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What's your experience with snooty HiFi salesmen?

I began my Hifi journey in 1976 at a shop in Birmingham MI called Audio Dimensions. He was a Magnapan and ARC dealer who was kind to a 15 year old kid who bought a set of MG 1s with paper route money. The ARC amps he carried were about $4K back then- a LOT of money in 1976. In the beginning I drove my MG 1s with an old Fisher Studio Standard integrated amp. Since those lovely innocent days I have encountered some real buttholes. They act like they are doing me a favor as they quiz me about what gear I have and if I'm listening to "approved" recordings. Needless to say I don't buy from those guys. Several wives and businesses later I'm back into the hobby with a much vengeance as a 61 year old  can muster given only so many free hours in a day and only so much cash to apply due to my other vices: Classic cars and salt water fishing. 

Have you ever encountered a really good or really bad dealer (or employee) that changed your buying actions?

Darko posted a video on this topic which I found really enjoyable. Many of you have already seen it but for those (like me) who discovered it much later here's the link: 

https://darko.audio/2022/09/audiophiles-are-snobs-with-money-to-burn/

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Showing 1 response by bluorion

bluorion
440 posts
 

I bought my vintage equipment back in the mid-late 80s and the guys at the store were like my best friends. Never stuffy and we would have listening sessions after they closed. They would let me take home new equipment to demo it for a few days and return it in a week or so. The store eventually closed and we lost contact over the years.I often think of them and wonder where they ended up.

Flash forward to 2023---the only hifi store in town is a mess and the staff are just plain rude and show no interest in getting to know their potential customers. I've purchased more newer equipment over the years but travelled 50-100 miles outside my city to places with friendlier, more competent staff. 

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