Selling McIntosh on Audiogon....is it me or? And thank you Ivan!

[JWJW]

Ok...
So I’ve been trying to sell a basically new MC275VI on Agon for some time now.
I can’t believe the ridiculous offers I’ve received. All with no feedback, and most from the west coast. It truly is getting silly.
The purpose of this post isn’t to bitch...just trying to understand/wondering if other folks are experiencing the same selling Mc gear on Agon. I’m to the point now, the ONLY place I feel safe to sell my Mc gear anymore is here on AA (THANK YOU IVAN!) or take the $$$ hit and trade it to Audio Classics. EBay and Agon, I feel, are stretchy at best. And US Audiomart is the wild west. I’ve got 102 +++ transactions on Agon and I recently completed a GREAT transaction with an AA member brownbear (unfortunately through Agon). But, those positive experiences are getting to be fewer and far between.
Seems like Audiogon is changing...or is our hobby??? Both?
Or maybe it’s just what’s happening with McIntosh gear?
Thoughts?

[crwilli]

I have had the same experience Jon. Low ballers and broken English from California on the ‘Gon, crickets on USA Mart, low ballers and ‘tire kickers’ on AK.

Almost every time, with patience, success and satisfaction here on AA. It’s the first choice to buy and sell.

[Mikado463]

depends what you consider to be a 'low baller', I have NEVER bought anything used for more than half of msrp.

[Antonmb]

I haven’t sold anything on A’gon in a while, but for some time it’s been the hunting grounds of Asia resellers. They look for a desperate seller who needs cash, buy at a lowball price, then ship to Asia to resell at a profit.

[miner]

Same here - too. Buyers always feel they can lowball by 25%+ and wonder why I don't accept. I price my stuff to sell and if it does not sell it will eventually over time. There is a buyer out there, be patient.

[markatherton]

I don't think this is isolated to just stereo equipment.

[jdandy]

Jon.......Low ball offers are part of the selling experience. It is to be expected, so no reason to be offended. Three little words end ridiculous offers, "No thank you." No need to say anything else.

When I sell audio gear I rarely try to pull top dollar because it delays a sale. I put an attractive price on an item with the understanding that I may accept a slightly lower offer, but certainly nothing stupidly low. If an item sits for long with no activity I will lower the price, but there is a limit. Patience is the key.

I have had far greater success selling audio gear on Audio Aficionado than on Audiogon, and I am much more comfortable selling to known individuals here. I am also not against trading gear to a dealer if I can get a reasonable trade offer. Trades will not pull retail pre-owned pricing but if a trade also includes a decent discount on the new purchase it can balance the difference to some degree.

It is important to keep in mind that audio gear in general is a liability, not an asset. From the moment you purchase a component it begins to depreciate. It is the rare component that gains value over time. Consequently it is in the interest of a relatively quick sale to price an item attractively to instill the urge to purchase by an interested party. Once again, patience is paramount.

[Stahle]

Unfortunately, the MC275vi is readily available on the used market and offered quite often for less than $3,900. I purchased mine new but if I had the chance to do it over again, I would have purchased a used one because I've since seen mint ones offered here locally for as low as $3,500. Certain McIntosh pieces just don't seem to hold their value as well as others.

[nicoff]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Jon.......Low ball offers are part of the selling experience. It is to be expected, so no reason to be offended. Three little words end ridiculous offers, "No thank you." No need to say anything else.



When I sell audio gear I rarely try to pull top dollar because it delays a sale. I put an attractive price on an item with the understanding that I may accept a slightly lower offer, but certainly nothing stupidly low. If an item sits for long with no activity I will lower the price, but there is a limit. Patience is the key.



I have had far greater success selling audio gear on Audio Aficionado than on Audiogon, and I am much more comfortable selling to known individuals here. I am also not against trading gear to a dealer if I can get a reasonable trade offer. Trades will not pull retail pre-owned pricing but if a trade also includes a decent discount on the new purchase it can balance the difference to some degree.



It is important to keep in mind that audio gear in general is a liability, not an asset. From the moment you purchase a component it begins to depreciate. It is the rare component that gains value over time. Consequently it is in the interest of a relatively quick sale to price an item attractively to instill the urge to purchase by an interested party. Once again, patience is paramount.

Totally agree.

[Antonmb]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Jon.......Low ball offers are part of the selling experience. It is to be expected, so no reason to be offended. Three little words end ridiculous offers, "No thank you." No need to say anything else.



When I sell audio gear I rarely try to pull top dollar because it delays a sale. I put an attractive price on an item with the understanding that I may accept a slightly lower offer, but certainly nothing stupidly low. If an item sits for long with no activity I will lower the price, but there is a limit. Patience is the key.



I have had far greater success selling audio gear on Audio Aficionado than on Audiogon, and I am much more comfortable selling to known individuals here. I am also not against trading gear to a dealer if I can get a reasonable trade offer. Trades will not pull retail pre-owned pricing but if a trade also includes a decent discount on the new purchase it can balance the difference to some degree.



It is important to keep in mind that audio gear in general is a liability, not an asset. From the moment you purchase a component it begins to depreciate. It is the rare component that gains value over time. Consequently it is in the interest of a relatively quick sale to price an item attractively to instill the urge to purchase by an interested party. Once again, patience is paramount.

Well said Dan. Audio is not an investment, it’s an expense, and if you’re not using a piece of gear, turning it into cash at a reasonable price is better than letting it rust. The price trollers have always been out there - I remember in the very early days of A’gon being low-balled - it’s like phishing, I suppose every once in a while they get someone desperate or stupid enough to keep them coming back. Best to just ignore them and be patient.