Random question/ thoughts about stuff for sale here


Guys and Gals - 

Maybe it's just me, but oftentimes, when I see equipment for sale here on Audiogon that I'm not personally familiar with, I have a tendency to develop an immediate bias that the equipment is deficient in some way (inherent to the product, not the actual item for sale).  

I know that audiophiles (by nature) are always swapping gear and trying new things in pursuit of perfection, but when I see something for sale, I subconsciously and irrationally conclude that the gear didn't live up to that hope and I mark it off my list as something I would ever consider buying.  This is true whether it's a phono preamp, cables, speakers or anything for that matter.

I know it's an unfounded bias, but one that I'm not able to move on from.

Is this just me or do others feel similarly?

Thanks

Greg

gregkohanmim

Showing 2 responses by gregkohanmim

It's great so many people have shared their thoughts and contributed to this thread.

To go a bit further to clarify my initial post - 

There have been times where I know exactly what I want already and then apply a level of patience until something comes up for sale - Case in point, my current main speakers were ones that purchased from a local seller on here about 6-7 years ago.

For me, it's never a matter of a seller or condition of the equipment or even price that evokes the bias, it's the product itself.

In practical terms, I see a lot of prior generation Opportunities BDP's for sale lately and they get a hall pass since I know that Opposition has just come out with the new 203 and announced the 205.  But for so many other products that I see come up for sale frequently I apply a level of "intuitive logic' that leads to the bias.

For example, I spend a lot of time in the forums (largely lurking) and I seldom see the products that people rave about in the forums come up for sale and vice versa.  I know that this is just bias but I still can't seem to get past it - I'm sure there are lots of great products out there that I could be missing out on simply because seeing them for sale here (and seldom written about favorably in the forums, if at all) as a red flag-  right or wrong.

Make sense?

Greg