Sure it's nice - but it's a cassette...

[janikphoto]

You're right there, but the question that comes to mind is: Is this not borderline unethical? I can imagine someone paying these prices under the mistaken impression that the asking price reflects the rarity and or quality of the item. I also realize that caveat emptor applies as much here as anywhere else, but none the less. I can't help but feel that this is not quite cricket if you will pardon the expression.

It's not unethical, just moronic. Unethical would be if he was lying to make the piece sound ultra-rare and ultra-valuable. He's not. He's just saying that feet, a power cord, and some gold connectors make this piece special. That's definitely based on pure stupidity, not an evil soul.

 

[jancumps]

Anyone here with experience on this deck?
Report please.

 

[iamdgw]

Hey wait a second...

Uneducated consumer: ...
These are the same people, by the way, that use eBay listings to determine what an item is worth.

What's wrong with this? :scratch2: - or are you saying listings per se; and not completed listings.

If I've done my homework on a piece and I have a record of - say 100 completed auctions (where the item has sold) for a given piece of gear - I think it's not unreasonable to expect it's value to fall somewhere inside that range - near the average, + / - depending on condition....

But when the last (same model) sold for closer to 300 vs 3000 -
and a previous high (in the last year) of around $730
and you've tried the same listing almost twenty times......

at any rate - it's fun to :scratch2::scratch2::scratch2: :thmbsp:

 

[Ashfan]

Darn, I passed up one of these at SA about a year ago for $80. I feel like such a fool... or not.

 

[Wigwam Jones]

It's not unethical, just moronic. Unethical would be if he was lying to make the piece sound ultra-rare and ultra-valuable. He's not. He's just saying that feet, a power cord, and some gold connectors make this piece special. That's definitely based on pure stupidity, not an evil soul.

I basically agree with you. But ultimately, 'evil' isn't something one can regulate. eBay does not give a damn if you give your profits to the poor or kick puppies in your spare time.

The seller, as you say, is radically overestimating what his item is worth. The market will demonstrate that to him - or someone will buy it, which proves that it *is* worth that amount, at least to the buyer.

What I find somewhat disturbing is that there are apparently those (not you) who 'know' what the item is worth and IT BETTER SELL FOR THAT or they feel some kind of crime is being committed. It's worth whatever it sells for, no more and no less. If someone wants to pay his exorbitant asking price, then the market has spoken and that's pretty much the end of it. There are no morality police to ensure that the buyer doesn't 'get ripped off' by making an uninformed purchase, nor is the seller to be thwacked across the knuckles by Big Brother for the crime of offending our sensibilities and asking an outrageous sum of money.

"I know what it's worth and he's asking too much." Well, that's opinion, and everyone is entitled to one. But nothing in that statement constitutes proof that a crime has been committed. Those who wish to stick their noses into it can click on the 'Report potential fraud to eBay' link. In the CL world, such folks sometimes also post listings informing others of what an overpriced crook the seller is. I don't quite understand such strong emotions over these things, but whatever.

I have a friend who just bought a house for about 10% what it sold for when it was built. I suppose he should contact the seller and tell him that it was too good a deal; he stole it basically; and offer to pay whatever the original asking price was. No? Well then...the house was worth whatever the buyer was willing to pay and the seller was willing to sell for. No more, no less.

 

[captaingamez]

For less you could get a nak 1000zxl and be much better off, and that's still more than I personally would invest in cassettes

 

[dragonhead00]

If one person is willing to pay the 3K+ for the deck then, yes, it is worth it to that person. If no one else is willing to pay that much then, it is an anomaly and does not mean that particular deck should be seen as commanding that price. The averages of the market have to bear that out. You also have to take into account the rarity of the object. In that case, it would take fewer transactions to set the value of that deck. I don't think it's as much unethical as it is unrealistic - maybe even delusional. I noted that the seller tries to justify his knowingly high price by pointing out his upgrades, obviously hoping for uninformed buyers to be impressed with his ''hard'' work and the one-of-a-kind nature of the machine. All it would take is for the buyer to brag about his ''unique'' deck to someone who knows something only to have the bad new broken to him. They would have let him know that he could have spent that same money and gotten a better cassette deck, a great turntable and reel to reel with change back to boot. But, hey. If he enjoys that deck and doesn't regret spending the money, who are we to judge?

 

[canuckaudiog]

If one person is willing to pay the 3K+ for the deck then, yes, it is worth it to that person. If no one else is willing to pay that much then, it is an anomaly and does not mean that particular deck should be seen as commanding that price. The averages of the market have to bear that out. You also have to take into account the rarity of the object. In that case, it would take fewer transactions to set the value of that deck. I don't think it's as much unethical as it is unrealistic - maybe even delusional. I noted that the seller tries to justify his knowingly high price by pointing out his upgrades, obviously hoping for uninformed buyers to be impressed with his ''hard'' work and the one-of-a-kind nature of the machine. All it would take is for the buyer to brag about his ''unique'' deck to someone who knows something only to have the bad new broken to him. They would have let him know that he could have spent that same money and gotten a better cassette deck, a great turntable and reel to reel with change back to boot. But, hey. If he enjoys that deck and doesn't regret spending the money, who are we to judge?

Exactly. The power of the market is in the consumer's hand ultimately. Too bad there's just so many of us!

 

[jdwk]

Just checked out his other items for sale. $487 for an unopened King Crimson LP, $687 for Tea For The Tillerman? :jawdrop:
I dunno. I'm all for free enterprise and all, but this is just nuts.

those are MFSL UHQR records and while his prices are too high , start one of those low enough, ger people bidding and It might sell for $400 or so.

 

[24HACKER]

What has he been smoking?

 

[JesusChrysler]

Hey, its iowa yo. Can't farm ya gotta survive somehow!!

;-)


Matt

 

[stereofanboy]

You're right there, but the question that comes to mind is: Is this not borderline unethical? I can imagine someone paying these prices under the mistaken impression that the asking price reflects the rarity and or quality of the item. I also realize that caveat emptor applies as much here as anywhere else, but none the less. I can't help but feel that this is not quite cricket if you will pardon the expression.

He is free to ask whatever price he wants. He may not get it, but that is another issue.

The only breech of ethics I see, is referring to it as new. Even that is iffy, since he goes on to describe exactly why it isn't really new. I guess you could say his listing contradicts itself.

I can't justify keeping all the gear I find, so if it doesn't find itself in use, it finds itself for sale. If I like it enough that I kind of want to keep it even though I don't use it, the price will be higher than condition and rarity dictate. If it doesn't sell, I get to keep it and say I tried, if it does, the price I got takes away some of the sting of seller's remorse.

I don't hold a gun to the buyer's head. It is up to him to decide whether to pay my asking price, or look elsewhere.

 

[slow_jazz]

Free Shipping included...

This guy must not have a good grasp of reality...

 

[Chazzer]

IMO this particular add has been around for years(at least 3)and is what I term a "SHOW OFF" add. He or she has no real intention to sell the item. If someone should offer the price I think the seller would back out.