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So I was browsing Audiogon and there are 15 pages of speakers under floor standing, went over to USAM and there are 28 pages.Makes me wonder how likely a person is able to find a buyer. Some of the higher dollar speakers are being marked down over 50%, and some up to 70%. The complicating factor is shipping, and the fact that many sellers do not keep their packing.
Following listings on Hifi Shark you can see the history of certain listings that go on for over a year or two.For instance I looked at these last generation Snell B7 speaker listings. Marked down 75% and in excellent shape by a distinguished designer and no one will touch them.
What do you suppose the chances are of a sale when an person makes a listing?
Edits: 02/26/23Follow Ups:
Well my current speakers are JBL 4365, and at 190 pounds each they would have to be shipped freight or air. I have the boxes for them in the garage but I would be leary using a trucking company, I have seen holes punched in the side of speaker boxes a friend has received via truck. I suppose I could fill in with hard board styrofoam to give an added layer of protection.
The question becomes what would I replace them with? I like the JBL and have owned them for 7 years. As any insane audiophile I believe there is another tier of performance available to me. Yet what would that be? I have heard the Joseph Audio at show and enjoyed them, same with Raidho, and even VS. But these are their TOTL offerings, and those are farther than I can stretch. Eggleston showed promise, and a used pair are possible, but shipping is brutal and tricky.
So for now I stand pat with the JBL. Sometimes its better to appreciate what you have while its here than make misstep.
You make a good point, especially regarding selling speakers on the internet. Shipping gets expensive and can become onerous. Then there is the risk of damage regardless of shippers careful packing. Luckily my speaker sales have been more or less local, as I benefit from being between a major college town and 2 large metro areas. Regarding shipping small electronics have not been an issue. I am now at the point in life where it is time to significantly cull the herd as they say. I am honestly not looking forward to the required effort necessary to sell my larger speakers, a pair of Gradient Revolutions, Genesis Vs, and Sony SS-NA2ES. My original KEF Ref 101's however should be an easy sale.
There are some items that are popular and in demand that will go quickly if you've not overpriced them for the market. For example, Schitt gear is quite popular and when I sold my Bifrost 2 DAC and Saga+ last year, both were gone within a week.OTOH, if you are trying to sell something more obscure or that has a small following, even if a dedicated one, it may take some time or not sell at all. And, there are other potential complications that others have already mentioned -- shipping (both cost and packaging issues), age, condition, maintainability, and so on. And, if it has a limited following, it could be that all of those interested in the product already own one.
Edits: 02/27/23
This is the main reason.
I started buying/selling before using A-gon (with Audio Review)in 2000 and was pretty regular there until "the change". I even sold some stuff as recently as 5 years ago but after my last sale, didn't really want to go there anymore.
I used this site for several years then made the move to USAM, where I've had pretty good success but have noticed a distinct slow down since Covid.
Hopefully it will pick up.
Yeah the Snell B7 were even less than that, 5600 or so. But I would not touch them as I doubt I could ever resell if I ever wanted to. I would like to hear them, suspect they are a very capable speaker. But that is just speculation.
The question is how many of these speakers really do sell on the listings? The ones I am interested in are never remotely close. Usually East coast, sometimes Texas. But further than I am going to drive. Even Southern California is a bit farther than I want to go unless its a holy grail type of purchase.
...including room treatments on Audiogon for a single price during Covid (12/20) hoping someone locally would buy it so I wouldn't have to ship it when we downsized to a condo.
You can see it all in my photos in the Gallery. The equipment was all 20 years old.
The first guy who came by handed me the full price in cash after listening to a couple of songs.
I relate this anecdote with some details in my book, "The Lucky Audiophile".
Great book!
The Lucky Audiophile.
...but then I found your book on Amazon!
I find that large items like speakers are harder to sell these days probably due to the huge hike in shipping costs.
I have found that unlike speakers the price of used electronics is higher than it has been historically. People are asking quite a lot for older used gear and I'm not talking about collectable vintage stuff.
I finally tried US Audio Mart with some success but still use Audiogon. I saw several stale listings on US Audio Mart for the same amp that I wanted to sell. They weren't selling. Why would I add my amp to that list? I put mine up on Audiogon and it sold within a couple days. Those unsold amps on US Audio Mart are still there.
Location is key, Abe.
Ages ago I wanted to sell my ARC SP-9II.
There were several for sale on Audiogon and Audio Mart that weren't moving.
I priced mine $100 less than the least expensive one and it sold the first day.
For me, its more about getting rid of it and moving on than getting the best possible return.
Dean.
reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.
If I want to sell something it's not about netting maximum dollars for me. It's about selling the damned thing and getting it out of my listening room w/o much haggle or hassle. I've had buying and selling success on both USAM and Audiogon and I will continue to use both platforms.
Seller was kind enough to drop them off 400 miles away (included S&H expense
in the final price as it was worth it to me and the correct thing to do given his time
and effort. Gave him a bottle of vino too!) and paid cash upon delivery.
His ad for the speakers stayed in place for a couple weeks afterward.
