I hope these responses can help you make the best out of a terrible situation. Based on your initial description, you have desirable gear that people will want. I suspect that you stand to recoup a significant sum. I can second the suggestion to contact The Music Room. I have had experience with them and found the experience easy, fair, and straightforward. I think this is the way to get it “All Gone”. Also, I noted some offers to come and pick it all up, particularly the poster who offered to do the deal in the presence of police witnesses…excellent way to ensure your safety. If you consign the equipment for sale you’re likely to prolong your ordeal instead of getting it over with. Best Wishes
SELLING IT ALL
Hi, all: I am in East Texas. My husband has so much equipment I can’t even spreadsheet it all. He is now in a nursing home with dementia and will not be coming home. I want to sell all the equipment, and am a motivated seller. Some of the brands: Marantz, Bryston, Linn Klout, Linn Kairn, Linn Magic, Linn Keil, Parasound, Theil, Klipsch, Polk Audio, Cambridge, Audio Research. Then lower end stuff like Sony, Yamaha, Onkyo, Teac, etc. Miles of cables/interconnects (Audio Magic, Audio Quest, Toslink, and others -- hard to inventory. Best ones are not on this list because they are behind equipment.) Lots of power wedges. DACs, power conditioners, and misc. other stuff like racks.
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105 responses
bastereo -- I'm looking for a good pair of interconnects, please respond if you can do something with this. |
Sorry for your loss, we have experienced the same thing. I would also caution against using an estate liquidator. A friend lost both her parents and used an estate liquidator who promised a certain fee, then he had his crew quickly load the parents's items and then tell our friend the items weren't worth as much as first offered. Since the items were loaded on the truck, and the friend was worn out and grieving she took the offer, only to realize after she got her wits back about her that she had been take to the cleaners. My suggestion is to find a friend or family member that is willing to do some research and find what is in your best interest. Good Luck |
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@bastereo that is a great plan, and a terrific demeanor and mindset with which to handle it - i can tell you will do just fine with all this staying focused and purposeful in a time of loss is also the best way to get through it 👍👍👍 |
Sorry Dill those are my real life expereinces with Estate sale folks. I could care less about this womens equipment i really do not need any of it. I personally had to have an estate sale for my moms possiesions and we were completely ripped off 15K dining room sets they sell for $100 as an example. 10K couches for $50 and so on . Ridiculous. Then I had an estate sale when I moved three years ago. Downsizing and so didnt need all of my belonginings any longer. All they had were junk dealers looking to steal my belongings. Offering me $150 for a custom butcherblock that is $1500 easy if you wanted to buy one yourself today. Offering me $100 for my 67 Blue Sparkle Slingerland Drum kit and upset I didnt take itt even when a guy offered $150 and I didnt take I said listen, These are Zildjian cymbals from 50s and 60s stamped markings , 5 lug snare etc... all classic pieces each worth $100 a piece easy and the snare goes for hundreds. Net net these people were thieves as I even sold stuff gave them the money and then it wasnt on the report they provided. In three days the sold just garbage and stole money from me for sure. Their buddy came back took all of our china, extra dishes in the containers I had them in which were not for sale and they said he would only pay $100 , BS. The 5 containers he took were worth more than $100 to replace Horrible results from these folks.. In two days I sold allthey didnt on FB marketplace and made tripple what they brought in. My drum kit went for $700 as an example which was fair to a guy that is going to part it and sell it . Now to me buying, I attend these estate sales looking for vinyl and audi grear that might be interesting. Every single seller has their following of people and they give them deals and steals. I see it everytime I am at these sales. The buyer greets the estate sales person and then she or he points them to the product they put aside and they do a deal. Last one the estate sales person and the buyer where trying to figure if the HO Scale trains were the ones worth a bunch of money while I was standing right there. Maybe you are on the up and up but my real life experience with Estate sales folks is they are all crooks . I stick by going to local audio shops or online specility guys to get an idea of value then sell how you wish |
I'm terribly sorry to hear about your husbands health. I work for TMRAudio.com and would be happy to help you out. We work with folks in this unfortunate position quite frequently here, in many cases we can offer cash, we also have a very generous consignment program. Even if you don't chose to work with us, I am more than willing to answer any questions that you might have. I'm here to discuss your needs and offer my professional advice at any time. You can contact me at: Nick@TMRAudio.com -Nick from TMR |
