My prices might need adjusting -but my stuff seems like it is dying a slow death.Anyone else experiencing this? I believe the economy is taking it's toll also. tracer
I have been selling fine, in fact, quickly. There are two things I notice with your items. First, the DVD sells on a regular basis for $600-675. $600 goes quickly, $650 fairly quickly, $700+ is the right person, right place, right time. I love the 9000 and it is worth all of the $725, but there are ALOT of options for other 9000s and other players for this amount. Price it at $649 and it will sell in 24 hours.
The integrated is a tough sale anytime just because of its nature, 2 channel. I would imagine it has a specific following, and would probably command good value, but with SO MANY PEOPLE going to HT, it just makes for a tougher sell.
If you look at the gear I have listed now, you will see the SOLD, SALE PENDING, and the likes. All fairly high end gear, selling quickly. It is ALL about pricing and HT.
I am have been selling a number of items lately. My TT sold in within 15 minutes. Cables, phono pre, and cleaner within a day. My CDP is having a tougher time, 2 weeks now. It is tough to say what causes the discrepancies. Stereophile et al. buzz contributes; a year ago my CDP would have sold very quickly. Also, for $100 I bought a pair of Purist HDIs on their 31st ad day. Great bargain for an end user, but the market doesn't like them.
I agree though, overall the economy is favoring the buyer in the used market. Fewer are buying and more are selling.
Porschecab pretty much nailed the answer to your question, just another suggestion, adding a picture of what you are selling sells it pretty quickly also. Audiogon has made it pretty darn easy to be able to post a picture on your add, all you need is a digital camera. As cheap as digital cameras are these days their is almost no excuse not to have one.
Stay with reputible gear with good reviews and most will want to try it to. There is a wide range of gear both solid state and tube that should hold value and move fairly well.
I honestly believe that if you price the stuff fairly (for most items, usually between 40-55% of retail), it will sell fast! Some, may need to be priced lower, some (like Maggies or the current gear du jour) higher. But, as always, YMMV
My used Subie sales are down 40% this year. With a only one daughter's tuition to pay it's not as bad as it could be, but retail is a mess right now. I just over-haggled with my dealer to buy a new 36" Panasonic TV at only $200 over cost, and he was pretty pissed when I expected a deal on delivery charges. I explained that MY retail is down 40%, and he retorted that he doesn't even look at the books monthly anymore...too depressing. It was easy to jump on capital purchases when I was feeling flush from 8 sales-per months, but at barely ONE per week, I wonder why the hell I'm buying TVs, treadmills, etc. I do my part, but ALL sales are more difficult now. A good friend of mine runs a $2mil musical instrumentation biz (guitars and pickups), and he says his sales force is "losing bandwidth because they have to 'work' each sale much more". Well put. The guy who was about to buy new will buy your used stuff without much work because of the savings, but the normal used-purchaser is either paralyzed or if unafraid, will grind you. So it's much harder all around. And the bushman hides his illegal tradings by starting a war? Sigh....
I haven't been having any problems. Plenty of offers. You might try placing a 'Sale Pending' tag on your ad. I only have one open item currently, and I was receiving about 1 e-mail a day for the first 4-5 days. Once I reached a verbal agreement and placed the sale pending sign, the offers really started pouring in. It doesn't make sense to me, but next time I place an ad, I'll be sure to put the sale pending sign on the original ad.
"And the bushman hides his illegal tradings by starting a war"????? Come on now, don't be so vague and cute. Spit it out. Step up to the pump Mr. Car Salesman and tell us what's on your mind. Can we pronounce Nevill Chamberlain?
I agree with you. I don't look at "sale pending" adds. I also agree that it would bother my conscience to say I had a sale when I did not. Plus, if I did, I don't think I would write it in a thread. I hate sales situations where the people or businesses are untrustworthy and manipulative.
On used equipment sales: Industry retail sales are low for equipment and music. Both are frivolous purchases and people aren’t as free these days with their discretionary income. I have a friend who owns a high-end store who also does Home Theater Installations. Both are down tremendously.
