Why is used audio equipment so undesirable?

Troll posts on used gear site that stays in business through used gear sales that no one wants to buy used gear. People reply. What a world we live in. 

I paid 100 bucks my Sansui Au 7700 amplifier, one of the best design of the audio golden era ... Another 150 bucks to put it in good shape...

Think about that, it is impossible to buy for 250 dollars a so good anplifier, with a quality of design that amaze my experienced repair man, who patronized me about the quality of this machine, which is so flexible for many possible use nothing at any price mimic his many functionalities... The bad news is this amplifier is so good that his used price are now around1,000 bucks...

His sound is so good, i will pay a great amount of money to really upgrading it without any of his multiple functionalities... To say the truth i will be afraid to pick something in the 2000 bucks range  to replace it , but i studied the question just in case and i will settle for a 7 thousand bucks Berning Zotl which i am sure will rival and beat it... ( 250 bucks versus 7000 bucks 😁)

Buying vintage?

Is there a wiser way to buy ?

i dont know any other way...

i own it now for 8 years.... If he stop tomorrow i will cry, but wait a minute, i loved it so much i bought another one of the Alpha series, supposedly better....Different, not better... But very good...

How can one of the better amplifier of 1978 can be bad today?

He is no more one of the best in the world, he is just very good now...

But being very good is enough if you know acoustic...

If you dont know acoustic even the better amplifier in the world will not beat it anyway...

Being an Audiophile is not only about buying gear, it is about learning to embed it rightfully mechanically, electrically and acoustically...

For the anecdote i read and study 6 months non stop each evening to know what to buy before jumping, we design our own luck and we deserve it... 😁😊

I'm going to list my CJ on craigslist and I bet it's gone by the weekend....

There's always market for buying and selling quality used components, do your research and purchase correctly. Without a thriving used market, audiophiles would be far fewer in numbers, leave it to only exclusive membership. And I've never had a single issue that wasn't promptly resolved, and same on my end. I've had more issues purchasing new components from  certain retailers.

I have been buying used since what I guess I would say is upped my game.  I cannot afford this level of a system without buying used. So far so good. 

The Op's assertion is so stupid that I don't believe that it was meant for any reason other than to be provocative. I almost always buy used and have had great success selling used. If you don't do well selling used, it is usually for one of two reasons.  First, the piece is not popular with potential buyers, or second, it's an obscure brand which may be wonderful, but buyers shy away because of potential problems with having it serviced as well as lack of professional and user reviews.

Just a ridiculous thread.

My tastes have always been greater than my budget (new prices anyways).   Like many audiophiles I research gear, check user comments and reviews and try to pick gear that I feel provides the max bang for the buck so to speak and has a good potential for meshing well with my other gear.   Used gear or factory direct is my go to given I do not have deep pockets.  

When I was younger and had less money I bought used, from a dealer. As I got older and my purchases were much better thought out and expensive I would keep a component for ten to twenty years. For instance I bought a new Pass x350 and traded it in 15 years later for $500 less than I paid for it… final cost $2.77 / month. What a deal.

So, first. Having a dealer that accepts trade-ins is important. This gives him the opportunity to give you a “discount” from MSRP under the guise of “trade-in”… that does not violate their agreement with the manufacturer. My dealer got out of the business of reselling… he gives it to a third party that resells on the internet.
 

Having a long termed relationship with a dealer is useful as well.

@emergingsoul

“ ,,,,there is limited interest and not much to be gained by getting rid of unused equipment. My dealer doesn’t want it. And it’s all fairly new stuff within a few years. It’s easier just to box it and store it away and give it to someone if a situation ever arises. Selling it is ridiculous as I’m lucky to get 30 or 40%…”

hmmmm … not exactly IMO sir! Not all preowned gear grouped en masse. Quality build high end that does not suffer from unbridled Seller hubris as to selling price is doing fine .

ALL pre-owned equipment has a comparatively large depreciation factor from new, just like cars. And some if it has a very VERY high rate of depreciation.

You haven’t specified what pieces are affected so I will offer some selective observations.