So, in such a situation an item can sell without going through the system
in place to "monitor" (site gets its $) sales if the seller doesn't declare it sold.
Seems that way, never sold anything there. Could be quite a few items in
that large market that represent such a situation.
Think that's how the Trader works to, although it's free in any case.
Would imagine it's very difficult to do this with Audigon.
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" -Michael McClure
Reason #1 -- It's Free!
Also, your ad is probably worded much better, You would certainly have better pictures, judging by what you post here. Your gear is probably is in much better condition....
Use US Audio Mart First, If it doesn't sell, you can always use Audio Goner
as previously explained. Paid my fee, posted my amps to Audiogon, sold in two days.
For the past couple of months I've been checking 'solid state amplifiers'
there, first, occasionally, and then after I noticed some shenanigans, several times a day.
There are a dozen or so same item/same seller that are constantly in the first twenty listed, always with a Days In System of 1. This goes on for days at a time. The sellers keep re-listing so that the same weeks-old loaf of bread can be sold as fresh.
There's nothing wrong with taking advantage of the rules and re-listing to move up in the queue but USAM really should not allow the Days In Listing to start over. How are the bottom feeders like me supposed to know what to take advantage of?
Then there's the used Schiit Aegirs, to take one example, offered at $699 or even, as I saw today, $749. Sure, I'll buy an amp with no guarantee when I could have one new in box with 5 years for $100 more. What are these guys thinking?
Novus Ordo Seclorum
The PS Audio M700 mono-amps I saw on USAM had various listing dates and some are reasonably priced. I checked again today and they show up as November 2, January 8, and February 23 so it doesn't appear that there's any shenanigans going on in this case. There's one such pair still up on Audiogon and it's been there for a very long time but that's because the seller's asking price is almost MSRP!I saw those Schiit amps too! Who in their right mind would spend that kind of money on used amps when for a fraction more one can buy brand new with full factory warranty. That's a perfect example of some used equipment pricing being ridiculous [but in this case I think the sellers are just clueless or fishing for that clueless buyer].
Edits: 02/27/23 02/27/23
Just saw a 35 year old Van Alstine modded Magnavox 460 CDP listed for $250. Now there's a wishful seller.
Even at 70% off, the B7 would still be $7,500 and shipping is too risky and expensive.
Floor standing speakers are just hard to sell due to shipping issues even if it is a major, well known company. If you're looking for something like Klipsch Cornwalls, you likely won't find a buyer unless they happen to live nearby and own a truck. Otherwise, you'll need to discount a lot to make up for shipping costs which most sellers don't want to do.
-Rod
I paid $300 for professionally made boxes and 'freight' shipping.
I sold my buddy's Beauhorns and had boxes made for them and then freighted them to Texas for about the same price, in '06/'07.
It can be done, but that's on the buyer and needs to be accounted for in the final purchase price.
Chris
I wouldn't be surprised if some of the larger speakers cost as much to ship as the asking price. This depends on distance and added costs to crate them.
When an item reaches an appropriate price for its demand, it will sell.
Loudspeakers have long been a fashion item; most of the trendy ones depreciate rapidly.
Conversely: Some of us invest in Altec, RCA, Tannoy, Stephens, and, yes, even JBL.:)
PS Designer wires are even worse.
PPS I am not an economist, but I had brunch with a couple yesterday.
all the best,
mrh
Edits: 02/27/23 02/27/23
If you are 'In a Hurry' to sell it, you will probably take a beating on the price.... My experience is that if you price an item fairly based on what's available and condition, and if you are patient, you're item will eventually sell... May take a year or so, but I've always sold it.
I think the shipping is the biggest factor right now for big items unless its local. I could also add that some sellers are buying items then a year later putting it up for sale at a higher price than what they paid for it. USAM still keeps the ad with price under the seller's feedback.
In the UK I often browse floor standers on ebay looking with the nearest option. If you are prepared to go and pick up speakers you can get them for very little money. Increasingly when someone has died and the, typically daughter, is just trying to move them on.
Bought a beautiful pair of Infinity Rennasaince 90's several years ago, under just that scenerio. A Daughter aquired them from her Dad who died. I rented a van here in Pa., and drove to North Carolina with my 45 yr. old son Patrick. Cost me gas, rental and lunch for Patrick and I. This had the benefit of my being able to audition them, and also more importantly, save them from possible shipping damage by carefully hauling them ourselves. Not sure what shipping with Fedex or UPS would have cost, but I don't think it would have been THAT much cheaper. Also it was a nice Father/Son road trip.
Mine identical to Stock photo shown.
mg16
Edits: 02/27/23
A beautiful Speaker.
Yes, I'm also in UK and have bought great value speakers for a fraction of their original price and for as little as a third of what they would have sold for in a dealer's Used Items list. As you say, drive to inspect and collect - hire a van if necessary. I squeezed a pair of Avantgarde Duos into my car.
People thinking of new stand-mounts should seriously reconsider and look for good used floor-standers at similar price. Then they won't be looking around for subs in a year or two!
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