Of course used sales would follow the same path…sort of. Because new sales of equipment is down, those who are buying are looking for better deals so it would seem logical that more people would turn to used equipment. Also, because people are hurting financially and more people are out-of-work (I have been since April until last Thursday) more people are selling equipment because they need money.
It seems there is more equipment for sale and that, in general, prices for the equipment is much better than it was before. A buyers market if there ever was one. Because sales prices are dropping competition is up so the gap between those who sell and those who don’t is getting wider.
There are so many variables in why an item does or does not sell. 1. Perceived value. The greater the perceived value the better chance for interest and ultimately the sale. 2. The Add. There is almost nothing I will buy anymore if there isn’t a picture. In fact, I won’t even look at a add if there aren’t pictures…unless I am already intimately aware of the product. I won’t look at equipment that doesn’t show the original retail. And, if the person inflates the original retail (like when new models come out at higher prices people will try and say their item is the NEW higher retail), I immediately close the add and would not consider buying from them. 3. Feedback. The lower the feedback the less comfortable I am to buy. And I would only consider 0 feedback under extreme circumstances. 4. Equipment model. How well known is the product? How much in demand is the type of equipment? How rare is the model? How diligent is the manufacture in protecting distribution and pricing? How good is the strategy for new model introductions by the company? 5. Availability. How easy is it to get, how many of them are out in circulation.
Tobias, it didn't make sense to me either. I never look at items marked sale pending unless I'm very interested. Then I just tell the seller to let me know if the buyer backs out. This was very strange, I actually had more offers after the sale pending sign was put in place. Not only that, one gentleman went so far as to tell me he could get me the money quicker than the potential buyer I'm holding the item for, even after I explained the situation to him. He tried to tell me that old 'bird in the hand...' line. I still refused, as I have a sale pending. Which obviously means different things to different people.
Agree with the 'Sale Pending'-thing dissent; in fact, if your ad becomes stale after a couple of viewing weeks, you might want to add something along the lines of 'Still Available' to your title copy, so people won't assume that it's already gone or something.
I think a lot of what moves and what doesn't, particularly when it comes to digital and also cables, has to do with what has 'buzz' - what's perceived as being hot or not at the moment. I don't think price, except for something way out of the ballpark, will have too much to do with response, since people will still inquire with lower offers if you've only set it a little too high. Probably the worst thing for a quick sale is if your piece was the hottest thing going in its catagory and price range just a couple of years ago, and the resale market is now substantially saturated and depreciated. The other killer can be if the 'next big advancement' has just come along to render your gear now 'out of date', at least until the latest craze blows over.
Recently, a currently-manufactured, well-known and reviewed DAC I was selling took the whole 30 days of the ad to move, while just half a year ago when I bought it myself on the 'Gon, the unit at the same price had multiple quick responses with offers to buy arriving after mine, according to the first seller (whom I trust). Just persevere and you will probably be rewarded, but keep in mind that it is common for people generally to slow down a bit on making discretionary purchases for themselves as the gift-giving holidays approach. Also, I think it can be important as to when your gear is listed on the 'New Today' page before getting shuttled off to the catagorized listings; I began that ad I refered to on the Friday of a 3-day holiday weekend, not a smart idea in retrospect. I suspect that the best initial response is generated by ads posted at the beginning of the work week.
The "Sale Pending" stuff reminds me of the auto auction shenaninigans I run into a couple of times a week. Live auctioneers are so accustomed to shilling and pulling bids out of the air or convenient standers-by that they now have to yell "he's there" or "I got money" to a guy who stops bidding to hopefully bring the price up another round. Several times I've stopped bidding, thinking there was NO competitor, only to find the car sold to a sly real bidder! Other times I've bid the Subie up several hundred all by myself, bidding against the auctioneer's clever gestures. The automobile industry is apparently the ONLY one in the US where these auction tactics are still legal. It's getting tiresome.... Lugman, you're not a good ole' boy, are ya?
Label me if you like, but rest assured that idealogues on both sides are uncomfortable with the truth. The fact is that since Iran took our embassy hostage in the 70's, the bombing of our Marine Corps barracks in Lebanon in the mid 80's, the original attack on the World Trade Center, the attack on the U.S.S. Cole, and other acts of agression against U.S. interests, not to mention 9-11, war has been delcared against us publicly and clandestinely. How many cheeks do we have left to turn? Would you volunteer to be the next victim?
