Inexperienced Seller Question

If listing privately, advertising at a low low price (well below market) for "hassle free sale" is often not effective, and sometimes counterproductive. It draws in more of the obnoxious people. List for what it’s worth, and screen your buyers (be choosy). On the other hand, it’s also easy to misjudge the REAL market (often worse than your think), and list too high. Anyways the JC-2 is a nice unit and 900 does seem low.  

Also, you mean the JC-2 preamp, not JC-1 (which is a mono amp). And IIRC there is a revision version (BP) that accounts for some of the increased MSRP. However "now going for 5.5K" sounds like an AI hallucination. These details matter when listing!

And I’m sorry but if UPS damaged your MC cart then it likely wasn’t packed properly. It must be packed separately in its own case/shell - never mounted to a tonearm! Packaging physics is undefeated - there’s a right and wrong way for every component. Fortunately, components like the JC-2 come from factory with thick form-fitting closed-cell foam (polyethylene) and double or triple-wall boxes. Nothing can move around, at all. That kind of packing is EXCELLENT and has a near 100% success rate for safe transit with UPS or FedEx. When you have that kind of packing, you’re golden to ship. I’ve even shipped up to 135 lbs VAC tube amps - you need at least 2" - 3" of premium polyethylene foam (multi-layer is best) all around, but it gets the job done. You can buy good foam on Amazon but it ain't cheap. 

If you really want low hassle you can contact TMR (The Music Room) - but you’ll obviously relinquish a big chunk of its market value. Maybe try a consignment sale if not in a hurry.

I’ve done local sales but honestly despise it. Having a new stranger in the home, or arranging a meet somewhere. Ugh, no thanks. It’s higher risk IMO.

Here are a few thoughts:

• TMR as mentioned is not a reasonable idea if easy and safe are your priorities over maximum return
• Audiogon is still good but I find USAM to be easier and reliable
• To help with pricing, go here (link), enter the item you are selling and look up for sale and sold/expired listings for the listing prices being asked by others
• Take good pictures
• Package securely, and double box if possible
• Sell to buyers with good feedback - stipulate that in your ad. You don’t have to sell to someone just because they say they can pay. If you don’t like the communication with a certain buyer, or don’t feel comfortable, then don’t sell to them
• Payment by cash, money order, check (wait till it clears to ship), or PP (but not F&F)
• Spell out your terms such as no overseas sales, no proxies,  no buyers with negative feedback, and your required pmt methods
• Ship by a trackable method and insure your shipment
• Maintain good communication with your buyer until you know everything has worked out

Good luck

• TMR as mentioned is not a reasonable idea if easy and safe are your priorities over maximum return.

@mitch2 , sure you mean "...not an unreasonable idea..."

Yup, thanks for the pick-up!  

I actually had "not a terrible idea" but decided to sound more positive - screwed that one up! 

Thanks to all who have responded.  Lots of helpful responses.  This is a JC2 Preamp and yes, I do think AI inflated the price for new, as a quick Google search seems to indicate that around $4.2K seems to be the norm.

  I’ve been playing it it a bit since plugging it back in, now wavering on selling…did I mention that this unit is unbelievably quiet?  I love my Cary SLP 3 and I never really cared about the slight noise of the tubed background until now.  The Cary makes all the instruments just sound a bit sweeter…argh!

I’ll see what TMR offers.  I think my wife will stroke if I use Craig’s List, so many scamming stories.  Fb Marketplace might be worth checking