Hi Fi House liquidation

Admranger, Trytone, Vnttg, or anyone else, if you have further problems, please contact me offline.

Not sure where the items are currently, but I live next door to the golf course that hosted the auction. I could pick items up for you in the Philadelphia area, and then ship them out to you via USPS Priority Mail for small items or FedEX Ground for larger things.

HiFi House went down in a day. I have a friend who has a competing store just down the street from one of their locations. He said they were leveraged way, way, way over their heads, and the bank (think he may have told me it was a new bank?) called the note, and that was that.

The brick and mortar situation is crushing, for us as shoppers, the communities in general that host them, and obviously, those who make their livelihood from these businesses. Over the past 15 years, for various reasons that we've debated here countless times, things have collapsed. I miss spending my free time traveling to the myriad stores we once had in this area, and discovering high-end audio.

Trelja, I gather you live close to the Lafayette Hills section of the Philly burbs. I lived in the area for many years ... a long time ago. It's close to the Valley Green part of the Philly Fairmont Park.

I share your sentiments about the demise of B&M audio stores. Are you old enough to remember Music and Sound Ltd?? They started in Jenkintown, then moved to Willow Grove.

That's where I got my start in audio. M&S sold me a preowned Crown IC-150 and DC 300 set, and new Infinity 2000a sspeakers, w/ ESL tweeters. Had that stuff for 25 years.

M&S loved ARC gear. That's why I pick-up ARC gear again, some 35 years after my modest start.

Well the old days are gone and ain't coming back. Sigh!!

But hey ... many memories are easily retrieved ... I just pop a CD into the old CD player, or spin some old LPs. Right now I'm listening to The Best of Dion and the Belmonts CD. Takes me back.

Trelja
I won a few things and I might have to take you up on it. The discussion with one of the suggested shippers - Navis or whatever was a disaster. The guys was an arrogant jerk. Apparently I am not the only one who felt this way.

I spent the good part of yesterday trying to figure out payment and shipping. At least the former has been dealt with.

That 15% premium at the Audiogon site struck me as a surprise. I did not notice it before bidding. Thankfully I also bid on relatively small items.

But I feel sorry for the place and I cant say I dont feel a little bit like a vulture.

You're exactly right, Bifwynne. I live in Lafayette Hill. It's actually, Miquon, but no one's ever heard of that place. With the budget cuts of the USPS, they closed our Post Office, and we got absorbed by Lafayette Hill. I should say that some have heard of Miquon, as there's a train station on the Manyunk - Norristown line. What's nice is I can get to my job in Center City in 25 minutes.

Unless it was the place on Old York Road across from the Atrium Mall, which I thought was HiFi House back then, I don't remember Music & Sound in Jenkintown or Willow Grove. Interesting there was another high-audio shop you brought up in that area, as we also lost Soundex more than a decade ago.

I remember visiting the HiFi House location in Broomall when I was a teenager, and it was more or less a warehouse. They had a row of Paradigm speakers lined up in one giant room, from cheapest up through the most expensive in their midlevel (Studio?) line. Had some moderately priced Adcom and Bryston gear in the center of the speakers, and the guy told me to listen to whatever pairs of speakers I wanted, for as long as I wanted. I know in the past several years they tried to go WAY upmarket from those days, audiowise, after trying the HT route. It seemed one of the (the guy people got to see) owners had bet big money on things panning out. Obviously, they didn't.

You probably know my friend's store, TSTO (formerly, The Stereo Trading Outlet) in Jenkintown. To be honest, I have no idea how Mike stays above water. That store used to have so much life and excitement. Back in the 80s and 90s, when the store had a ton of used gear from all manner of manufacturers, you could literally get a PHD in high-end audio by simply visiting one or two times a month. Nothing like that exists today, and probably never will again. These days, it's difficult to walk in there to see a fraction of what he used to carry, no other customers around, and a silent phone. I made two great friends(Audiogoners Mechans and Sufentanil), and we used to visit a lot. Michael (Sufentanil) loved being around Dave and Carl and all of their banter. After Dave suddenly passed away several years ago, the place just isn't the same. But as you said, good (no, make that great) memories...

Thanks for the offer, Trelja!

I just sent my funds to them today so I'm hoping I'll have my items a week after they get them.

Just in case things go downhill, I will repost here! Please keep watching the thread!