest prices available, period. Having said that, we don’t claim to have the lowest price in the universe on every product we carry. There is a point where we would have to decide what to give up to offer this: Do we hire low-level clerks instead of the top industry professionals as our Sales Engineers (I guess we’d have to call them “Order Administrators” or “Clerks” then)? Do we close the Web site or limit the amount of information and our daily, if not hourly, updates to it? Do we shut down the Service Department and just tell our customers to send their broken gear back to the manufacturers for repair (often with 6-8 week repair times)? Do we send our customers to the manufacturer for technical support in configuring their equipment and overcoming technical problems instead of being to help them make the whole system work (not just helping to get a specific piece of equipment working)? Do we start using less expensive freight companies instead of FedEx and UPS? Do we stop production of informational publications like inSync (electronic) or Sweet Notes? Do we close our Soundware Development Facility? Do we print our Equipment Directory on Newsprint and fire our Marketing Department, so all we offer is black and white pictures with a price instead of producing the great and extremely helpful comparison charts and text? I know my answer (and I’ll shout it from the highest mountain top if allowed to do so). What is yours? The cool thing about all of this is that you, the customer, get to decide what you really want. The “votes” you cast with your hard-earned cash will steer the industry in whatever direction you desire.

Personally, I believe there is no one “perfect” business model and that the big brick and mortar chain stores provide a tremendous service for their customers. I think the big catalog discounters and “e-tailers” have a place, as well. I think you’ve proven via your vote that a company like Sweetwater is not only needed, but appreciated. We’ve experienced amazing growth over the years and are already having a record year. This wouldn’t happen if we weren’t addressing a specific need for customers who appreciate the quality of our service.

Ultimately, this is me thanking you for being so discerning, caring about quality, and understanding the real meaning of the word “value.”

Rock and Roll!