reubent1,663 posts12-03-2016 7:35amPeople who don't consider resale must have better access to dealers, or other audiophiles, where they can audition equipment and insure they are making the best buying decisions. In much of the country quality hi-fi dealers are few and far between and opportunities to audition are severely limited. In this scenario, buying/trying is the only option. Knowing you can resale for little/no loss is key to auditioning different equipment.
Unless you have deep pockets, and like to foolishly blow money on your hobby, considering resale is a must for many.
I've been in blind tests that have proven to me that I can't hear any difference in electronics or cables, so I never spend much on them and never plan to sell until I need a new feature ... which for my 2-channel system is NEVER (I run vintage equipment). So no need to worry much about resale for those. For speakers, first I look at objective measurements. This narrows the characteristics to speakers I know will likely fit the attributes I want. Then I generally buy used so someone else takes the depreciation hit. I assume that if I don't like them (highly unlikely if the measurements are extensive ... FR on- and off-axis, waterfalls, polars, etc.) I'll know it pretty quickly and I can sell them for near what I paid for them, so I don't even worry about resale. On top of that, I'm not subwoofer averse, so I don't have to lay out big bucks to get full range speakers. So I can try new speakers, but keep my same bottom end.
