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Selling gear - philosophical questions

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dbuz

Active Member
These questions are for people who sell things from their personal collection (or hoard) from time to time, not so much for people who regularly sell things for profit.

I'm wondering if you care who your things are going to? Would you sell something at a lower price if you knew the buyer would really love and appreciate the piece? Or are you only concerned with maximizing your profit? Say for example you have a receiver that you could get 1k for, but someone who can't afford that much tells you it's the one they've always wanted. You've had it for years and didn't pay much for it. Do you sell it for $500 to the guy who will love it, or take the grand from someone who will just try to flip it?
 
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I have sold a lot of gear and typically I don’t know the person but I price components aggressively low so it will find a new home fast.
At this point in my life if someone I knew wanted something I would probably give it to them. I just keep what is interesting to me. I don’t really know anyone into 2 channel hifi.
 
dbuz said:
These questions are for people who sell things from their personal collection (or hoard) from time to time, not so much for people who regularly sell things for profit.

I'm wondering if you care who your things are going to? Would you sell something at a lower price if you knew the buyer would really love and appreciate the piece? Or are you only concerned with maximizing your profit? Say for example you have a receiver that you could get 1k for, but someone who can't afford that much tells you it's the one they've always wanted. You've had it for years and didn't pay much for it. Do you sell it for $500 to the guy who will love it, or take the grand from someone who will just try to flip it?
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Good question, I tend to not really sale much gear. I recently sold my 1st amp on eBay and I posted it for no reserve and free shipping. It was a fisher KX-200. I figured I may get some good $$ for or someone will get a great deal.

It sold for $390

I usually sale in BT on AK if I’m going to sale something, I figure it’s best if gear ends up with people who will appreciate it.

I also have given a lot of gear away for free and have received a lot of gear for free. I recently gave away a set of Wharfedale W80s and some massive bozaks to a guy for free and 2 day later they were posted to CL for over a grand lol I just laughed. It’s just the nature of the hobby. Some folks are in it to make a buck, some of us are in it for the music and gear and some both.

As for trying to maximize the profit, no that’s not my thing. I call that “eBay pricing” eBay has killed a lot of the fun in the hobby. I usually do a lot of deals with folks I’ve done business with before. We keep the gear flowing and the prices low. I’ve made many deals with many members on the site. Once you really start to get into the hobby you start to find folks just as hooked as you are and are usually willing to swap gear. I can’t tell you how much gear I’ve gotten on trade with other members. The amp I’m listening to right now was gifted to me for free by @spidermanwrx. Don is the man!! His collection is incredible. :)

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Can’t always believe the “I’ve always wanted that”, “can’t afford your asking price”.

I was selling an amp for a fair price, and an interested buyer said, I have always wanted this amp and have been looking for one I could afford. They offered me hundreds less than I was asking, and because he always wanted one, I sold it to him for offer.

Next day it was for sale for more than my original asking price.

So to answer the question, when I sell a piece of gear, which is not often, I price it so it will move pretty quickly. I will entertain offers, but ignore the sob stories.

Rob
 
dbuz said:
These questions are for people who sell things from their personal collection (or hoard) from time to time, not so much for people who regularly sell things for profit.

I'm wondering if you care who your things are going to? Would you sell something at a lower price if you knew the buyer would really love and appreciate the piece? Or are you only concerned with maximizing your profit? Say for example you have a receiver that you could get 1k for, but someone who can't afford that much tells you it's the one they've always wanted. You've had it for years and didn't pay much for it. Do you sell it for $500 to the guy who will love it, or take the grand from someone who will just try to flip it?
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Depends how much I need the money. Back in the early '90s I went back to college and money was tight. I knew an EE who was unemployed so I'd buy faulty equipment, pay him to fix it, and then flip it. I wouldn't make much, maybe £20 per component but it was a steady additional income.

Once I went back to work I stopped bothering as money was no longer an issue and I gave away quite a lot of equipment, or sold it for a nominal amount well below the going rate.

Since then I've only made a profit on one sale. I bought some mint Celestion Ditton 44 from the husband of a work colleague. He wanted £60 for them. I offered him £100 but he wouldn't take it. When I came to sell them I decided that I couldn't let them go for what I paid, they were just in such good condition, and were a popular vintage speaker, so I offered them for £100. The buyer made a 500 mile round trip to collect them. Said he'd been after a good set for years.

For all I know he could have flipped them the next day for a substantial profit, but I really don't care.
 
I have given my son anything that has a personal attachment.

I don’t like selling my things so it’s usually whatever makes it quick and painless.

Anything that I sell I’d like to see go to a good home, and I’m pretty bad at sticking to a price, whoever shows up with money is my buyer just to get it over with.
 
Robisme said:
Can’t always believe the “I’ve always wanted that”, “can’t afford your asking price”.

I was selling an amp for a fair price, and an interested buyer said, I have always wanted this amp and have been looking for one I could afford. They offered me hundreds less than I was asking, and because he always wanted one, I sold it to him for offer.

Next day it was for sale for more than my original asking price.

So to answer the question, when I sell a piece of gear, which is not often, I price it so it will move pretty quickly. I will entertain offers, but ignore the sob stories.

Rob
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^

This!!!!!!!!
 