HOME THEATRE AVRs and RELATED EQPT

regardless of its age, this stuff slides on a scale like a bobsled to hell. The vast majority is grossly overpriced from new already with a general very dodgy build quality from China. Most have a very brief warranty period limited to only one year before they become boat anchors that are impossible to fix.
(A);The OEM manufacturers abandon providing replace parts supply shorty after the warranty period, as new models replace them.

(B) Professional techs refuse to service them now because of (A) in the first part, and more so, (B) the cost to repair exceeds the FMV of a serviced unit .

HENCE, Dealers don’t want any part of it.

CHEAP AMPS, SOURCES, SPEAKERS

Age has nothing to do with the marketplace shunning of most low-level strata gear. Even recent year issue models suffer from a tsunami of cheap option choices that render investing time and money into pre-owned units that are expensive to store and hard to sell. Ergo, Dealers don’t want them either. And that’s before they elect to carve out the segment for the expanding cohort of buyers, as dealer time wasters, who toss around nickels like they are manhole covers in the words of a local dealer.

QUALITY BUILD AND WELL -CARED FOR HIGH-END GEAR

Assuming it is properly priced, it sells on AGON , CAM and USAM in good form.AND quickly. Quality matters …big time. Dealers seek these out as viable budget fits for many consumers. 

COVID AND THE PENDING RECESSION

This is the 800-lb gorilla in the room. ‘Nuff said.

It’s really fine, with some education and adjustment of your expected resale values. If you buy something at full retail, you’re gonna take a bath on its resale, even if it’s the very next day. Some brands hold up in value better than others (yes, McIntosh being one of the gold standards there). New hot items can command a premium, but that rarely lasts. When you look at sold used items over time, most are going below 50% MSRP. After the initial big hit though, depreciation tends to level off. So you’d either better get a hell of a discount when buying new, or buy used to start with.

If you get a used item that sounds notably worse than a new one, 9 times out of 10 that says some very BAD things about the manufacturer (inconsistency, bad reliability), rather than the fact that it’s used. Audible problems tend to be very obvious, and sellers with good feedback are not trying to pawn off broken gear.

I’ve always made money or broke even on anything McIntosh

I buy used 90% of the time. Rarely have I had an issue. I can sell sometimes even for a profit and keep trying new stuff basically for free or just the initial used investment. Let someone else take the hit. 
 

When I do buy new I’m shooting for 20% off list. If you look around that’s usually doable. One of my systems has a list of about 12k. I have 2.4K into it and sounds crazy good. 

I used a pair of Heresy for four plus years, they had such good trade in value due to a recent price increase...    it cost $300 to use brand new speakers for four years and I traded them toward my Forte which I couldn't have done outright.   Someone got a good deal on my Heresy too.

I had a CJ preamp for sale , I got a bunch of replies.   Was looking for a local,sale and its going on craigslist....  I have had good luck there

Used audio is the best value actually. The original owner has already taken the 50 (60?) % hit. You buy right and you might lose 10% when you sell, maybe less. Buy something at full retail and decide in a month it’s not for you, take a bath.

Johnny is a character.   I have purchased from him before 

I buy and sell used gear to move up the food chain....  if you buy good gear it is always worth something to someone.    

Maybe it would be good idea to create a wanted section, maybe it already exists.

I couldn't have afforded my system if I bought new.

Also, the fact that I knew I loved Vandersteen speakers narrowed down my quest.

That and some very lucky purchases that happened at the right time, and great advice from John Rutan at Audioconnection.​​​​​

Bob

Like @whipsaw, I have had no issues buying used.  I have built two systems from the used market.   I haven’t had any reliability issues.  I try to stay in the relatively new,used market though.  

I have been buying (mostly) used components for four decades, and have never had a problem. Audiophiles tend to take good care of their gear.

It's true that there is typically sharp and rapid depreciation of new components, like new cars, which is why buying used makes such good sense.

Obviously some brands/models are much easier to re-sell than others, so take that into account. 

I do buy used audio on occasion, only certain types like V-fet/SIT amps and high end speakers. It’s my opinion that it actually is much easier than buying a used car.