• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Selling gear - philosophical questions

Unless the person is a friend, or at least an acquaintance, I wouldn't drop the price because they can't afford it. Particularly with vintage audio gear, I would assume that just about anyone buying the stuff is doing so out of a labor of love, so that part doesn't really enter into it.

If I sell something, it's always a pretty good deal (less than it might have sold on Ebay), and even then I'll list it for maybe 15% more than I'm absolutely willing to take so that if someone offers me a bit less for it, I'll accept and they can feel like they got a deal.
 
A memory that bugs me is selling a part for my car at age 17, some guy comes to buy it, tells me its for his toy that he broke while drag racing last weekend, and talked me down on my already fair price. He clearly could have afforded it, and I could have really used the money getting my start in life. So lesson learned, I'd rather put something back on the shelf than be unfair to myself. It's not like I couldn't find a buyer in time.

That being said I'm willing to give someone a good deal if I know it'll be in good hands and they're being respectful and fair. I sold an appliace recently, the person was good to work with and didn't beg or lowball despite their needs, so I handed some of the cash back. We both won. I'm more concerned with finding a good home for everything than making the last dollar.
 
Last edited:
dane79 said:
A memory that bugs me is selling a part for my car at age 17, some guy comes to buy it, tells me its for his toy that he broke while drag racing last weekend, and talked me down on my already fair price. He clearly could have afforded it, and I could have really used the money getting my start in life. So lesson learned, I'd rather put something back on the shelf than be unfair to myself. It's not like I couldn't find a buyer in time.

That being said I'm willing to give someone a good deal if I know it'll be in good hands and they're being respectful and fair. I sold an appliace recently, the person was good to work with and didn't beg or lowball despite their needs, so I handed some of the cash back. We both won. I'm more concerned with finding a good home for everything than making the last dollar.
Click to expand...
Yeah that sucks. I'm way more likely to negotiate aggressively with someone I know doesn't need the money. But I'm not nickel and diming some kid or a guy trying to feed his family.

Although I do admit to throwing lowball offers to people who sound like dicks in their ads just to mess with them
 
RunOutGroove said:
Unless the person is a friend, or at least an acquaintance, I wouldn't drop the price because they can't afford it. Particularly with vintage audio gear, I would assume that just about anyone buying the stuff is doing so out of a labor of love, so that part doesn't really enter into it.

If I sell something, it's always a pretty good deal (less than it might have sold on Ebay), and even then I'll list it for maybe 15% more than I'm absolutely willing to take so that if someone offers me a bit less for it, I'll accept and they can feel like they got a deal.
Click to expand...
It's smart to list it for a bit more because of people like me. Negotiation is part of the fun. I don't think I've ever bought something from a "firm price, I know what I got" person. Mainly because they're usually delusional about value.
 
dbuz said:
It's smart to list it for a bit more because of people like me. Negotiation is part of the fun. I don't think I've ever bought something from a "firm price, I know what I got" person. Mainly because they're usually delusional about value.
Click to expand...

How about this, have you ever given anyone a deal who ended up selling the item for substantially more than you gave it to them for?

Being nice with gear can sometimes bite you in the Ars.

I have had some pretty odd deals over the years. One was a good friend of mine who I had done tons of work for on audio gear, for free as he was a friend. He ended up crossing a line with me one day and i've not talked to him in a number of years now.

The deal was for a set of Heathkit W5M's, he wanted $500 for the set and I agreed to his asking price. They did not work and needed to be gone through so I thought it was fair. I agreed to buy them when I was off work that day.

He starts messaging me mid afternoon asking when I was going to buy the amps, I said he can either show up to my work and i can give him cash or he can wait till I was off and could run over and pick them up. He ends up telling me "nevermind". I was a little annoyed and aske what the issue was and he said he was just going to hang on to them. He was a friend so i said whatever and just let it go...

A few days later he calls but I was working and could not answer, so he text me and asked if i was still interested. I responded yes I was, he said $500? I said deal. I said i can go pick them up after work that day, he responded he was not free till the next day. I said that is totally fine.

So Im thinking cool we have a deal, that evening I decided i did not want to spend the money and id sale something on CL to offset the $500 bucks. So I posted to CL a beautiful mint cond. Marantz 140 fully restored by @Ben LaVigna the actual grandson of the engineer who designed the 140. I have 2 of them. Posted it to CL and within 5 minutes had folks calling to buy it. Sold it that evening for $500. Gave the guy an amazing deal as i just wanted the $500 for the W5M's.

Next morning im at work and he is blowing my phone up, I text him I was at work and cant talk but I would be free after work. He text back that he needed the $, I said I can send it via PayPal so you have it now and just get the amps later? No, I need cash... Ok well i am at work and cant do that right now.

