are we are own worst enemies?

Jazz nut, You really need to evaluate what you own. If you have bought a new sony receiver for 1,000 then $500 would be tops unless somone really wanted that unit.Which is again based on supply and demand. There are some High end audio manufactures who seem to hold their value extremly well such as Levinson ,Krell audio Research & Jeff Rowland to name the top few. Now these Are very well known and are among the best when it comes to build quality and customer support. Yes the prices are high but the resale value is also high. Iam not saying buy a peice of gear because the resale value is high you must buy what you like but when it comes time to sell you must also realize what the majority of the people own and want. Its too bad people dont appreciate other high end that isnt as well known. There are many under rated companys out there. So dont get upset when you dont get what you want just hold out and the buyer will come.
BTW: I have had a pair of Martin Logan Ascents on Audiogon for a little over 3 weeks and they are still there. They are in mint condition and Iam asking 3,500 I get I had a guy offer me 2,000 for them they list for 4,400 they are only 4 months old. So the morale to my story is we all go through it from time to time. I had sold my Levinson 335 for 5,500 which was a little high but it was two months old but it sold. Stick to your guns. Good Luck

50-60% of MSRP seems to cover by far the majority of items for sale.

Supply and demand! First, it has been my experience that many high end dealers will discount 10-15% off list on most products. Certain manufactures, even though they make great equipment, produce in large volumes, have very loose distribution, really don't care who sells their product, don't protect their dealers (allowing sales from "web stores" with no physical building). These product lines usually have much higher markups allowing dealers to get a larger return for their risks associated with this increased competion. It also means that prices can be "footballed" making the MSRP a joke! It is interesting to note the number of retailers listed in the new equipment reports in Stereophile...are there 5-15 retailers or 50-100 retailers? Some used equipment prices tend to get depressed by new technology...right now, digital products seem to be getting hammered, due to new formats, sampling rates, and upsampling. People are somewhat hesitant to buy right now. Sometimes a manufacturer will have a price DECREASE on a product...there goes the price on the used market! When a product is improved, (for example Nordost Red Dawn Rev. 2) then guess what happens to the price price of the original product on the used market? Some used equipment just doesn't seem to show up that often (Accuphase and Atma-sphere come to mind) which will firm the price (low supply). The really GOOD NEWS is people can build a much better used system then they would be able to afford if buying new!

You are right. Also, most of the potential buyers I've dealt with over time have wanted mint condition, but were unwilling to pay a premium for it. I buy most of my equipment new (yes, usually at 10% off give or take), because I don't want wear and tear, etc. My gear is usually pristine by the time I sell it, which is not long after I've purchased it (I do have my "keepers" though), because I like change. I set my prices with condition in mind. Many people do not understand that something in true mint condition is worth much more than one in good or even excellent condition.

As has been mentioned before, it's a matter of how desperate you are to sell an item balanced by how much a potential buyer wants buy what you have to sell.

You do have at least some control over how much an item will sell for. How? Well, by how well the item up for sale or auction is advertised. As an example, if you see a commercial on TV that is wanting you to buy their fast food (i.e. Mc Donald's, BK, Wendy's, Subway, etc.), usually, the commercial that does the best job advertising (i.e. packaging) their product will get the most interest, which in turn generates the most sales.

Another way to look at it would be to take two items that are exactly the same. The only difference between the two items are how they are packaged/presented. Item one is being advertised without any pictures, or maybe one poorly shot photo, not much info on it besides the model name and what it is. Item two has a well laid out page, high quality pictureS, and complete information, with condition, shipping estimates, availability, payment types accepted, etc., etc. It's virtually guaranteed that given the same place and time both ads are listed, item two will get more for their item than item one will.

From our experience, here are some ways to get more for your gear...

• Provide at least one good high quality photo
• Brand and model number
• The quantity (i.e. pair, one, etc.)
• The more info that you can include, the better
• Any accolades from private and professional sources
• Any feedback from others about you as the seller
• Condition and age of the item for sale
• Timing (in auctions) and placement of advertisement
• Comparisons to other items of the same type
• When you can ship, how fast, and with estimated prices
• Types of payments you accept
• Have patience -don't sell unless you get a fair price

• On auctions, $1 w/your reserve set @ your lowest selling price is a good way to sell, although you may have to reslist once or twice before you get a sale. | One dollar, no reserve auctions are the most popular, and you are 99.9% guaranteed to get a sale the first time. However, it is risky, so an auction of this sort should be given 1-2 weeks to run -the longer you can run this type of auction, the more you will get for it.

Bottom line, the more information and patience that you can give to your ad, the more ($) you will be rewarded for your item.

Sincerely,

W ENTERPRISES NORTHWEST -Portland, OR USA
http://www.wenterprisesnw.com | wenw@uswest.net