Regardless of whether they are a fixed price, if you are buying new, you should still call your favorite dealer for their price... In the past, I've received a discount even though the price was fixed by the manufacturer.
That said, there are some deals in the yard sale on occasion.
If a dealer gets caught selling for less than the fixed price it can result in them pulling that product or at least straining there relationship, there are several electronic and appliance manufacturers that have this in place. One might also question the "character" of a dealer marking down product that is not supposed to be?
From
my experience, it's not an isolated activity, nor an indicator of their moral character, especially in stuff that is over $500.
Sometimes the manufacturer says that the MAP rules don't apply once you put it in your cart (B&H and Amazon have a bunch of those from time to time), others won't even put a price up and instead you *have* to call them to purchase it. It depends on the manufacturer. It could be that nobody is willing to take the hit on their margin for schoeps, or the mics move themselves so they don't have to. I've never figured out the rhyme and reason where margins are willing to be cut to make a deal, but I've seen it over half the time with my big ticket audio purchases.
So yeah, I don't think it hurts to call and form a relationship with your dealer of choice. You may not get a discount, or you may not get a discount every time, but all you're out is a little time and a few minutes on a cell phone.