Not sure what he read but he lost his cool and started freaking out saying we agreed on today and I need the money.... I had to step away from work and message him and say i never said i was not going to buy it, and i was just not free. Turns out he assumed i was trying to pull out of the deal and he needed the $$ for his kids school bill or something. So i tell him i want them but ill go after work or he can show up at the shop and we can make the deal.

He ended up getting pretty pissed and said I thought we were doing this in the morning? I said, where in our text is that mentioned? No answer.... So I get off work and text him I was on the way, and he responds don't bother im just going to hold them now....

Well now i am pissed because he cased me a bunch of drama while at work, I sold off a 12-1500 dollar amp in a fire sale to raise the funds for his gear and now he wants to play games. Turns out he had another buyer lined up the 1st time we tried to make the deal, and flaked on me to try to make a few extra bucks but the guy ended up not buying them from him, so days later he tired to sale them to me again when he needed the money. And instead of just telling me that he tired to work on over on me.

I did not care about the amps, it was more so that I considered him a friend and had probably given him a few grand in free labor, just 2 weeks prior to this I had replaced a few caps in one of his Marantz receivers, did a full lamp upgrade for him for free, also restored like 3 cassette decks for him. Being nice at times can really come back to haunt you. He has asked me to take on projects for him since than and i just say no, Ive told him that after all that it was not worth making any sort of deals with him anymore as i was the one who got the shaft and lost gear over his not being able to make a deal.

Im still pissed that i sold that 140 for so low. But that's life and that is how this hobby is at times.
 
jobrewer1983 said:
How about this, have you ever given anyone a deal who ended up selling the item for substantially more than you gave it to them for?

Being nice with gear can sometimes bite you in the Ars.

I have had some pretty odd deals over the years. One was a good friend of mine who I had done tons of work for on audio gear, for free as he was a friend. He ended up crossing a line with me one day and i've not talked to him in a number of years now.

The deal was for a set of Heathkit W5M's, he wanted $500 for the set and I agreed to his asking price. They did not work and needed to be gone through so I thought it was fair. I agreed to buy them when I was off work that day.

He starts messaging me mid afternoon asking when I was going to buy the amps, I said he can either show up to my work and i can give him cash or he can wait till I was off and could run over and pick them up. He ends up telling me "nevermind". I was a little annoyed and aske what the issue was and he said he was just going to hang on to them. He was a friend so i said whatever and just let it go...

A few days later he calls but I was working and could not answer, so he text me and asked if i was still interested. I responded yes I was, he said $500? I said deal. I said i can go pick them up after work that day, he responded he was not free till the next day. I said that is totally fine.

So Im thinking cool we have a deal, that evening I decided i did not want to spend the money and id sale something on CL to offset the $500 bucks. So I posted to CL a beautiful mint cond. Marantz 140 fully restored by @Ben LaVigna the actual grandson of the engineer who designed the 140. I have 2 of them. Posted it to CL and within 5 minutes had folks calling to buy it. Sold it that evening for $500. Gave the guy an amazing deal as i just wanted the $500 for the W5M's.

Next morning im at work and he is blowing my phone up, I text him I was at work and cant talk but I would be free after work. He text back that he needed the $, I said I can send it via PayPal so you have it now and just get the amps later? No, I need cash... Ok well i am at work and cant do that right now.

Not sure what he read but he lost his cool and started freaking out saying we agreed on today and I need the money.... I had to step away from work and message him and say i never said i was not going to buy it, and i was just not free. Turns out he assumed i was trying to pull out of the deal and he needed the $$ for his kids school bill or something. So i tell him i want them but ill go after work or he can show up at the shop and we can make the deal.

He ended up getting pretty pissed and said I thought we were doing this in the morning? I said, where in our text is that mentioned? No answer.... So I get off work and text him I was on the way, and he responds don't bother im just going to hold them now....

Well now i am pissed because he cased me a bunch of drama while at work, I sold off a 12-1500 dollar amp in a fire sale to raise the funds for his gear and now he wants to play games. Turns out he had another buyer lined up the 1st time we tried to make the deal, and flaked on me to try to make a few extra bucks but the guy ended up not buying them from him, so days later he tired to sale them to me again when he needed the money. And instead of just telling me that he tired to work on over on me.

I did not care about the amps, it was more so that I considered him a friend and had probably given him a few grand in free labor, just 2 weeks prior to this I had replaced a few caps in one of his Marantz receivers, did a full lamp upgrade for him for free, also restored like 3 cassette decks for him. Being nice at times can really come back to haunt you. He has asked me to take on projects for him since than and i just say no, Ive told him that after all that it was not worth making any sort of deals with him anymore as i was the one who got the shaft and lost gear over his not being able to make a deal.

