I always trade in gear when upgrading. It saves the hassle of selling, gives my dealer leeway in discounts.
Hard call on used prices. Likely we will experience a significant downturn in the economy, reducing disposable income of those that might be purchasing. Lots of audiophile gear is produced in the US, although sourcing of a number of parts will increase because of tariffs. Foreign gear, will get much more expensive, driving up the value of used.
But it is a balance between demand and cost... both will be affected. I’m guessing demand is going to fall very significantly with the economic crisis we are facing. So, I'm guessing the used market will stay the same or fall. But that's a guess.
|
That's my thought as well. The major impulse will be consumers drastically reducing purchases of any sort, and certainly luxury items like audio gear. While there may also be an uptick in "value" due to tariffs on new imports, I think the drop off in consumer purchases will be the major result. We'll be lucky if this doesn't match something like the great depression as the billionaires take over the world, starting with the United Corporations of America.
|
|
I’ve been buying & selling for over 20 years and "bad economy" has been the common, erroneous scapegoat for most of that time - but the reality is our demand pool shrinks a bit every year, while supply grows: more old & new gear; old audiophiles dying off and kids want nothing to do with the stuff (die -> estate sale -> gear flippers -> secondary markets). That’s the constant driver here.
Specific models depreciate the longer they’ve been out; this is worse with companies that mint new versions of their components constantly e.g. "mk IXVII.14a se limited con carne".
Many of the "my gear doen’t sell, it must be the economy" guys are pricing their gear too high - "dreamer" pricing. The liquid price for most things is NOT bluebook value, which generally lags behind and overestimates market prices. I price a bit below actual market, and something items still stick around longer than I thought. But generally sales are brisk if you price appropriately.
We might see more of a downtick in demand as people freak about their retirement accounts - but I expect it will be temporary, or at least not long-term.
|
I just sold a pair of speakers. It took about 3 weeks. Originally listed for $1500. Average in that condition used is around that. I wanted an quick local sale and took $1100. They went to a good home.
|
I agree , ads that don't result in a reasonably quick sale are priced too high. At my original asking i got replies, but I didn't want to ship. As soon as I lowered my price $200 I got a number of emails/texts. Not wanting to demo at my place i offered to come by. It was worth not having to ship, deal with PayPal.
|
I will be testing market soon w sale of relatively high value speakers / amplifiers $50 K range… very tempted to just ship them to TMR….
|
Thanks for the comments. I'm learning from the details here.
|
Sell at a great price now, as the longer it sits, the less likely someone's going to buy without some ridiculous haggling. Money is going to be tight and pricing will suffer.
Al the best,
Nonoise
|
The way I look at it I stepped into a much , much better speaker for not a lot of money. About 2/3 the cost was by selling old speakers and a few accessories.
|
my guess is that the used audio market, at least in the short term, will not be greatly affected by the utterly retarded, ill-advised tariffs--there are folks who will only buy new stuff, and consequently demand (and prices) for used gear should remain constant. i suppose if these stratospheric tariffs remain in place for a long time the "new" buyers will be compelled to chase used gear, which (as during covid) will drive up prices considerably, though i do think that's a ways off.
|
I better get another spare set of tubes, I guess.
|
@tomic601 curious what speakers and amps are you thinking of selling and more importantly what will you be replacing them with? Curious minds want to know. 😉
|
Nothing is going to replace them, he is preparing for hard times ahead.
|
First, decide for sure you don’t want to keep the item and that you will not regret selling. Once you decide to sell, then get it listed and sold at your earliest convenience since most components, speakers, and (especially) tweaks lose value with age. You have already received good advice on pricing. I also suggest looking at the listing history of whatever you are selling at hifishark for a history of listing (not selling) prices. Look at A’gon’s blue book too, if you have it.
|
One of my favorite song lyrics by Gillian Welch n Davis Rawlings is “ Hard times ain’t gonna rule my mind “… and while our rebalancing took awhile ..let’s just say over a similar timeframe as the “ sage of Omaha…. i’m much more worried for others….
@rsf507 On the block ? Vandersteen 7 mk 2 and the matching 7 amplifiers. Change is the only constant. Ive got a pair of TAD and Apogee to get me thru Summer and a fairly exhaustive search… thx for asking
|
@hilde45 ,
Thinking of selling the Ascend towers or Carbon7's??
|
@tomic601 Do you think you can do better than those Vandersteen or is change just in the blood. That is seemingly an endgame system. No wrong answer just very curious.
I believe the used market is pretty soft right now.
|
Mitch has a good point about selling the piece you plan to upgrade. Hang onto it until you are sure you made the right move. Especially with speakers
I learned that lesson the hard way. I picked up a pair of Revel M106 a few years back. A good speaker , no doubt. I had a pair of PSB M2 Platinum that they replaced. Looking back those PSB were better. Better sounding and better build quality.
I sold the Revel after a short time and moved on but I kept looking for a used pair of PSB. I swore I would never make that mistake again.
