Do dealers believe in their products?

Do dealers believe and test out the products they sell or just stock what the industry says is good? I suppose once you are a dealer for a product it would be hard to just dump the mfg'r when a better brand comes along. Then there is the ethics if a customer asks if there is something better out there and the dealer does not believe in what he sells.
I ask because I remember going into one of my first stores. The dealer had been around for decades and I got the impression he knew of a way better system for half the price. Then a home dealer was demoing bright, shiny $5,000.00 speakers but stuck in the corner where some huge dirty speakers from the 70's. That's what he listened to on his own time, hhhmmmmmmmmmmmm.