Hello, In cases like this, you most likely want a convenient cash sale. You should strongly consider selling the entire package to The Music Room. https://tmraudio.com/ In one transaction, you will be done. Just like trading in your car, you won't be getting full market price as if you had sold it yourself, but you also won't be spending all of your free time selling equipment. The Music Room will need to have leave a margin for themselves to profit (they will be reselling the equipment), but this is about convenience for you vs a headache. |
I work for TMRAudio.com and would be happy to help you out. We work with folks in this unfortunate position quite frequently here, in many cases we can offer cash, we also have a very generous consignment program. Even if you don't chose to work with us, I am more than willing to answer any questions that you might have. ^^^ class act ^^^ 👌👌👌 |
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@bastereo Make sure that you can prove to that IRS that you are not making a profit from the sale of your gear. especially if you use PayPal and sell each item separately. PayPal sometimes send the IRS info on money transfers if they think you are a business. If you do not have the sales receipt, I would just look up the MSRP and record it in some document before you sell anything. |
Dear Texas Lady, I know you just want it GONE. BUT, are you at least aware of the value of the items in general anyway? Some husbands aren't truthful about the cost of many of our "toys" as they're brought into the house. You could be sitting on $25,000., maybe only $5000.00. You might want to know. I hope you find a good Samaritan to help you out. I've been called on to help out on several estates. I was prepared to do whatever the seller wanted. I never took a dime. God bless, Joe |
Very good advice from you all. No, my husband was never honest about what things actually cost. HOWEVER, I have a lot of sales receipts. And for the others, I am looking up the MSRP and putting it on the spreadsheet. I'm well over $70,000 in that column so far. Obviously, some things have devalued, but others have appreciated. So, it's a rough guess. I made him give me numbers for a lot of it several years ago to make sure our insurance agent had a spread sheet of it in case of loss. Very good point about not making a profit. So, if it sells for less than he bought it for, then I don't have to claim as income? Or just not as gains? Interesting question. I'll check with tax accountant. Y'all are a fount of good information. I really, deeply appreciate it. |
You should actually be able to use the loss as a tax write-off. Also, you may be able to adjust for inflation to increase the size of that loss. The difficulty will be determining the initial purchase price of the items. HiFi gear often depreciates like a new car. Definitely speak with your tax guy/gal. |
Sorry about your husband...that's awful, i've ben through it. Hopefully he can stay positive through it. tmraudio.com would be great, and if you want to be sure you're getting good offers through them, check the products you're selling on hifishark.com for current and past sale prices on used gear. Good luck! Also - i'm sure if you list some of the products here, you'll be able to move some stuff. cheers. JKT |
US audiomart is free, not 1 or 2% charge. Ever since audition changed their sales process, I sell on US audiomart. TMR has been good to do business with. Facebook marketplace. Go to US Audiomart to see what people are asking for each piece of equipment and list it for close to that price. Don't list it with an estate sale outfit or a pawn shop, they don't know the difference between a cheap denon to a Bryson. Better to have a local sale (have a neighbor or kid with you when they visit) and only deal in cash or PayPal friends and family, never use the regular PayPal as a seller because they will almost always side with the buyer. No cashiers checks, no ordinary checks, cash. This is where TMR could shine because they are a reputable buyer. Over package deals for a little cheaper price. |
Hello bastereo, All the best to you and your family to get through the current ordeal. I am a budding audiophile who is very much interested in acquiring good quality used equipment that I may be able to afford. Please include me in any listing of interested potential buyers with whom you'll share the hidden page in your website once you are ready to begin the selling process in earnest. I agree with whoever stated that you sound to me like you know what you have and what you want, so I'm not too worried that you'll encounter any problems. However, since we're talking about lots of gear, amounting to a rather high value, I'd be dishonest if I didn't also recommend to consider selling the entire lot to reputable resellers. Of course, that would mean that my acquisition would cost more, but the beauty of families such as Agon is that we try to do our best to look out for each other FIRST. All the best to you and greetings to all you fellow Goners. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!! |