I have "gifted" almost every audio item that has left my house. I don't think I have ever sold a piece of gear. I donated one piece to AK for the Christmas fund drive, but flat out sold, no. I have sold other items and my take on it, after they hand me the money, it is theirs to do what they want with it. I have, in my early days, purchased cars for a great deal, polished them up, tuned them up and sold them for hundreds more than I had in them.
I don't do sob stories....I have a price, it is fair, pay the man. :rflmao:
 
As I plan to downsize in the not so distant future, I will need to shed a few things I never wanted to part with. I keep all my gear in the condition it was in the box even though they can be 20+ years old. One item I will have a hard time parting with are my Dynaudio 82s in pristine condition. The only thing you will find on them is a little dust. I will be selling them for whatever the going price is at the time but not giving them away. I will also need to part with an Odyssey Stratos Plus amp in perfect condition and a nice VAC CLA 1 MK II Dual Mono Tubed Pre. I hope it all can go together since it is a killer setup but more than likely it won't. Hopefully it does not get flipped but hey, once it's gone I have no control.
 
Interesting responses so far. I've never sold a piece of gear, anything that has come into my house has stayed here or been given away as a gift to family and friends. Years ago a coworker gave me her dad's entire (cheap but awesome) collection that consisted of a Realistic SA-350 amp, an Olson tuner, 2 reel to reel decks, a bunch of reels (mostly polkas!), and a damn good collection of 70's rock records. If that had never happened I might still be listening to a crappy AVR or a soundbar. It seems like when I was young, people did that sort of thing all the time. You upgrade your system and then pass your old stuff down to a kid or someone new to the hobby. Different world I suppose.
 
Most of what I've sold has been reasonably priced; and much lower than ebay pricing. I've also given away a few things. Last year I had a Denon integrated listed on FB. The guy that wanted it was obviously of low income (he worked at McDonalds). I gave him the amp with his promise to help me move (and I'd pay him) when the time came. Haven't found the right house yet, and am hoping he's still around. If not, oh well.
 
Yes and no at times. I will probably be hated for admitting to this fact. Been know when replying to inquires on gear for sale to skip names and contact someone down the list I know. I always wait hours to go back and look for this reason. Also keep a updated folder with the names and notes on replies to sales or purchases for any future references.
Will block without question someone that looks to me a future problem child.
 
I've given a lot of my old stuff to people I know over the years. If I never use it, it has little to no value to me.
 
I have sold equipment on US Audio Mart many times and almost always within a few days because I price things reasonably. Folks I know personally get an even better deal... money is not everything to me (I also try to buy equipment when it is on sale).
 
One thing about pricing of gear.

Pricing gear low will attract more buyers of all types. Where pricing at a higher price point will weed out the low hanging fruit if that is what you desire. If wanting gone is the main objective then low is where it's at. Wanting to go to a end user, pricing a little higher will allow them to find it. Over those who are the aggressive buyer, camping out hunting for the next score to flip.
 
krautmaster said:
I have sold equipment on US Audio Mart many times and almost always within a few days because I price things reasonably. Folks I know personally get an even better deal... money is not everything to me (I also try to buy equipment when it is on sale).
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I'll probably go this route when the time comes, and/or subscribe to Barter Town.
 
Oerets said:
One thing about pricing of gear.

Pricing gear low will attract more buyers of all types. Where pricing at a higher price point will weed out the low hanging fruit if that is what you desire. If wanting gone is the main objective then low is where it's at. Wanting to go to a end user, pricing a little higher will allow them to find it. Over those who are the aggressive buyer, camping out hunting for the next score to flip.
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Good point. I've picked up a few things for dirt cheap, but it was a right place/time situation. I don't think I would enjoy buying and flipping, if only because it annoys me when I see something sell cheap and then get immediately relisted for way more after some Windex and D5. It would be one thing if some kid was doing it, but dudes in their 50's+ who don't need the money? F them. People like that are ruining the hobby IMO.
 
dbuz said:
These questions are for people who sell things from their personal collection (or hoard) from time to time, not so much for people who regularly sell things for profit.

I'm wondering if you care who your things are going to? Would you sell something at a lower price if you knew the buyer would really love and appreciate the piece? Or are you only concerned with maximizing your profit? Say for example you have a receiver that you could get 1k for, but someone who can't afford that much tells you it's the one they've always wanted. You've had it for years and didn't pay much for it. Do you sell it for $500 to the guy who will love it, or take the grand from someone who will just try to flip it?
Click to expand...

An interesting question.

I haven't sold any of my old gear and definitely don't flip stuff.

I suspect that I would be more inclined to sell to the "true fan" but a 50% discount is a little too much.
 
Part of this hobby for me is trying different equipment to see what all the fuss is about, and if it doesn't live up to the hype I will sell it. A Sansui BA/CA2000 and McIntosh MC2205 did not live up to the hype, so they were gone within a year. I try not to lose money, but sometimes that happens. When a non-functioning piece is bought reasonably, restored to operational condition, then those pieces usually bring a small profit. Usually.

I have been lucky selling on CL. The pieces are priced lower than what pops up when Googling said piece of equipment, are usually cosmetically and operationally excellent, and I have met some nice people. I currently have a stash of projects waiting for attention, but once those are gone I will slow down my quest for new ones. Most of the younger people I know are not really interested in 2 channel music; if they were I would put together systems for them for free, just to get them hooked.
 
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