What's going on with the used audio gear market?

Part of the reason you are seeing sellers wanting more than 50% of what MSRP *was* is IMO due to the following:

1. MSRPs have increased due to price increases from vendors. When a vendor increases the price for an item it raises the value for the same used items. 
2. Overall inflation in the economy. 
3. Most dealers, and I accept that there may be some exceptions, will not give more than 20% off new MSRP. Therefore a discount on a used item somewhere below 20% off will be attractive to someone. Is it 25%? 30% 40 or 50%? Depends on items age condition, the item itself, the buyer and the seller plus other factors. 
Its an arms length transaction. Plus buyers are not paying sales tax  

4. Sellers have other ways to monetize or get rid of gear. They can give it to family. They can donate it. They can trade it in. Results with all of this can vary. But depending on factors involved it can be an option and may set a floor on what a seller will accept in a purchase. 

As a used gear guy who was gonna open a shop until crypto crashed…

the great gear rush of 2020 is over… with the exception of DAC’s and very rare gear it’s gone from “don’t sell it before i get there” to “I’m afraid, I need you to hold my hand and I’m gonna lowball the heck out of you”

I’ve had 2 McIntosh pieces on Craigslist in the SF bay for a month that would’ve sold within 4-6 days max 4 months ago…

the market will adjust but this hobby is filled with stubborn old men that know what they’ve got 😂

Apparently mad things happening on the watch market- crazy prices Patek Philipe etc poss about to burst tho...

@curiousjim 

I’ve left three items  on the table in the last couple of months because the sellers were asking almost new prices for 2-3 year old DAC’s or Streamers and were unwilling to come down even a few percent.

Oh well, their loss.

Did those items ever sell? Did you go back to the ads to see what happened?

@dekay Is it "greed" to sell something at a price you want to sell it for? It might be foolish, if no one wants to buy it but if someone wants it at that price, why is this an example of a vice, greed?

I understand the desire among folks here to try to understand the causes of the increase in used gear prices, but the notion this represents some kind of moral failing on buyers and sellers is eluding me. It's one thing to charge high prices for insulin and another thing to charge (relatively) high prices for used gear. 

@hilde45   Exactly right, if someone will pay the price, it's not greed.    We're not talking about food or gas, but an extreme luxury product that has a narrow range of buyers.    Why not ask as much as someone is willing to pay?