Hey all. I was wondering if anyone thinks there are likely to be meaningful price drops on Elektron gear in the UK for Black Friday. I’m wary that some retailer prices fluctuate anyway because they track the market and try to undercut each other, as well as sometimes increasing the price before a sale so the reduction is effectively cancelled out.
Do the UK Elektronauts think it’s worth waiting a month or so to see what happens? Current best UK price I can find for DT or DN (can’t quite make my mind up) is £629 at Andertons. If I bought one now and then it dropped by 5% I probably wouldn’t be bothered but if I thought I could save 10 or 15% I’d probably wait.
I found Andertons to be the cheapest in the UK for Elektrons right now. I’m not sure we’ll see a significant deal on the Digis right now though, as they sell well enough on their own. Black Friday is more about shifting stuff that’s been hanging around too long. It’s more likely to be a small discount on the Models or maybe Digitone Keys to draw people inside the virtual doors.
I very rarely buy electricals second hand because I get very nervous that I’m screwed if they stop working. I know, in theory, I can send back to Elektron if it’s within warranty but it’s normally a lot easier to get a retailer to agree to return something at their cost if they have an extended returns policy. That said, Andertons don’t have that anyway! Other retailers have a much better returns policy but not such a good price. You can’t have it all I guess.
I suppose if I bought from a reliable seller here (long term forum member etc) and it was within warranty then I’d be happier. Nobody ever sells their DN though!
It’s always worth giving Andertons a call - I actually bought my Digitakt there a couple of years ago… I was about to pay full price when they were like “oh, we’ve got a B Stock on the system that you can have discounted if you prefer?” and it was just an open box kinda vibe, so I took it!
I’m usually of the same mindset when it comes to 2nd hand gear but I’ve bought 2 Elektrons 2nd hand, both in warranty and both in mint condition. No problems. If it’s in warranty and the seller is reputable. I got a DN on here for £430 with a ton of soundpacks and the unit was like new.
Just buy it. How much is your time worth? It’s probably cost you more in unproductive time than any ‘potential’ cost saving you might make. If you think it’s worth the asking price then buy it today and save yourself the anxiety. Life’s too short.
I’m about 95% certain I want a DN because I already have an M:S and apart from it being a brilliant one-shot drum machine I can also use it together with the DN using the DN inputs so I’m leaning away from a second sample-based device.
Whoever said “just buy it” - I admire your philosophy!
In my earlier days I’d obsess about ‘is it the right time?’, ‘is it right for me?’, ‘what if…?’ To the point that it would keep me awake at night. Then in 2012 (irc) after a lost night’s sleep I got up at 4am and bought an OT Mk1 at full price. It felt good, went back to sleep and vowed never again to ponder.
Obviously I need to be able to afford it and if I can’t then I don’t stress. I’ve flipped loads of gear, some I’ve lost a fair few quid on, some not so much. You say 95% certain on a DN. I’d have acted at 51%.
I believe they are running a promotion where they will refund any reductions they make for Black Friday - you’ll need to double check that because I can’t see it advertised on their site - as far as I know, it’s based on their own prices and the refund is only in loyalty points, so it’s limited but may make decision making a little less anguishing
Yeah they are doing exactly that, I got an email to that effect:
Says 2019 in the preview text there but I assume they just haven’t updated the copy from last year.
Worthwhile hardware discounts are pretty rare on Black Friday now. You only get the occasional bargain and it’s usually something that there’s stock lying around that needs to be cleared (Novation Monostation springs to mind?). This year more than ever, that seems unlikely.
Thanks. They actually sent me an email about that very shortly after all my posting and when I’d already added a DN to my basket so I think that big brother is watching! More and more online stores now email me if I put something in the basket and then don’t buy after a short time. Not sure I like it!
Unfortunately they do it because it works, not because you like it. Not using abandoned basket recovery tactics is leaving money on the table as far as most retailers are concerned. Does it annoy you so much that it makes you less likely to buy from that specific retailer in the future? Maybe, but they can’t measure that as easily, so they’ll keep doing it.
