If you had to pay full retail, would you...???

Tvad, in the real world, people buy stereos and keep them until they break. It's only in the highly specialized minority audiophile world that people constantly trade items in a quest for sonic improvements. Some people can just sit back and enjoy the music. It's hard to believe, isn't it?

Let me explain something most audiophiles really have trouble with;

This is a true story;

Customer calls me says he's going to buy $3600 speakers (brand Y)(which the dealer was going to discount 20% this was undisclosed) I said to him I had much better speakers for $2400 and he should come by and listen to brand X before he buys Y.

As I knew because this audio stuff is easy and Brand Y is amateur shizzle, the $2400 brand X was much better than the $3600 brand Y. Brand X now is a very well known brand but 8 years ago most of you only vaguely heard of them. So Mr. Consumer asks me about a discount, and here's the economics where you guys simply don't get it.

I asked him why should I give him a discount I just saved him $1200 and because I was willing to carry a brand that was less well known (ie. lower volume) and better than brand Y's $3600 speaker? See too me that's an insult, I upgraded him and saved him $1200 at retail, but he still felt justified in belittling my profession and my good nature by rewarding my effort and selflessness by just dumping on me and expecting me to give as big a discount as the "high end" shop he just came from.

I told him with that kind of discount I wouldn't be here, these speakers wouldn't be here and you would have paid $3000 for second rate speakers and then what? So why don't you go back and buy those speaker since a discount is all that matters to you? They may give you 25% off because they really don't like me over there because I make them look stupid, but if its 20% off all the time then they can only afford stupid people and the discount helps you feel better about spending $3000 of your money on that level of advice and knowledge.

Well now audiophiles are down too public forums and "public" trade shows to spend thousands of dollars most of you have to talk to a deadbeat 50 year old types or some kid because stores cannot hire real professionals and you spend thousands and thousands of dollars on advice from people who simply do not have the expertise to give it.

My dream is to give a guy,in a dead end retail job or take advice from a guy who says all the right things and uses the right buzz words online, control of my $25,000 system...whether its new or used retail or discounted...that's the big kink in logic in my mind.

Shrinking margins mimicking the computer industry is destroying high end audio as its participants expect to pay appliance level prices/ low margins and still want to believe they are getting 'expert" advice on a hobby that requires and immense amount of experience and technical skills . This general level of services has not been the case for 20 years. Those that can still give it at the retail level are old and near retirement. Most people in my age (30 something) who are smart and creative have left the industry altogether or have moved up into the rep levels where they do not help the end user anymore. I'd pay retail if the guy i'm dealing with is a genius and it helps him make a living. so 2nd that notion.

By the way 15 years in the business, and I don't know one guy in the world who is that retail level who'd i trust to build a system for me. So you got what you paid for my audiogon friends.

I was introduced to Agon by a friend who stated succinctly the ecology/psychology of the hifi hobbyists.

You get in at an affordable budget (that ends up being streched) and enjoy the music. If your piggy bank grows and the improved system brings more listening pleasure, go and trade up. All things considered, you don't lose much on the trade. Since we swim in different money depth, we all have a chance to be where we ultimately want to be -- so help us god with the greed and vanity.

There is a saying..."To travel hopefully is better than to arrive". That probably applies to the audiophile's quest.