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Nowhere to hear speakers and amps anymore!

When I started buying stereo equipment in the 1970’s (yes, I’m old) in Seattle, there were many retail stores where I could hear and compare equipment. I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1982 and found the same number of great stores until 2000 when they started disappearing and now there are none! There are plenty of Home Theater contractors, but I can’t find an audiophile store anywhere short of going to LA or back to Seattle! Is there an “audio desert” in my area? Seems like an opportunity for someone! Am I missing something? 

aldermine

Showing 2 responses by bjesien

bjesien
1,240 posts
 

I always come across guys running small enterprises out of their homes. Most have made their money elsewhere and do this on the side to support the hobby and write off a portion of their home. 

bjesien
1,240 posts
 

In my experience since 2000 there has been a growing serge of home based audio dealers. They are typically somewhat well off retirees that have turned their audio passion into a small business. 

As you might imagine some of these guys are single and love to spend time online. Others are married and probably only last a few weeks in the business. The former can be very savvy, and if they are risk takers, they sell product all over the world (as discretely as possible) making lots of money but sometimes getting caught and losing contracts, but sometimes not because in the words of Big Daddy Kane, "I get the job done."

I live near near Boston and grew in in NYC so there were always lots of dealers but the true way to learn is to buy and trade if that's fun to you.

 

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