This is why as a seller, I much prefer a local pick up. The buyer can see the unit, audition, and no suprises. A minor blemish to some is a major catatrophe to others and it is best to not worry about these kind discrepancies. I would say that almost all (maybe all) of my purchases have been positive. Though I suppose it never hurts to be a little skeptical about claims,
Regardless of what an ad says, good, clear, well-lighted photos are a must. A lot of what's mentioned here involves trust, so they should particularly include close-ups of any and all flaws or markings: this provides a kind of full, non-verbal disclosure and lets potential buyers can make their own assessment of whether such-and-such a marking rates the item an X out of 10 or not, and if they can live with it.
Buying items without close-ups in the past, I've been surprised in both directions--both finding that an item's cosmetic flaws were underemphasized in a description and that, say, what was described as an 8/10 looks more like a 9/10 to me (that's a nice surprise). When a seller gives the buyer data to make his own assessment, trust goes up. Of course this all applies only to cosmetic issues...
how many potential buyers would buy a product if the seller suggested that he disliked the product and thought it was inferior ?
i am suspicious when a seller alleges the product is the best in its class. there is a credibility problem , even if the seller has a rational reason to sell it.
it is probably a smart idea not to mention why a product is being sold, but rather to accurately describe it and offer it a fair price. a problem may occur when a buyer asks for a reason for the sale. perhaps, consider the adage:
"don't ask a question if you are afraid of or don't really want an answer".
I sell because I want to try different pieces, its part of the hobby I enjoy and I don't want to have 20 amps and preamps laying around. It is rarely (ever?)a case related to the sound quality of the piece, most every piece I've had sounded good to my ears, though they often sound different and ultimately a matter of system matchups and personal taste. In the past year or so I have sold a CAT SL1, and Lamm LL2, Placette Active, Music Reference RM9 and 10, and a Pass XA30.5 - each was an excellent sounding piece, but without Audiogon I would never have been able to enjoy each in my system for time they were here.
I would only care if you were selling an item that was broke and you lied about it, otherwise it is your business why you are selling and I'll decide if the price is fair to give me an opportunity to try the piece.
The last thing I want to see in an ad is a lenghty expanation of why your selling, a waste of time & space, this will not give me the incentive to buy as a worthy product should sell on its own merits. Like TVAD mentioned the most important thing is the seller describe the item accurately and your honest about its condition. If you mention in your ad you are desperate to sell than this only eliminates your ability to get a fair price, as cruel as this sounds.
In additition my advice is if the seller has no feedback even if the item looks like a steal, exercise caution. I have given into this a couple of times and have been burned. If the seller has no feedback, ask for his phone number and talk to him.
I don't think anyone should have to justify why you are selling & it makes me laugh when I see an ad with various reasons why as if there should be some sort of guilt associated with it.
It's not necessarily guilt...it's called "marketing". Most buyers don't know the sellers, so if the sellers can paint a story that makes the potential buyers more confortable, they can sell quicker (or at a higher price). I'm by no means an "Audiogon Power Seller" or anything of the sort, but when I've needed to, I've unloaded a lot of gear in a very short amount of time at a fair price.
Following this advice, I moved $10k of stuff in under 2 weeks (no joke) - I was unemployed and needed cash for grad school.
1. Pictures are a mustÂ…and not just of the component itself. A photo of the component in a system helps, too. This also shows that the component wasn't used in a pig sty. It gives the buyer confidence that the product exists and hasn't be abused.
2. The product needs a bit of personal narrative. What did you really like about it? What were the products strengths? What similar components have you used?
3. You need to post a reason why you're selling the goods. Make it personal, particularly if the strengths listed above are compelling.
4. List "out the door" pricing. Spell it all out. List the product for $2000, but in the description, say "include a flat $100 for UPS ground shipping and $65 for paypal." And that all goods will be in original boxes, then boxed again.
5. Talk up your reputation. I always say that I take my Audiogon reputation seriously, and anyone who has any concerns should contact those who have left me feedback.
6. Use proper English. Poor grammar stinks of a scam.
7. Make the ad fun. I want to get the impression I'm dealing with a guy I'd want to buy a beer.
8. Make it clear that your posted price is more than fair and not negotiable.
These are the rules I follow, and have been really successful. Bottom line, I post in an ad exactly what I look for in an ad.
I, for one, have sold for perfectly respectable reasons every time. Seriously.
I sold a preamp when I decided I wanted remote control.
I then sold the next preamp when I wanted built in phono.
I then sold the next preamp because I got tired of fiddling with tubes.
I then sold the next because I could afford a really good tube pre and I missed the tube sound.
I sold an amp because I wanted more power.
I sold that amp because I wanted monoblocks.
I sold those to upgrade to better ones.
I sold those to upgrade yet again.
I sold a cd player because the damn thing had the same remote code as my new preamp -- anyone with a Linn Ikemi, don't get an Aesthetix Calypso!
I sold speakers because I was traveling for a year and then moving into a new house and I figured I'd wait and see what room I had before I selected speakers.
I also bought and sold Maggie 3.6's for the typical reason there. Loved the sound, but couldn't deal with the lack of SPL's when I wanted to rock out.
I've sold cables because of radical level upgrades -- like going from Cardas Microtwin to Tara Decade to Kubala Emotion.
I'm about to sell some speaker cables because they are too short for my new room, and a sub that was great with the Maggies but not necessary with my Aerials.
Some of us can be trusted to give good reasons for selling that can be believed.
My experiences buying here have been good that way as well. I think that there are more honest resellers than dishonest, and "doesn't sound good" at this level may be "didn't sound good to me, in my room, in my system." I sold a Rogue 99 Magnum when I wanted a quieter preamp, and the local guy that bought it from me still has it and still loves it.
I bought a set of monoblocks from a Silicon Valley engineer in the mid 90's. He sold nearly new Bryston monoblocks because his company went public and he bought Levinson 33's.
Honest people really exist. So do divorces, mistake purchases, upgrades....and cynics.
I don't think anyone should have to justify why you are selling & it makes me laugh when I see an ad with various reasons why as if there should be some sort of guilt associated with it. I buy to try and have sold a great deal of gear that I loved and the ride was exhilarating. But this is a fun thread that should produce some interesting responses.
I may be from another planet but I sell the old; after I have bought something better.--Altho one time I had to sell a piece because my seeing eye dog nedded lasic/ on both eyes.
a. I needed money b. didn't like the sound of it c. liked the sound, but broke down too often
Luckily I was never asked why I wanted to sell, neiter do I ask this question, should I buy. I would neither expect to give or get a straight answer. I suppose that is human nature, at least if you're a bit streetwise.
Joe,you are right I agree,by the way do you also post in Canuck? Entrope,sometimes they sell an earlier version of a product to upgrade to a more recent one.Example earlier production PS Audio Premier.I just found out about known issues with the early Premiers myself.I had a small interest in them but not anymore.
When I was new at this I used to ask the reason for a sale but then -to your point- I realized it did not matter "why" the seller was selling. What matters is only that he was selling an item that I wanted.
Some will raise the point that some people use this venue to turn equipment they bought cheap and make a profit. Just add that to the "reasons" to sell. What someone paid for an item is irrelevant. What you are willing to pay is the point.
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