Used gear prices and the state of the hobby.
I am always on the look-out for quality used gear, especially CD/SACD players.
It seems that lately (especially), I am seeing a lot of used gear come up at (what I consider to be) ridiculous prices. I've gone through enough CD players that I sort of know what they can be had for.
I am fully aware that the market will drive pricing, but some of these prices are insane.
Asking 75% of MSRP for a player that's more than 10 years old isn't going to happen, at least in my world.
I see the same ads come up, over and over, which tells me that these things aren't selling. In some cases, the asking prices are absolutely ridiculous.
Maybe the dealers/whomever are underwater on their product, but in case anyone hasn't noticed, the economy is starting to dive.
I'm not ranting, just stating that perhaps your stuff isn't selling because you're overpriced (in some cases by several hundreds to thousands of dollars!).
Other no-no's as far as I'm concerned:
No remote. Buy one THEN put the unit up for sale. In most cases, I will not consider a piece of equipment without an original (and in good condition) remote control.
"Rare". Sure it is. If it's so rare, well, that makes me wonder WHY it's so rare, now doesn't it?
"Giant Killer". Un-huh. Sure.
"Mostly Working". Well, get it repaired, and make it "totally working". THEN offer it for sale.
I view used gear like cars. When you drive it off the lot, well, you just lost 10% of the value. And it's all downhill from there.
I just wonder if anyone else had noticed this, or if I am just turning into an old man yelling at clouds?
If it's not a buyer's market at the moment, it will be shortly.
@cleeds No warranty? That would not be the case in something less than a year old? In 40 years of buying new equipment, I have never filed a warranty claim. I get your point but would say warranty is way over rated. |
Many warranties are not transferable; they typically apply only to the original purchaser when bought through an authorized dealer. There are exceptions, such as Bryston.
I'm sure you accept that your experience isn't universal. |
So far, I haven't been burned by overpriced used gear. The one case where I felt I paid too much is in the case of the Oppo 205 Universal disc player. When it first came out, I seem to recall it was listed at about $1,200. I opted for the less expensive 203. When Oppo sadly ceased making digital gear, the price of the 205 when up about 3X its original cost. Supply and demand I guess. I recently decided I wanted a 205 and purchased a upgraded one for $3,400 on Audiomart US. But, in a momentary lapse of reason, I did this with full knowledge that it was overpriced. |