Sorry for your situation. There is a Blue Book on Audiogon. It will take some effort but I would suggest taking an inventory and finding prices associated with your husbands equipment. While there are many honorable audiophiles out there in the world, there are also some unscrupulous people that will definitely take advantage of your situation. Probably the best way to get the most money is to post the products on Audiogon or US Audiomart. You will need a few pictures and some basic information. This is very easy and I am sure there are at least a few Youtubes out there on how to do this. It would be very similar to selling on Ebay. You could also list the items on Ebay. If you don't want to go that route, I would still suggest getting at least some idea of the value from the Audiogon Blue book. Then if you work with someone to liquidate all of it, at least you will know if they are being fair or not with their offer. |
I recognize the hassel in shipping equipment and the desire to get rid of it, but (and I am making an assumption here) as a woman living alone, Do you really want the traffic for this amount of equipment and music in your home or the need to always have a friend or relative with you when shoppers show up. I would take photos and list the pieces with an individual price or as a set. Make shiping costs an addition covered by the buyer. Consignment and liquidators won't get you the buck some of this equipment would garner on the audiophile market. It seems to come down to a bit of a hassel either way, but one that can bring significant renumeration to you for the effort. If you just want it Gone then a liquidator route is the best approach. |
Hi, Once you find out a good ballpark listing price for each component, definitely send all the info and pics to TMRaudio and see what they are willing to pay. They can sometimes be a bit low on some offers, but by and large are a great and painless way to buy, sell or consign your used equipment. And they also deal with shipping costs and scheduling transport for you, which can be a pita sometimes. For individual sales, if you enjoy not paying commissions, go the USAudiomart route. I sell everything audio on that site due to no commissions, and they seem to get more hits on stuff that is not crazy high end as well. Sorry to hear about your troubles….hang in there. |
@bastereo I am actually nearby, in Lufkin, and would be interested in working with you on this. My take on it would be to give you a fair price for the whole lot of it. It is good that you inventory it, and there are tools that are found online that may be useful to approximate value. Someone likely in this thread has pointed you to such a tool, something like the 'audio blue book' is the name of one such tool. If you want to discuss this with me further, please do not hesitate to reach out. If we can make a deal on it all, i will pay cash at time of transfer. Sorry for your loss and I hope this liquidation goes ok for you, be careful though. |
I belong to a private Facebook group called Audiophile Swap and Shop. I haven't bought or sold there yet, but this could be a good place to list at least some of your equipment. You could require that people come to you to haul the stuff away, or you could offer to ship the smaller pieces. I am planning to attempt to sell my old Thiel speakers there. Here's the address: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1742722662620198 |
Sorry to hear about your husband. He spent years accumulating his collection and spent a good amount of your assets on it. Good news is that this is worth good money if it is in good working condition. Don't dump it in a huge rush to a reseller and leave a lot of money on the table. If you have the manuals and boxes, you might also have the receipts. Get in touch with someone fairly local who he bought from and see if he will sell them for you and take a 20% or so commission, so he has interest in moving it for good money. They also generate additional traffic for him. If he is trustworthy, let him take all the stuff out of there now and store it. I've been charged 20-40% for the service. I regret doing the 40%, but I was really urgent in wanting the piece replacing the box I was letting him sell. He wants to make 40% on anything he sells, new or used. If you don't sell it one by one (or very small lots), you will take a hit. You don't want Craig's list - it is filled with criminals, and you don't want to sell to people like us directly, we'll drive you nuts. |
I’m sorry for your position , I’m going through age related stuff and have started to thin my toys. The people will come out of the woodwork to snag a deal at your expense. A friend contacted me 2 years ago after coming from an estate sale run by the decadents daughter . He asked the price of some items and she responded “ those green things with the light bulbs “? He scored a pair of vintage Altec amps and a box of NOS tubes for almost nothing . I personally could not do that to someone. If you’re looking for an out, I would suggest contacting Johnny at 3M Audio in the Houston area . He’s a store owner that is an authorized dealer for many brands , and also deals in a large amount of high quality vintage and used gear . Keep in mind that he would be offering dealer wholesale prices as he would be servicing and reselling your items . I live in California , but have done business with him numerous times and with favorable results. To maximize your sales an auction or a trusted individual would be better . Best wishes to you in your trying times , and God Bless you both . Respectfully, Mike B. |
