My father just passed of a stroke suddenly. He was very big in the audio game. He as Revel Ultima Salon 2 speakers, 2 mark levinson model 536 pre apps, Mcintosh C50 pre amp, Cambridge Audio Azur 751BD blue ray player, at least 3 Audio quest water cabels, 2 or more viper power cables. This is what I know of that he currently has hooked up. What is my best option for selling it? Should I bundle it together, or piece it out? He loved his system so I don’t just want to sell it for nothing, but honor his memory and make sure the system finds a good home. If I did not have 3 kids Home audio stores by me have been no help. Its all in premium shape, with the boxes, manuals, and remotes.
I'd sell it separately you'll have better luck IMO. summer time is not the best time to sell either by the way but if you price fair you should get some buyers.
I'd look on Hifishark the web site has good pricing information from all over the net, that and look here and us audio mart. for more pricing information.
Pack everything up in original box's if you have them with all the accessories, documents and manuals that came with each item. Cables you may be able to sell as a set.
One other thing is to look for an Audio shop locally that deals in similar equipment ( hi end shop) and ask if they would do a consignment sale or maybe buy the lot from you.
Either way you'll need to get used pricing information and that will take research on the above sites and maybe other's here can add more with direct experience in your specific equipment. .
First of all, very sorry for your loss. Your dad had great taste in gear. This is some very, very high quality gear, and it is worth a considerable amount of money.
I agree with Glen. You will do much better selling these speakers and components separately than as a system. Hifishark is a great suggestion for getting a perspective on pricing. It looks as if you have at least $25-30K worth of equipment here, maybe more--and that is what you could reasonably expect to get for this gear used, NOT the retail cost, so this will amount to quite a chunk of money.
Once you decide to sell, I would recommend Audiogon or US Audio Mart, which has really picked up a lot of steam in the past year or two as a good place to sell gear. There are a few other sites as well, though I personally have had the best luck with these two.
Good luck. This is a great community, so I am sure you'll get a lot of good tips from other members.
Admin Audiogon Official
Trevor,
Please accept our condolences. If I can help in a Support way to guide you on listing these items, please contact me at your convenience to [email protected], Attention: Tammy Holt
So sorry for your loss.You might consider keeping one of the items for later on down the road when the kids get bigger and you can put something together.You can have a piece of your Dads Gear in your system.
What town are you located in? The reason I ask is that it is a virtual certainty that someone on this site with a fine level of experience and high character would be willing to drop by and help you catalog the items. They may also be willing to assist you marketing the items, which would be a tremendous help to you both in terms of worry as well as value realized.
Absolutely no offense is intended whatsoever but you have no track record on Audiogon nor a reputation to fall back on in the audio community so the odds of you receiving maximum value for the gear should you try to sell it yourself would be remote. When I am shopping for gear on Audiogon, I will not purchase at all from individuals with no feedback unless it is a face to face transaction. If others are as cautious as well, that would limit your audience. A tenured Audiogon member could assist in that regard considerably.
Sincere condolences to you and your family. You have some tough days ahead and we all wish you peace and comfort as you endure this trying time.
Take the help from Tammy here at Audiogon. Sell pieces individually. It’s very nice of Tammy to offer to help, and there are enough unscrupulous people who would take advantage of a novice seller like yourself.
The Music Room web site TMRaudio.com is another place that can buy and sell your dad's gear. Audiogon requires you to have to do more of the leg work but you should get slightly more here than at TMR.
Sorry for your loss. I do wish I had your problem. Answer to me is keep it. Mark Levison and McIntosh are great units. Your cables are good. I am not familiar with the speakers but I am sure comparable to the others. You will retire and have more time. Kids will go up and leave. You are blessed to be left with system like this. If you sell eBay would be best bet. You have no sell experience but you could accept returns if defective. eBay also guarantees a sale. You are not obligated to accept low bid. You can look up original list price of the items.
I have stereo stuff scattered all over my house. Mainly stored in closets. Only parts that might go bad or woofer surrounds. They can be sent out and refoamed. The simple solution is to keep the system. Good luck.
If you live live near a city I can assure you you could sell preamps You do not mention what amp. he had. Is one an integrated amp ? I will keep an eye out for your stuff.
Good advise so far. I'll add a few tips that will be critical due to your lack of feedback in selling gear. I don't know about other buyers but when I see a first time seller with super high end equipment I think "scam."
1. Take lots of pictures. Make sure you photograph each piece from every angle, even the bottom. Carefully photograph every scratch and flaw the best you can and document these in the sale description.
2. Note the serial number of each piece and photograph it. If someone is selling stolen gear they would never do that.
3. Document the history of each piece if you can. When was it purchased? Where bought? Did your dad keep the original sales receipt? If you can trace each component back to the original dealer (if bought new) this is a huge credibility factor.
