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Why do DIY products have less value ?

As many of you know, I do alot of DIY projects and am very happy with them. I have noticed that many folks seem to think that DIY stuff is not as good as store-bought stuff. It seems like they think that DIY is only for people who can't afford to buy something good. For example, when I tell people that I made my own cables, the first thing they suggest is that I buy some "good" cables. Or when I show them my DIY speakers, they say "Wow they're really good for DIY speakers. Imagine how good your system would sound with a pair of XYZ Mark 8 with petrified Jello cones and extruded pasta baskets!" What I'm saying is that there is this preconcieved notion that if it's DIY, it cannot be really good. This disturbs me. And if you try to sell a DIY item, forget it. You MIGHT get parts cost back, if you're lucky. They say "I'm not paying that much for something you cooked up in your garage. I can get the Mark 8 for only twice what you're asking." Performance is not the issue, only the idea that it did not come from a commercial maker so it just can't be as good or better as the Mark 8. All listening evaluations are always prejudiced with this view. Am I destined to be forever viewed as a tinkerer, or will anyone ever give DIY products the respect they deserve for their performance and not their origin?
twl

Showing 1 response by gregm

gregm
3,411 posts
 
We're seeing diy from the wrong angle, methinks. One prevalent motivation behind diy is creativity: design and/or construction, and enjoyment of operating what we made... While this value exists for the originator, it does not for the subsequent purchaser. Hence the remainder life resale value is low, barely covering the cost of the parts, as Twl notes.

On the bright side, another (important) factor is the possibility to gain access to the league of stratospherically priced commercial products; take, speakers, for example. The "legendary" ATC mid unit costs upward of $250 EACH. A 15" woofer from the same manufacturer will set you back another $600 EACH. Accuton (Thiele & partner) ceramic drivers -- as in Kharma & Avalon -- sell for upward of $200-300 each. A Raven2 ribbon tweet will set you back another $300 EA. Think of what the commercial speaker pair sporting (MANY) such units would cost!!!

Given time, LOTS of resilience and support, the diy may be able to approach (surpass?) the sound of the commercial offering for SEAMINGLY less. "Less" means that, lots of available resources are NOT counted in the cost equation: work-shed, bench, tools, electronic tools, the TIME spent fine-tuning the cross-over (say), friends' time who lend their ears, the beers & wine (that's for Tom) consumed in the creative process, etc...
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