It used to be that the dealers were getting Shure, Pickering, Audio-Technica, Stanton and Ortofon MM Cartridges, that listed for 50 to 80 dollars for 5 to 10 Dollars each. Vinyl was THE way to listen to music, and the companies were putting out cheap cartridges like popcorn. Duals used to come with a Shure already installed, and it didn't cost the consumer anything(supposedly). The dealers would sell you a turntable at a decent mark-up(usually 40% or better, depending on their buying column), and could afford to give you a catridge for free to sweeten the deal. No one is making that many cartridges any more, and especially not the cheap ones. Most of the people getting back into vinyl now are seeking higher-end products, so- the Supply and Demand dynamic caught up with the free/cheap cartridge sales gimmick in spades.
Discount on cartridges vs. other equipment
Way, way back when I was first getting into this hobby, I recall that phono cartridges were routinely discounted at a far greater percentage than anything else. (I'm talking about the 1970s here.) Would it be reasonable to expect that this is in some ways still the same, at least for mainstream stuff?In other words, could one figure to get a Rega Exact at a greater discount (on a percentage basis) than, say, a Rega P5? And the same with an Elys and a P3, etc? I'm talking about when one is buying new from an authorized dealer, not used from someone who is changing up his system. Thanks for helping out on this. -- Howard