Should we care if a piece of equipment comes from a pet-free, kid-free, smoke-free home?
I agree that I do not want a preamp or speaker coated with a film of smoke, but I am confused as to what a child or pet could do that would not be otherwise visible. You would see the cat scratches on the speaker grill, the dog chew marks on the rack, the iguana turds in the amplifier cooling vents. And what's a little dog hair among friends? As a 3 year old, I supposedly put my finger through my grandfather's new DIY speaker but I'm pretty sure he replaced the drivers so even that doesn't really matter. Most things will be visible and/or easily remedied. Maybe the price will even be a little lower because of the cosmetics. If it doesn't mess with function, not a big deal to me.
What concerns me more is does it come from a drunk-free, drug-free home. I think befuddled owners are far more worrisome than pets or children.
WELL... alrighty then: Never buy Toshiba stereo equipment from certain vermin, OR- their sympathizers. ie: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/nov/01/lockerbie.gerardseenan The only upside: the Bass CAN be explosive! |
Or incense or scented candles. I eagerly awaited a replacement Kyocera receiver some twenty years ago. When I opened the box, I was instantly able to smell the dead hippie whose jasmine incense exuded from the innards of the poor receiver. Back it went. And then there was a pair of Spendor speakers (BC1?) that had been stored in some sort of mold garden. The guy said he hadn’t had anything to do with the speakers in 17 years, and yeah, maybe they’d gotten moldy in a closet. Back they went. Eventually (after a couple of vintage receivers that died quickly), I gave up on used equipment. I’m not as audiophilic as most of you, listening mainly now on B&W computer speakers to my own CDs ripped to hard drives 90% of the time. I have tinnitus now, too, so nearfield is nicefield. |
Guy without kids or pets is more likely to rank a lil higher w.r.t the ahole personality, i.e., guy who takes care of dependent creatures is more likely to be a nicer guy in life. If he smokes his cigars on his patio/deck/etc outside the house, it’s a nothing burger (On the same note, a guy with kids and pets won’t be smoking inside the house). If the ad says kid free/pet free/smoke free, I’d probably not wanna deal with that frigid shrew, lol |
Hey, if you don’t care, you don’t care. Some people think that increases value, so I always include that information when I sell gear. And I always get great reviews, because I give a damn about whether or not people like what they buy and the service they receive. Stop your judging and enjoy the hobby, that’s my advice. And, oh, by the way, sometimes kid-free means the kids have grown up and moved out, as opposed to never having had any. If you judge people by the way they take care of their gear or the descriptions they put in ads, I wonder how many real friends you have. The thing about cats and allergens is absolutely true. Bought a pair of speakers from a guy with cats once and they (the speakers) were a constant reminder that I’m allergic for at least a month. I eventually sold them, but only when I’d replaced them with something a little better. |
