While the owner of a B&M audio retailer hopefully shares a passion for home audio, they are still trying to make profit from what is a very difficult business model under the best of conditions. They are competing against a huge increase in direct-sales manufacturers and on-line retailers covering a vast array of different audio products, an explosion of on-line product reviews (from both professional reviewers and owners of the product) that allow buyers to gain in-depth information on just about any product including readily available pricing information, and easily accessible on-line resources and expertise that may very well exceed the expertise of their own sales staff.
While facing the above, the B&M audio store owner has to somehow cover their costs, including:
- maintaining inventory
- paying a sales force
- rental of their store space
- customer satisfaction issues and facilitating repairs
- insurance and other business costs
To your observation of,
about 30 items-old Pioneer, Yamaha amps and even an equalizer from the 1970s
Why would a business that is trying to make a profit want to add to that pile of 30 pieces of used equipment?
What some of those retailers could do better, is to help their customers without being snarky when it appears some don't have a lot of money to spend. Maybe refer customers like you to the store's website, which could have instructions on how to sell gear on-line (for those who are new to it), and having a weekly instructional listening session where a group of prospective customers can show up and listen as a group to gear and hear discussions by the store's sales staff, or hosting other customer-friendly programs. Being snarky to customers and potential/future customers is never a good business plan.