Suggestions to help you sell your equipment on Audiogon


Based on my selling of 5 pieces of audio equipment over the last 90+ days on Audiogon, I have these suggestions to help you sell your audio equipment on Audiogon:

1) Please INCLUDE many pictures of your equipment to include the back of the unit, both side views, top of the unit, original packing box to include the insides, Unit brochure, Company Sales Unit brochure, remote, etc.  If your unit has special feet (or anything else unique), please include these pictures. Most ads not include enough pictures.   

2)  Please include background information on the company.  You can copy some information from their web site to help people know who the company is.  A short paragraph should do the job so use your imagination.

3) Your unit is a wonderful great sounding audio component and you need to include information on its features and benefits.  More descriptive info on your unit is suggested (most ads are too brief).

4) Include details on how you are going to pack the unit amp for shipping.   If possible, include pictures of the packing box, inside the box and other details.  You need to give the buyer confidence the unit will arrive safely.   It is very important for your buyer to understand how your unit will be packed and shipped (FEDEX, UPS, USPS, Freight, etc).   Explain how the shipping and insurance is going to work (including the units insurance value) and who pays for it.   

5)  Pricing is always an issue and each product need a strategy for selling.   For me, I suggest a starting price at 55% of list (meaning $1,100 when the list price is $2,000).   If your company is a well know name, and/or the product is in demand, you could start higher at 58% of list, or 60%+ if you want (increase % or decrease %, as needed).   If the company is not a well know name, and neither is the product, you could start at 48% of list (meaning $960 when the list price is $2,000).   There are no set rules so check around to see what other similar units are selling for.  If you have no clue, you can always start your asking price at 50% of the units list price ($1,000 for a list price of $2,200).

6)  Regardless of what you want for your unit, you are ONLY going to receive what buyers are willing to pay.  For example, I suggest you round the above price to $1,049 (or $1,149).  For one of my ads, I was told I was priced TOO high and should use the $1,949 price and NOT the $1,995 price to make the asking price more attractive to the seller.   My unit sold within one week (and, yes, this was a miracle).

7)  Do NOT be afraid to counter offer any low ball offers received.  I receive a low-ball offer on my unit and dropped my price by $200 and the buyer INCREASED his offer to an acceptable number and I sold it.  

8)   This is my opinion and others will have a different plan.   If your item does not sell in 30 days, you probably should lower its asking price and maybe even improve your descriptions and pictures.  Or, after 2 weeks, you could lower the price, etc.  The lowering of your price depends on how badly you want to the sell the unit and what responses you are getting on your ad.   If zero responses (meaning no questions), maybe it is time to lower its price, change the pictures and descriptions.   If no sale within 30 days, you can always re-list and see what happens.  There are no rules for this so use your best judgment or ask your friends for advice.

9)  You must promptly answer ALL questions received with accurate and informative answers.  You can always include additional information, if appropriate, trying to be a consultant to your possible buyer.  Sometimes it is useful to exchange phone numbers if a discussion is required (you decide).    

Hopefully, these suggestions will get you a quick sale this coming week.  Please add other suggestions for selling equipment on Audiogon.  Your experiences of what worked, and did not work, are requested   Cheers,   Howard
hgeifman
Jmcgrogan & Grannyring:  Interesting comments about selling on A'gon as opposed to AA and Audiomart.  I've been doing this for a very long time too and totally agree with you.  A'gon needs to change their structure to allow phone numbers so people can talk to one another.  People in the hobby are getting older and we want to be able to talk with one another when consummating an expensive transcaction.

Selling audio gear is just like selling a home.  If its priced too high, it will sit.  If it sits long enough, the ad gets stale.  Removing the ad, waiting a few weeks or months and relisting it at a lower price makes it appear fresh again and if its priced right, it will sell.  And just as in real estate, when a listing is new, your first offer is usually your best offer

Dave:  I had a similar experience with a nut job seller on US Audiomart.  I was selling something a few years ago and listed the reason for selling.  It was to raise money for taxes and also to get other gear.  The prospective buyer called me a liar, unethical and all kinds of other nonsense.  When I explained that 1/2 of the $ was going to paying taxes, the other 1/2 was going to be used to buy other stuff, he continued on his rant calling me the worst of things.  Now, I have been doing this  (buying, selling, and even trading audio gear for 30 years and also sold audio at the retail level for 2 years in the early 90's and have never had a problem).....I soon realized that he was a complete nut job and told him to loose my email address and I stopped answering him.....but for the one night that we went back and forth with messages, it was very upsetting.  I wonder if you had the same guy from the West Coast?  I think he was really fond of Phase Linear and JBL gear?
There was a big exodus from Audiogon years ago when the new owners changed things around to such a degree, many left in disgust and vowed not to come back other then to check the forums once in a while. I am also a member of us audio mart and have sold several items there with great success. I have also purchased items there and I am very pleased with the results.

I have noticed that much gear that sold for around five hundred to a thousand dollars a few years back on A'gon is now be listed at much higher prices as if the sellers were trying to retire. Of course you can sell for any price you see fit but many folks here that have been buying on A'gon for sometime now, know what the average selling price for most items. But also one should consider that some sellers inflate the price only to settle for less on  "make offer".
You listing suggestions are very helpful and I have found, over the years, that they are also likely to produce the best results. Thanks.
I'm unfamiliar with US Audio Mart and Audio Asylum Trader, so I would like your advice on whether to use my real name as my user name when I register there.
Have any of you noticed an increase in spam since signing up for either?
The story about the angry seller is appalling but presumably rare.
Are there other issues I should consider?
Obviously, I'll have zero feedback to begin with, for instance.

I have changed my user name on other sites. My moniker is basically my name here because, well I was still an internet novice when starting here.
I learned along the way that a moniker doesn't have to be your name.

My moniker on all other audio sites is: Justlisten2.

I have not noticed any increase in spam joining any other audio site: Audio Asylum, US Audiomart, Audio Circle, Audio Shark, What's Best Forum, etc.

The angry seller story is appalling, though this could probably happen on any audio site. Seems more like a Craigslist story.
I guess it couldn't happen on Audiogon due to lack of communication on this site. However, lack of communication in a sale can have poor results as well. Communication, or lack thereof, can be a double edged sword either way.

As for feedback, yes, you would be starting anew. However, Audio Asylum Trader and US Audiomart both allow you to import feedback from external sites such as Ebay and Audiogon.