So, you don't like George Bush. Okay, I've got no problem with that. When you insinuate that potential actions taken against Iraq are a cover for illegal business dealings you present a simpleton, idealogue point of view that, if left unsaid, wouldn't have resulted in this post. I bristle when facts become irrelevant and are replaced by vague and cute accusations.
Seems to me that some of the "bad ole boy" reasoning is pretty simplistic too. It's funny that the rest of world (outside of the U.S.) would disagree with your interpretation of the "facts". Some would even go so as to argue that the attacks against the United States are to a large extent a reaction to U.S. policy initiatives. When the U.S. supports a corrupt and authoritarian monarch, should we really be surprise that after he's overthrown the populace hates us and seeks reprisals. (Somewhat ironically one of the student leaders of the Iran embassy takeover has spent time in Iranian prison because he now supports curbing the power of the mullahs and greater interaction with the United States.) Should Americans really be surprise that when we send troops to foreign shores that various local groups might react, even violently so. Think about it, what would you do if China sent troop into Canada, say to protect the rights and economic interests of ethnic Chinese ex-pats. What would you do? Take China at its word and bake a cake for their troops. I don't think so. Yet your average American sees no problem with the permanent stationing of U.S. soldiers in Saudi Arabia, nor the U.S. arming and financing the military capabilites of Isreal. Despite American desires for simplicity, a clear cut right and wrong, or George Jr. would have it, good vs. evil, the world ends up being a complex place where the facts and the truth are not universally perceived.
One last point, with the elections over and "victory" secured the rheteric about Iraq will subside to normal levels.
I agree with some of your proposition. What I take issue with is the claim that G.B.jr. is doing this to take the spotlight off his illegal activities, per Subaruguru. We may see the light someday and allow the rest of the world to interact without us. Nevertheless, whatever reaction the rest of the world has to us and our past policies, I draw the line at events like 9-11.
The sad fact about our involvement globally is that it is based on commerce. The middle east controls the world oil prices with it's vast reserves. To a very large extent past practices by our government were reactions about real threats to vital world trade. A perfect example is Afghanistan. If we wouldn't have trained the Afghans and supplied them arms in the 70's, they may very well have fallen under Soviet rule. That would have allowed the Soviet military to be one step closer to gaining control of the middle eastern oil reserves. A successful Soviet campaign in Afghanistan may very well have delayed the USSR collapse. What we have repeated done was enough to have a stalemate. Universally it has backfired on us. At least we are not expansionist.
This is all history. I am concerned about today. My bad ole boy remark was meant to show that neither the right nor the left like my views.
Talk about selling IT...seems there's there's a pretty active ad campaign on both sides....On with the PRODUCTS! :-) Sorry, don't mean to offend. It just seems that talk of what is or isn't selling has turned into a "right-left punch", as it were. Guess I prefer Audiogon talk of right/left be confined to our two-channel systems! :-)
Lugnut, can we agree to disagree. Like audiophilia, politics would be quite boring if everybody agreed on everything.
4yanx, sorry if you were offended, but a discussion of whether items were selling touched on the state of the economy which in turn is impacted by the current administration's talk of war. In our modern society eating meat, wearing a fur coat, driving a large SUV and yes, even trying to improve your stereo has significant socio/political implications.
Oh, I was in no way offended. Just speaking in the interest of discouraging the rhetoric from escalating to the point where neither side can back away from their position. Not sure if I am talking about the thread or the larger debate contained within the thread..... :-)
Nothing either of you guys have said offended me. Quite the contrary. It's Suburuguru that gets under my skin with his cute remarks. He doesn't give facts, preferring instead to call names. Only in cyberland does his ilk have the courage to behave in this fashion.
I will do my best to avoid such discourse in the future.
An interesting exchange. Getting back to the original question . . . .
I have been watching (and buying) audio equipment on eBay and here, at Audiogon, religiously for the last four years. I can see why Tracer asked the original question above. I have been asking myself the same question for the last two months.
