I always research present market values and price accordingly, I also have pretty extensive 100% positive feedback. Can't recall a single time when I've not sold at asking price or near within a week or two.
Anybody having trouble getting near-your-asking-price for used gear ? (Plz. no hype)
I buy and sell gear "on a whim" and have done so for 40 years. Mostly high-end tube stuff that I get an itch to move from my rig to make room for other high-end stuff that I have been dreaming of. It's fun and gives me a fresh faces to fall in and out of love with.
Lately I am having a really hard time getting any serious offers above 1/4 to 1/3 of retail- actually zero offers over that. And winter is the time of year gear sells. Once the sun comes out things get really quiet. Not terribly long ago I could ask 50% of retail and get serious offers pretty close to the ask.
I am especially having trouble selling ARC gear. It's prices are steadily collapsing. On HiFi Shark that stuff sits for close to a year (or more) before it moves. For example SP 15s are under 2K now. They were selling (not asking) at 3K a year ago. It took me almost a year to sell a new-in--box I/50 for $3000 (!) Ref 75s are moving under $3000 and TMR will only offer 2K for one of them. The older stuff is selling in the hundreds not the thousands. Top-Of the-line stuff like Reference 10 preamps are moving under 12K (asking is around 17K)
I recently sold a Bryston BR-20 brand new in the box and it took me 7 months to get 48% of MSRP. This is NEW stuff- not somebody's junk.
My guy at Magnepan told me their stuff is really moving slowly as well. He blamed it on the political environment. ARC is pretending all is well but I have a little birdie inside there that tells me their stuff is stagnant as and dealers are actually cancelling orders.
Now, assuming you are being honest and not "fluffing the market" with bullbleep because you have something for sale and hoping for the greater fool, are you seeing/experiencing the same thing I am experiencing?
NO RETAILERS PLESASE- you guys tend to "exaggerate" to put it kindly- plus most of us here at AG know who you are and your 1000s of posts are a big clue.
Signed/ Depressed about my favorite side gig.
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@mark200mph I am mildly curios and somewhat terrified to know what you meant by this |
I enjoy conversations like this because they're real and raw. I work in the industry marketing/PR and also buy, sell, collect and flip gear. The Manufacturers These guys keep raising prices beyond what's reasonable. There's quality gear from China at a fraction of the cost. I have been given discount from manufacturers I work with up to 60% discount off MSRP That is not all the time but I know they can give out 40% discounts like candy. They still make money. The markup is huge. The Dealers Dealers are in weird situation. Some of them are really greedy and can't be trusted. And on the other hand some of them are just fighting to make money and that little bit of profit they make has to go to paying their entire operation and their employees and business costs. And they're probably not selling as much as you and I would like to believe. They also get squeezed between internet competition and manufacturer price controls. Many manufacturers strictly enforce minimum pricing, even in the secondary market. It's a rough business for these guys but they don't get a lot of sympathy because there are guys who are just greedy in the industry. The Market Reality If you can get 50-60% of MSRP, consider yourself lucky and take the money. Equipment is only worth what someone will pay, not what you paid. High-end stuff sits because sellers want 50%+ but there aren't enough buyers willing to pay that for very expensive gear. Some equipment I've had priced at 40% of MSRP sits for a year with no bites. Sometimes you need to cut losses and move on, or drop your price just enough to close a sale. Waiting for "the perfect buyer" creates a stagnant market. Research Your Pricing Check Hifishark or eBay for actual selling prices over the last couple years. The lowest recent sale is probably your new comparison point. With certain equipment (like Bryston), some brands just aren't as popular and will be harder to move regardless of price. Economic Reality This hobby's high-end is for the one percenters. Who can justify amplifiers costing as much as cars or cables as much as vacations? With today's cost of living, discretionary income is rare. The political climate makes people nervous and tightening their wallets. I'm planning my own purchases carefully, looking for 40-50% or.more. We need to be flexible and realize this isn't an investment - like cars, you rarely get your money back. Audio equipment is overpriced relative to manufacturing costs. The market is correcting itself. Seasonal factors and economic conditions always affect sales. If you want top dollar, be prepared to wait. If you want to sell, be realistic with pricing. At the end of the day, this hobby is about enjoyment, not making money Or recouping your investment. It's the price of admission to play with the best equipment made and is not for people who are looking for returns on the price to play. Manufacturers and some dealers are greedy. The secondary market isn't - your wallet tells us when prices are too high. |
@cyackulic You have the best post in this entire thread. Nicely done. |
Since retirement, and even prior to retirement, I have been buying and selling my way to audio heaven. The fact that I am talking to you now, is proof that I haven't made it there yet. That being said, there are a few things I keep in mind when buying and selling gear. Given a choice, always buy gear that is desirable to others and has a proven performance history. Know the value of what you have and price it accordingly. I try to be around the medium price because getting even moderately greedy only means it won't sell quickly, or at all. Clean the gear meticulously, take good pictures from every angle and call attention to any imperfections. Don't modify gear that you don't plan to keep forever. I think modifications of any kind scare people enough to look elsewhere. Point in case. I was looking for an Aurender N100 streamer and it took quite awhile to find one. Despite their scarcity at the time, there was one unit that remained available for months. I can only assume that this was due to the owner putting in aftermarket fuses. That's my three cents.
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OCD Mike is selling good gear so the market is still there. A sample of one only. I have lots of gear I want to sell. Cables, for example. I’ll be lucky to get 10-20% of the purchase price. |