I recently changed out speakers in my second system. I after a short time it was clear that I made a significant upgrade so I listed the old pair. But I had an opportunity to compare.
When I was younger and had young kids I couldn't always buy first, then sell the old speakers or gear ćbecause I needed those proceeds to make a move. Fortunately my kids are grown and I can put a little money aside so when I make an upgrade it's truly an upgrade and not a lateral move. And I can side by side to be sure I'm not throwing money away or putting it in the wrong direction
|
If you are lookin’ to sell something just ask yourself this question. What reasonable price would I pay?
|
I'm mainly looking at selling some cables and some Klipsch speakers (smaller ones).
Not selling Carbons or Ascend. They are really fantastic and I like rotating them in. Of course, if the price was right... ;-)
|
I believe things were slowing down even before the current tariff/recession talk. I used to be able to buy and sell with minimal loss and sometimes even make a profit when upgrading. Now with increased shipping costs and softer pricing, my moves are getting fewer and farther between. Luckily I’m very happy with my system - primarily due to the addition of ATC 19A actives. They do exactly what I was chasing I my small room. I still do have a box of fairly expensive cables to sell but will wait til Fall and the approach of “listening season”
|
I will usually sell stuff around this time, tax season . My last sale a week or two ago went well.
I actually delivered them and when we were talking cash he handed me the money and said " Five Hundred? " loud enough for his wife to hear as he handed me $1100. I said " Sure !"
He had his speakers listed for $600 so the Mrs thinks it's a break even. Win!
|
I have been buying and selling well over 30 years , having too owned a Audio store
dealers give maybe 35% on average especially if not a high demand item
Pass Labs labs, some Mcintosh, LTA , Wilson , Magico , Rockport ,Coda Boulder
some CJ, and AR depending on model and age, all American made products .
hold their value well.
|
Good feedback so far, priced high or low, a ‘right’ buyer will come along. In a hurry, price aggressively, not in any hurry ask for your price and go from there. Personally, I am never in hurry to sell which gives me immense joy to ignore the tire kickers :-)
As far pricing, use HiFi Shark to see listed/sold price trends.
|
@lalitk I use hifishark regularly. The problem is that we are in relatively uncharted waters.
|
The audio gear market is not a stock market. It is a very niche market and always there is demand. Someone mentioned already that the aging of audiophiles is piling up as stamina and mobility are coming down, which is one of the problems. Well, none can control that. Young people including my young kids, don't bother sitting back to listen to music but quickly come and go. They are too young. Maybe, maybe once they get older, they may want better audio gear to enjoy, who knows the future... AI and other sound tech will take over the next generation. Most audio companies around the world raised the unit price by more than 20 - 30% during the COVID and afterwards and the used gear market will be booming under recession if any. Don't overcharge it then you shouldn't be a problem.
|
I'm seeing some used gear now being listed for sale that I had my eyes out for over a number of years. Also, recently new gear with only few hours on it being put up for sale. Hard to say if this is coincidence or not, yet one other data point.
People buy and sell for all kinds of different reasons at different times. If audio helps to enjoy life and continue a private hobby that keeps you happy, buy or sell whatever you need to and enjoy the next setup whatever that is. Timing all of this is hard as I never saw audio as a good investment to begin with, just a nice to have hobby that comes at a cost or loss with trade-ins. Do whatever works for you.
|
“The problem is that we are in relatively uncharted waters.”
@hilde45
This shouldn’t deter you to list your items. Unless you’re selling a niche product, the resale value of used items are pretty much around 40-50% off of full retail.
|
The reality is that you cannot expect to recoup your costs on consumer goods. At best, you might get 40-50% of what you paid, especially from private buyers where there is no concept of a warranty. That's true even if the economy is doing great.
Stereo gear is a tough sell especially since it's a niche luxury product.
|
The majority of the audiophile community is either retired or approaching retirement, therefore, any economic downturn that affects retirement income/investments, will affect discretionary purchases.
|
It's a great market for used audio, OP ... a lot of guidance on inner webs regarding pricing. Price it well and pack it well ... good luck!!
|
The reality is that you cannot expect to recoup your costs on consumer goods.
Did anyone suggest that?
|
I used to pack and ship gear in the "old days", when shipping rates were decent, shippers didn't usually damage well packed gear, and if they did, they didn't argue about the declared value of what they broke or lost. With my current re-homing efforts local, it becomes a market of one.....the one local person that happens to be looking for what I am selling....market price is a reference, but that's about it. I'm happy to negotiate within reason.....often selling at 2/3 of ebay sold prices. Most of my gear is too vintage for TMR, so trading is not an option. I'm happy with all that I have, but the need to downsize a bit more is forever part of the journey.....
|
end game is a lie i promulgate about the last boat… etc…..
i had an end game bird dog but she slipped away after almost 18 years…
live life, listen to music… hold dear
|
It is possible to recoup most if not your entire cost via purchasing used items. As for future market pricing, with all this chaos how can one have any assurance about much of anything.
|
