Ebay alternatives to buy vintage audio?

In the AudioKarma Audio Marketplace you can preview some of the BarterTown(BT) ads that subscribers/members put up for sale and want to buy. Generally, items in BT are priced to move, without the hassle of ebay, and sometimes you'll find someone in your area. There is also the AK Pony Express, where members help get items from A to B

Well worth checking out, and if interested, costs $25 a year to actually use those add-on forums.
jim
 
There are no magic bullets in the open market; the "score" is very scarce in this day of the information age.

If looking to earn supplemental income flipping hi fi gear online, don't waste your time.

As the saying goes- How do you wind up with a small fortune in the audio business - start with a large one. :rolleyes:
 
I'm acquainted with a few guys who score killer gear on the cheap with annoying regularity. They all live in a major metro area that is, and has been for a decently long time, fairly prosperous. Nearly all of them have a wife/SO who supports them entirely and/or they are on some kind of disability payment. This allows them to spend all day every day perusing the online ads and cruising the thriftstores, flea markets, and yard sales.
For those of out in the hinterlands and whose wives insist that we pull our own weight, scoring gear just isn't as easy as it used to be.
 
Alternatives and other sites recomendations please espeacially if they are cheaper.

Personally I have found Ebay to be an excellent, if not the best source, for audio equipment. Yet there is Craigslist or thrift shops, all of those are really hit-or-miss without the massive coverage. o_O
 
OP: Are you looking for a specific piece of collectible gear? Then, I suggest eBay, or one of the other on-line sites mentioned above (which I have no experience with), or a WTB ad in Bartertown as suggested by C T Jim. The marketplace is efficient – meaning you’ll generally pay the going market rate for a collectible piece of equipment if you use a widely-viewed on-line service.

FWIW, I’m a collector. I’ve always sought a specific piece of equipment. I’ve never found what I sought locally. Almost everything was bought on eBay. In a few cases I’ve purchased direct from a seller an item that was not advertised on eBay. (For example, Vintage Vacuum Audio has their own web site.) I do NOT advocate the unethical practice of finding an item on eBay, and then attempting to cut eBay out of the deal. IMO eBay provides a valuable service for both buyers and sellers, and deserves to be paid for their service.

Or, are you looking to buy anything that is cheap? I can’t help with that. Only you can decide if you enjoy visiting estate sales, garage sales, thrift stores, etc. in the hope of finding a “score” of anything audio related. As tarior pointed out, it helps if you live in a large metro area - where people have historically bought high-end audio gear - if you want to “score” high-end gear locally.
 
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For the sake of argument, if the OP is genuinely interested in expanding his collection without paying the going rate, the he'll have to do like everyone else. Instead of spending his money, he'll have to spend his time. Whatever that's worth to him.
The guys I know who score the killer gear spend pretty much all of their time doing it. Are they really saving anything? Who knows? I suppose there are worse things to do with one's day.
 
The market has changed SO MUCH since I started collecting and swapping gear around 2000-2004 ...
lots more scores in the older days when there weren't as many amateurs on the internet,
or so many people expecting to make a kill on every single sale ...
Most of my recent scores needed some serious repair to have value ...
or are harder to find someone for resale ...
Then again, I am not doing $50 speakers or $100 receivers.
 
Not all neighbors are nice. I recall a few past dealings on Barter Town quite a few years ago where the sellers didn't deliver the goods. On ebay it is pretty hard to keep someone's money if you don't deliver the goods, not so sure about on Barter town. Probably good to stick with buying stuff from the members here that we have gotten to know over the years rather than just buy from some new guy that keeps getting kicked of eBay and has numerous accounts, just my two cents worth.

I have always thought of Barter Town as more of a place for members who are into the hobby and participate in the threads about music and their gear to have a place to trade and deal, not to have just a place where people can have a business. I think most people here will see thru someone that is less than trustworthy, and I am sure the word would get out fast.
 
I resigned myself to the realization going into any type of thrift store for the killer deal is over for me. Too many "professional shoppers" line up for the doors to open, make a mad dash to the electronics area with carts in hand. I figure if it's to be, it will be. The best bang for your buck is not in the electronics section anymore, (for resale anyway).
 
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