Starting my showroom again

Here is my one-and-a-half cent

The hifi business is similar to the fashion business in many ways. Online Chinese own most of it. Prestige brands make fortunes overseas while their traditional former customers while their days in assisted-living facilities. The once-dominant middle market of department stores and specialty shops is as good as dead. The only segment that's still thriving, besides LVMH, is vintage and resale. 

I could see an opportunity for a small business that repairs / refurbs "parts & repair" gear bought for pennies on the dollar, sells it online, and figures out the challenge of packaging and shipping at a reasonable cost. Partnering with a good tech would be the differentiator and value add. Techs are thin on the gound to begin with and more often than not they're incompetent - hence the somewhat abundant supply of gear deemed unfixable.

Run the business from your respective garages. No overhead is key.

I would take a page from Jay's audio playbook and become a dealer from your basement. Create a YouTube channel and offer advice and expertise something that Jay really doesn't do and cultivate a following. The future of the audio industry is Drop shipments from the manufacturers and the storefront presence is a dying art.

Hi, I recall when you had to go out of business. I purchase a Cardas power cable and a Rel T9x from you.. James633 is pretty accurate about how new home builders are installing wall and ceiling units. Point is, that is something you could do by hiring out contractors in the area or just hire a crew that would work for you. That could turn out to be fruitful. Another suggestion was to do this with used components, THAT is a great idea and the way of the future. There is TM audio room, Echo Audio who post newly purchased items daily. Hawthorne is another one out there and Skylabs featuring high end vintage. That is what I would do, buy and sale used audio and most of the sales would be online anyway. Don’t forget the little guy when you make it big! 

Where I live we have three high end dealers. One works out of his home, the other two have brick and mortar stores. The B&M store owners have been in business for either over 30 years..or just over 5. The one who has been in business just over 5 is simply trying to acquire a long term visa into the US...and once acquired will probably close up shop. The other, well he is sitting on an old lease, has a great relationship with his landlord and is paying way below market rent .

The one fellow who works out of his home, his business plan is knowing a couple of very big hitters who swap gear multiple times a year. These two guys keep him in business, so long as he plays nice with them. They go away, he goes away.

B& M stores are failing all around my location ( S.Calif)..mainly due to the fact that the vendors/owners fail to comprehend the total cost of remaining in business through time. They underestimate the impact of rent and rent increases, general over-head, tax impacts, potential legal expenses, the impact of competition; and they over-estimate the demand for their goods and services and the potential volume of sales. Make one mistake in any of these areas and you will pay the price...since all of them have to be under control before a true profit through time is accrued. B&M is a VERY tough business these days.

@decooney Just look at the current market and how companies are closing, being sold and consolidation. This market (high end) is deteriorating whether it is published stories in a headphone rag or not.  11% CAGR thru 2029 is projected being driven in Smart Speakers, Sound Bars and Personal Audio not High End. 

I do hope they are wrong but the trends are negative for Hi-End/Audiophile EQ.