Why not save yourself the trouble of agonizing over the price, or haggling with tire kickers? Here's an opportunity to donate them to a worthy cause. Seriously; great choice of speakers. I've listened to the Indras extensively lately at my friend's place. It must be difficult to give those up. Hope the replacements are worthy. I've seen the Diamonds list here for $16-22K on the used market. Lately it's been on the lower end, but they've always come up pretty rarely for understandable reasons. Good luck! |
Jax2, thanks for your thoughts. The replacement will likely be a pair of Avalon ISIS. I am not listing my Diamonds at the moment, but responding to a wanted to buy ad. Thanks again. John. |
You could pay the fee and see the audiogon bluebook. I renew that every year. The only thing, I don't know if people are not reporting all the sales or what but AG's bluebook leans to the high side of what the products are selling for these days. |
Wireless200,
I have found the bluebook to be off by multiples of what it says. There is an algorithm for 'older' equipment which means things are way off unless there are lots of sales through Agon's system. For old things with few sales (if any) through the system, it is almost useless. |
The Orion Blue book is a far, far better, 'real world' insight to electronic and other traded items and is derived from posted receipts from busniess owners around the world, and certainly across North America.
For $5 you can go to their web site and get fifteen minutes of time to search their data base for whatever. $25 gets you a whole week... last time I checked. The data base is updated periodically, and again, by actual receipts from business owners, not merely by claims of sale prices.
Every pawn shop I've ever worked in or been in has their books on the shelf behind the counter. Take a look for yourself. I've seen local dealerships which take in used gear for consignment sales, and as trade ins, also use this resource, repeatedly.
There are other's of course, but Orion is pretty much the prevalent choice. They list prices for the actual MSRP, wholesale, and conditionally.
For $5? I'd go there and look. |
When I was a dealer in the 70s and 80s the Orion was a joke, prices MUCH lower than street prices. Dealers [not me] would keep it under the counter so they could offer low trade ins. But try to get THEM to sell you a used component for the listed price. Maybe its gotten better, but then it was strictly a tool to fleece the customer. Used prices have always varied wildly, even in the same store; and local markets are quite different in which things sell best. |
Johnax I just sold a pair of Diamonds in that color so email and I will tell what price I got for them. |
I haven't found Agon's bluebook to be off by "multiples." At worst a lot of the stuff selling now, is usually at or 5% below the lowest recent sales. Not necesssarily but in many cases. I've bought and sold a few things and keep up with other equipment pretty closely and it really isn't that far off. I've got Mcintosh, Bel Canto, Aerial equipment and have owned and sold other brands (Dynaudio, Rega, Krell, Cary and so on) and it hasn't been off more than 5% or 10%. At worst it's a good starting point. I think one thing that's hurt it a little is the way sales work and feedaback work now. |
Wireless200, I have paid the fee for the Blue Book several times, although currently my subscription has run out. I have found it to be reliable for more frequently traded items, perhaps lower priced items also. I suppose less frequently traded higher priced items have more variability in the sales prices. Anyway, thanks all for your thoughts. John. |
I have just had a brief perusal of the BlueBook. Some things are indeed better marked. My amps and speakers, in both systems, seem to be in the ballpark of where things trade or would trade, even though I rarely see them trade (other than one set of amps, which I occasionally see). The prices and pricing methods for all things analog and old, however, seem to be way off - miles and miles in some cases. I, for one, will take any and all Technics SP-10Mk3s in working condition at 2x BlueBook. And when I look at ZYX carts, the Bluebook shows all current prices at exactly half of original MSRP plus or minus $10-15 (no matter where it is on the pricing curve), and that cannot be coincidence. I recently looked at analog stuff because I started looking at offering equipment on Audiogon for the first time and I was flabbergasted at what I saw (or did not see - many products just aren't there). |
Stan
Desparity in percieved value with Orion price lists, could be considered laughable, certainly by a seller seeking more, but for a non motivated buyer's perspective it is otherwise.
Figures are figures and their low is LOW indeed. other factors play into the price goods are traded for too. Dealers can either avow such factors or not. Sellers can accept them, move on, or reconsider things.
The actual legitimacy of used gear' sale prices is a variable always.... condition aside. Motivation plays more significance.
I/We always took into account those other factors. Our motivation, and that of the sellers.
If you don't need or want, or have much of a requesting for Avalon speakers, then just how much are they really worth to you?
another tact could be to call your home owners insurance carrier and ask them... and we all know just how valid 'appraisals' are. Tey selling merchandise for it's appraised value!
Or contact some other Avalon dealers and ask them... personally I'd look there more so than one isolated sale, or Orion, for that matter.
But in the end it's how much one is willing to take for a thing which determines it's selling price, regardless the 'proposed' value.
What's the general rule of thumb around here? half off for preowned? I disagree with that but it is quite the prevalent line of thinking. 30% off MSRP for new is a good buy IMO. 40% is pretty much a no brainer good buy.... and it's not an insurmountable task to find 20% off for new.
Esthetics I feel play more an important part with main speakers. orig price being first for me... then their age, current production?, and seller feedback, with shipping the final thought.
Again, for 5 bucks if nothing else, one gets an idea. I'd begin there, but do a bit more investigating if I had something quite expensive I wanted to sell and try minimizing my loss.
Good luck OP |