4. The fact that you have original boxes is really important. I will pay 20% more for a piece in pristine condition if it has the original packaging. Take photos of the boxes and include them in your selling description.
5. The Revel speakers are very heavy (178 lbs) and expensive to ship (they have to ship LTL Freight). If your dad really kept the speaker crates that's a big plus. Most sellers specify local pickup for large heavy speakers. If you live in a heavily populated area you have a good chance of getting a local buyer. Many buyers for this caliber of speaker from a private party will want to personally inspect and hear the speakers before they plunk down several thousand dollars for them. They will need a pickup or small U-Haul trailer to get them home. You might want to list and sell the speakers first because you will have the rest of the system to demo them. Once the speakers are gone you can sell the rest of the components.
6. I don't want to insult your intelligence with common sense but be careful to screen the potential speaker buyers. Make sure that if they are coming over to audition the speakers they have the means to take them home that day. If they say, "I just want to come over and listen to them, I'll decide whether or not to buy them later" politely turn them down. Also think about whether you are OK with helping them get them out of your house and load them. The buyer may need to bring a buddy to help with the loading process. The Revels are very well known and heavily reviewed. Any potential buyer should have already made up his/her mind about buying them - they just want to make sure they are in good shape and that they work. And, I know this is obvious, but have one or more phone conversations with the buyer to establish their credibility (a good buyer will want this as much or more than you do) so you feel comfortable with having them in your house. Be sure to ask them about the rest of their system. If they don't wax poetic about the components that will drive the Revels that is a red flag. Only serious audio enthusiasts will be interested in these speakers.
7. The other components are easier because you can ship them FedEx. Make sure you note that they came out of working system and have been run recently. Everything you listed is from a well known first rate company and easily recognizable.
I'm sorry for your loss but you will doing your dad's memory a good service buy finding appreciative homes for his system. The amount of money you get will be directly proportional to the time and care you take in listing the pieces. If you can tell a story about each piece (when/where bought, any other relevant information) that will tickle the buyer's limbic system and make each piece of gear more desirable. One-owner top-notch gear in pristine condition with original boxes and remotes is the holy grail in used equipment.
What a great community my dad was part of. I am so grateful for all the tips and advice you all have given me, and I am taking it all in. My dad was located near Ft. Wayne Indiana.
I bought Revel Salon 1 used 20 years ago. I rented a pickup truck and drove 4 hours to Los Angeles to pick them up. I had a certified check for $10K and gave it to the seller in person after I saw the speakers were in the condition I wanted.
Very sorry about your dad's passing. I'm only a few hours away and would be interested in the Salon 2s. They would need to be piano black and in very good condition. How many of 8th-notes questions can you answer? A fair price can be determined once those answers are at hand :) Thanks, Jim
Yes they are Piano black mint condition, boxes and paper work still mint condition as well. Is there a way for you to private message me and send your questions you would like answered. We can also discuss pricing. I have done a pretty deep dive on multiple websites. So I do feel I have good grasp on fair value. As for receipts on all the items I am lo\oking for the folders that would have those. I do know my father paid cash for most things Audio same with his classic 73 Trans am.
Selling separately will yield the best financial results as others have mentioned. But I think keeping it (if feasible) and thinking of your dad every time a song you love or a song you both loved plays will yield better emotional results.
First off, I'm sorry for your loss. I can assure you that whoever buys your Dad's equipment will appreciate something that good. I'm sure you have a lot of your plate right now, so if you are pressed for time The Music Room (TMR Audio) might be your best option. They give you the option to sell an item(s) to them for cash or they will sell it on consignment (which will net you more money.......but, still not as much as selling it on Audiogon yourself). And, they will research what the asking price should be, which can be a lot of work.
They advertise most of their items here on Audiogon, as well as their own site; so, chances are someone from the Audiogon community will end up buying it and appreciating it. Best of luck!
Be sure you won't regret selling your dad's memory. It will still sound great in years time when the kids grow up and you have the time to appreciate your dad's hobby. That's the absolute best way to do justice to his memory.
I also forget he has a Velodyne sub and castle rock speaker cable. Paid 1.3K for speaker cable is that normal? I understand wanting to keep the system to honor him but I guess what I did not say is I am keeping other pieces. I have 3 kids under 5 and I honoring him buy using this money from selling the system to pay for there college when they are older. I am still honored by everyone on here for there support and help.
My dad passed about six months ago, and I'm not trying to steal your thunder, or get any sympathy, but Andrew is absolutely correct: make certain that you won't regret selling what was obviously very important to him and a great source of pride for him. I was tasked in selling my dad's coin collection along with his knives, stamps, and other collectibles. It was agony selling any piece, and I still regret selling ANY of it...but needless to say I also ended up keeping a lot of it. If it was important to him, it's important to me.