I've noticed final bidding prices taking a sharp nose-dive. What's happening at this point in time that would affect this? Prices didn't dip during the fall of other years, so it doesn't seem to be a seasonal thing. They didn't decrease like this after 9-11.
Let me give just one example: I had been looking for a pair of a/d/s L1590's. Over the past four years I've seen them sell for around $1000 to $1300 without the individual PA1 internal amps, and $1500 to $1800+ with the amps. Yet, I just won the bid for a pristine pair with the internal amps for under $800. I'm definitely not complaining, just wondering what gives.
Just yesterday, I sold my Berning MicroZOTL for 80% of its retail value. That seemed to hold it's value pretty well. It sold within 30 minutes of placing the ad. For full asking price.
And just for the record, I eat lots of meat every day, wear leather and fur on my coats, use old growth exotic hardwoods for my speaker cabinets and amp panels, and drive a gas-guzzling 12 cylinder Jaguar.
Not politically correct? You got that right.
Oh, and I own and use alot of nasty black semi-automatic guns, too. With big, high-capacity magazines, and pistol grips, and flash hiders, and folding stocks. I'm sure Charles Schumer doesnt like me. And I also am a certified firearms instructor.
I burn wood in a fireplace for heat. I don't recycle. I don't donate to the Save the Whales fund, or Greenpeace. I think feminism is acting like a woman. I think the Sierra Club is a subversive organization. I am opposed to Social Security and other Marxist activities by the Federal Gov't. I think the UN should get the H*LL out of this country, and we should get the H*LL out of the UN. I think "gun control" means using two hands.
Okay, I'm sure everyone gets the picture. Next topic.
Lest ANYONE be confused because I have not made myself clear, I have no objection to anyone posing their repsective opinions. I would die for your freedom to do so. In fact, I once had an uncle and a brother who gave that ultimate sacrifice. Mine was only to wonder whether an Audiogon thread was the proper forum, since there are myriad others where such banter both reigns and rains.
Geez, look what I did! Sorry...just wanted to sell one of my 10 friggin Subies crowded in my backyard. My wife HATES the Appalachian look! (Damned, now look what I've done....)
My items have not been selling. I changed my e-mail address a while ago and submited application for Audiogon membership from scratch. My previous sales didn't generate much feed back anyway. I wonder if I'm in a catch 22. Little feed back and reservation to do business with me, because of it. I also wonder if my very conservative Audiogon ratings of gear for sale is hindering sales.
Zaikesman, you crack me up! Maybe we can get together and head up to Hudson's Bay for a seal roundup this winter!
Ohlala, I only talk about the stuff that I want to keep, on the posts I place. Particularly the Teres, I wouldn't part with that for any reason. And the Microzotl was only sold to get the next Berning amp. It really is all I said it was. It's sound quality is what led me to want the top of the line Berning. If I didn't get upgrade fever, I could have been permanently happy with the Microzotl. And the Lowthers are staying right where they are. If somebody wants them, they can make their own. I actually sell very little on this site, apart from LP's, and I buy much more than I sell.
I know your Berning compliments are legitimate, and I am sure they make nice amps. I was commenting on your first post. I think your many compliments allowed you to sell so easily and that is sort of interesting.
It may have had a bearing on it, but I think that many others are aware of the Berning quality, without my mentioning it. Also, the Berning ZH270 normally sells used for about $3600-$3800, which is also about 80% of it's $4500 retail price, so this is fairly consistent throughout the Berning line. It is interesting that my unit sold so easily, but I really don't know if my posting was a factor. Most Berning stuff sells quickly, from what I have seen. If my compliments of it helped it to sell quickly, then I'm glad I complimented it! But I think that would be over-estimating my influence level on buyers. A Microzotl is an unusual unit that needs a specific application, and the buyer would be aware of those specifics, and look for the best unit for the job/price. Which the Berning happens to be.
Subaruguru, so much for truth in advertising. Didn't work for "Crazy Eddie" either. I chose the name because of the ultimate goal of an audiophiles' system to have no sound other than the music itself and how crazy we get trying to achieve it.
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