What's happened to the used high end market recently?? Sales are tough....:0(

trelja:
I am in Mullica Hill - Canary Row is my shop

jimman2, I agree with you that pricing is always a factor. OTOH, I have been told by several a’phile friends who have posted gear for sale that the ’only’ way to sell these days, is to basically ’give away’ stuff. Not sure what they consider a ’give away’ price to be, but I do know that the overall market for used gear is definitely a lot less than even a year or so ago.
What is driving this market aspect is the basic topic of my OP.
Like you say, Millenniums are strong force in the market, the ’Boomer’s’ like myself are diminishing. Yet, looking at the new gear HEA market, pricing is steadily reaching higher and higher plateaus! IMHO, this means a much greater exposure for greater loss when one needs to liquidate this gear.
Here’s another thought....one that I don’t think has yet been expounded. In the auto business, it is known that the Bentley’s, MB’s, Rolls. and other ’luxury’ exotica are subject to the greatest devaluation once they come to the used market. Not because they are any less worthy, but simply because those that can afford them are not interested in buying used! Could this be a factor in this hobby too...at this point???

Many interesting posts

random thoughts.....

its expensive

its viewed as ‘old technology’, we grew up with it, the youngsters are not growing up with it

at some point a system finally provides what we seek, so why keep spending big dollars?

its often a solitary experience, gone are the days of cranking it up and partying hard with a crowd

you can buy pretty decent gear these days with fewer dollars 

like owning a great car, a kick ass system was often a status symbol, not so much any more

like a lot of the hobbies we grew up enjoying: skiing, hunting, fishing, SLR cameras, rebuilding cars, finding a new swimming hole, etc, it’s considered passé 

entertainment options which require little or no capital outlay abound today, in the past we had to create our own fun, Mom and Dad used to force us outside whenever we complained of boredom - ‘go use your imagination, and take the dog and your little brother with you!’  

It it takes up a lot of floor space
 





 

 Well part of this is the fact that great sound can be had with products costing far less such as Tekton speakers, Class D amps, digital powered DACs and making your own audio cables.   DIY is on the increase for sure. Many of us have just said enough with these crazy inflated prices and doing something about it.  I know lots of Aphiles rolling their own cables and upgrading their own gear to achieve what they want.  

@daveyf 

Part of the massive depreciation of luxury vehicles is the 'image' issue, driving the latest and greatest is a status symbol, and part of it that many of those brands lean heavily towards leases vs purchases (not sure about Bentley or Rolls, but it's very true for MB, BMW, Jaguar, etc).  

Plus, there's additional downward pressure on used vehicle sales because once they start leaving the warranty maintenance costs are dramatically higher than they are for more mainstream vehicles.  Buying that $100,000 Mercedes for $30,000 a few years old can be seen as a bargain, but the maintenance costs are still in line with a $100,000 Mercedes and not a $30,000 Toyota.