My dad was a musician, and I grew up in the studio. He died when I was 17. I took all his gear to a consignment shop, which closed down, and I never saw or heard anything of it again. I regret it deeply. I wish I could’ve kept it and shared with my son.
I totally agree with your strategy to use the funds from your dad's system to pay for your kid's education. A system like your dad's doesn't fit the lifestyle of a family with 3 young children and you would likely have to pack it up and put it in storage. For the next 17 years or so you won't even have time to listen to it. If you kept it in the house you would either have to put it in locked room or constantly worry that little peanut butter and jelly covered fingers will reek havoc. I wonder how much one of those Revel woofers cost? A much better tribute to your father will be to play music in your home as they grow up and to model an appreciation and respect for a variety of recordings.
Regarding $1k+ speaker cables, I'm not sure it's "normal" but it's not unusual for a serious audiophile. This underscores my previous point. Fancy speaker cables probably don't have an emotional connection with you. When it comes to preserving your dad's memory for your children I'm guessing there are lots of things that will have more meaning than his stereo. An expensive audio system is only one small slice of who your dad was and it sounds like you will keep a few pieces as mementos.
You have your hands full for the next couple decades. You will be sending your dad's gear to good homes and you can use the money for an important purpose. Your dad raised a good son.
This may have been already mentioned, but a website called Audiogon (audiogon.com) has a service called "BlueBook". It requires a subscription and costs $9.95 a month. It records the sale price of all gear sold on their site, going back to the late '90's. You can lookup the brand, then the type, then the model number for the gear you are selling. For most gear you can get data base on actual transactions. If the gear has no transactions, they sometime "guess" based on other similar items. These prices can serve as starting points for online selling, whether on Audiogon itself, free sites such as Audiomart, or by the old man himself, eBay.
Sorry for the loss first. Why are you selling it? If you do not need the money then keep it and listen with your father in mind. If you need the money then fair enough. It is beautiful gear and will provide you much enjoyment over the years. Kids learn not to touch things. It was mist likely a big part of your dads life.
my dad is still kicking . And i have a couple guitar amps of his . My kids will get them. Its a tangible part of the desires he had in his life . And at any time i can turn them on and hear him . .. anyways i dont know the circumstances or how much he even liked his system . Tough choice. I know i couldnt do it .
To the OP: I deeply sympathize with you, and wish you all possible peace. My own father passed away recently, and I found myself in a very similar situation to yours. I applaud your efforts to honor your father’s legacy. I have attempted to do the same.
To the Agon community: as I approach the onset of my own mortality, I find myself wondering if it would be possible to establish a database of our hi-if (or otherwise) holdings, if for no other reason, to quantify and valuate our personal collections. This may help to ease the burden of our heirs when it comes to the sad reality of liquidating our estates. Is this even a viable notion? I would love to be able to give my son an email or PM address to reach out to when I am gone, to ensure that my carefully curated collection might find a worthy home, without him having to go through an exhaustive education process. I realize that this may sound a bit morbid, but I feel strongly that such a database might very well provide a measure of peace for those charged with the dissolution of a loved one’s possessions. I welcome your thoughts.
traveldonkey sorry for your loss. I agree with what 8th notes writes.
actaman, your musings on establishing a database of owned gear resonates with me. I often wonder what will happen to my guitar collection after I'm gone. Will anyone know the value of my 50's Telecaster or will it wind up in trash somewhere. Similar for my hi-fi gear. I believe the best option may be to catalog things like this in a letter to your heirs, along with how to sell them for best value, and a short note perhaps about why the piece was meaningful to you. Keep the letter in a place it will be found in the event. But your idea is good too.
@Traveldonkey; based on your 7/26 post that you are "keeping some of the other pieces" of your Dad's system, it sounds to me like you've figured out a way to make this a "win - win" situation for you. I was wondering if your Dad had an Audiogon account that you could use to sell the remaining items?
What no one has mentioned so far is that seller with "low" or "zero" transaction/feedback rating can be a red flag for some potential buyers. Perhaps this is an issue that Tammy @ Audiogon customer support can help you with.
I'm going to post my initial reaction. Don't sell your dads stereo, if he was a good dad then keep it to remember him by. Set it up in extra room and when you find the time to listen to it and remember the good times. When my father passed away I sold his near mint 1967 Oldsmobile and now I seriously regret it. Just another alternative opinion.
Sorry for your loss; difficult times for sure. Did you have luck in selling anything? Please send me an email if you have the Mac as I may be interested and live a few hours away. [email protected]
I just wanted to post a little update and it’s a good one. I was able to sell the speakers and mark levinson pre amps for a really fair and honest value. I also found a note book with my audiogon dads username gafroggy so maybe one of you did business with him. As many of you mentioned not wanting to purchase from an unknown buyer. So between this info and the audiogon support team hopefully I will selling the remaining items on this site. The truth is now this community is the one I trust.
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