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don_c55 I have been screwed on craigslist Vancouver only twice after hundreds of transactions buying/selling AV and other household objects for many years. What's more, as a freelancer, I acquire very nearly 100% of my pro clients -- nooo, not THAT kind of "freelancer" or "pro clients" :) -- on CL. Ironically, it was the latter that screwed me for payment, one of which I had insisted on a 50% deposit so I was only 1/2 screwed in that instance. Nonetheless, selling this pile on CL would be arduous and unnecessary when there are more appropriate alternatives already mentioned elsewhere in this thread. |
Short answer: eBay for the most eyes and most secure payment, then Craigslist, then physical store somewhere around you that takes items on consignment, OR if any of this equipment was bought recently (find/check receipts; this is a shot in the dark) you might be able to return equipment if it was very recently bought. It's great that he kept the boxes and probably the packing materials too, along with the paperwork, manuals and accessories. Sounds like you have a plan and am probably already putting it into action. Good luck. I have worked for estate sale companies, sold items through consignment stores/eBay/Amazon/Craigslist and held huge yard sales (never bought/sold anything on Audiogon, so cannot comment), so let me break those down. If you do the selling yourself it will take longer and make you interact with strangers, but you will get the most money if you research the items and know what they're worth. Craigslist is free, but there is always the manner of being paid and dealing directly with the buyer. eBay will take at least a 12.55% cut for each item, but more people will see the items, the payment is secure, and if you ship it (you don't have to, you can specify local pickup only), you never have to directly deal with strangers. Estate sale companies and consignment stores make it easier to sell stuff because you don't have to sell the equipment yourself and you pick up a check when the items are sold. Advisory that not all estate sale companies/consignment stores are the same, nor are all of them competent in properly putting a value to your husband's equipment, because most of them (at most) will look up a similar item that sold on eBay and base the price on that; estate sales usually discount the items because they won't sell at actual value there, because people are looking for deals - even more so at yard sales (which I wouldn't bother with because it sounds like you have a lot of quality equipment). You might have a hifi store around you that will take used items on consignment; they will have a good idea of the value of a piece and how much they can get for it. Figure at least 25%-50% commission. |
A cautionary tale for all of us out here - make a list of your equipment with searchable name (add special model or upgrade info) and price paid and make sure a friend, significant other or executor of your will has a copy so they know what they are dealing with - non-audiophiles, even ones you live with, can have no clue of what you have or what it's worth. |
My heart goes out to you for your loss. I'm sure your husband must have had a good friend that had similar interests. Contact him/her and see if for the honor of keeping an item to help remember him, maybe he could help you in the liquidation of his system. Maybe some of his friends would like the opportunity to own some of his life's hobby. Regards, Tracy. |
I strongly suggest, as others have, contact his friends and/or ask around for the name of an established stereo equipment dealer who also has experience with audiophile (not BestBuy or other big box store) equipment. For example: there is wonderful salon in Baltimore Md. called Soundscape. I have purchased used and new equipment from them since the 80s. The business is family owned and has been a part of the Baltimore scene since the 1930s. The store can be found, here https://www.soundscapemd.com/ Once at the website, the telephone and email address in included. I suggest you ask to speak with Mr. John Dorsey, family member of the founding business and an excellent resource. Feel free to mention my email address to him stjamesrd@gmail.com |
@troidelover1499 Who's bringing negativity? I am serious. I haven't considered what might happen if I am incapacitated. I don't want my wife dealing with the likes of you or the other sharks circling this post. It's a reasonable consideration given the thread. I would want my system to stay intact and go to a friend that could appreciate it. |
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One way to expedite the situation is to use some technology, like having a FaceTime call with a knowledgeable member. This would quickly establish values and help in categorizing items. I’d be happy to spend 1/2 hour on a call and have zero interest in buying any gear. I’ve been buying and selling items on this and other audio sites site since 2006 I’d be happy to offer some advice and ideas. |