Im still pissed that i sold that 140 for so low. But that's life and that is how this hobby is at times.
Click to expand...
That guy sounds like a huge asshole, and/or a cocaine aficionado. Luckily I've never had a "friend" try to screw me like that. I commend you for not slapping the crap out of him.
 
I have not used CL in quite a few years for local buying and selling. I just use Facebook Marketplace. I will buy lighter items from Ebay but nothing heavy....too much chance of damage, same with selling.

When I find stuff at Goodwill ETC like the Bose 201/ll two weeks ago, I usually sell them to an indie record shop in downtown Sac. I know that he needs to be able to sell for double what he buys stuff from me. The speakers were filthy when I found them but I cleaned them up and they looked and sounded great. I have sold to him for over 12 years so I know what he sells stuff for. I bought the speakers for $12.50 and sold them to him for $50, he sold them the next day for $100. I got the most I could from him and knows that and is fine with that because it is just business. Over the years I have sold him at least 50 pairs of speakers and 15 or 20 amp and receivers and when I want to buy, I get stuff at his cost.

When I sell on FB, I usually list at decent price and leave myself some room to come down. Someone buying audio gear is usually not starving so I will come down some, but a story about why they need it wont effect how I negotiate.

I never get offended by low ball offers because I spent my entire working life in retail and selling stuff is just business to me. I low ball people all the time because it never hurts to ask. When I say lowball, I usually mean I knock off 20 or 30% to start......depending on the item (we buy a lot of Mid Century stuff) and price. If something has been listed for a long time I will hit them with an even lower offer. On Ebay I have been surprised over and over by a seller accepting almost instantly one of super low offers.

The people that get butthurt over lowball offers need to get a life however.........its just business....not personal.
 
If it's a friend or family member, or even someone like a neighbor or an acquaintance, then that certainly factors into the equation and I would even be inclined to give them stuff for free in many cases. But if it's just some random person who responded to an ad, then I don't really care what their story is, it's just business at that point.
 
I’ve traded in some older equipment for new, but I’ve never actually “sold” my older stereo equipment. I’ve given it all to friends and family, excited that I’ve upgraded to something better that I wanted more and that they can now enjoy what I had.

I’ve also been gifted some nice components. When I can, I’m happy to pay it forward.
 
I've given stuff away, priced it way low, and tried for some profit. It depends on my mood, the attitude of the prospective buyer, the desirability of the gear, and my need for cash at the time of sale among other things. I've also bundled gear at a nice bargain price to make room and give someone a deal. I usually price a little high initially to account for haggling but reduce price if interest is limited.

dbuz said:
I'll probably go this route when the time comes, and/or subscribe to Barter Town.
Click to expand...

I recommend subscribing to AK. Your dollars go to support AK and you get a few perks including access to BT.
 
If someone comes to my door so needy that he can’t afford a piece of audio equipment at or near market price, he shouldn’t be buying audio equipment and I’ll be doing his family a favor turning him away.

Is one worthy of any piece of audio equipment based on his appreciation of things he cannot afford? I can appreciate a private island in the south pacific and a Falconjet to get me there, … doesn’t mean I should get it any cheaper than anyone else.

I’m not a hardass who doesn’t like helping a guy out, and most of what I sell when I’m finished with it: furniture, appliances, electronics, cars, boats, … is priced to sell fast to the first guy, if he shows up with the money it’s gone regardless of any sob story.

I will get more stories about why I should hold something BECAUSE of the low price, then ghosted when he/she can’t borrow a pickup truck for a leather sofa.
 
Last edited:
dbuz said:
I'm always amazed when people find stuff like this at thrift stores. It's all trash around here for the most part.
Click to expand...
A find like the Bose is a couple of times a year at most. There are about 5 thrifts we frequent a few times a week and that means a lot of visits where I find just crap. I look for a lot more than electronics however. It is amazing the expensive clothing, a lot of the time new, that people donate.
 
I don't usually fall for sob stories, but I will go by instinct occasionally.
I had a young couple come to my garage sale looking for stereo equipment. They saw the Pioneer SX1050 receiver I had in my garage (it wasn't for sale) and the husband fell in love instantly. I could see he was figuring out if he could afford to buy it. He offered me a price, which was below what I could easily get for it, but I sold it to him for that price. Hopefully they are still enjoying it. FYI, I did purchase it for very cheap, so I didn't lose any money on the sale.
 
Bodyblue said:
A find like the Bose is a couple of times a year at most. There are about 5 thrifts we frequent a few times a week and that means a lot of visits where I find just crap. I look for a lot more than electronics however. It is amazing the expensive clothing, a lot of the time new, that people donate.
Click to expand...
That makes way more sense, I don't go nearly that often.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom