Agon is now a retail outlet.

To be honest, I have only had six buying experiences on the gon. Two went fine, the other four were awful. Not a place where I would buy any audio equipment, nor sell any.

I’m sorry that you have had such poor experiences that are the complete opposite of what I have enjoyed.  12 years and 62 transactions with no real issues.  I have not been cavalier with my choices to buy and done my due diligences before entering in to the purchase as well as portrayed my sale items correctly.  It is true that there are many commercial entities advertising on AudioGon, but the reality is without their participation this forum would not be available for you to complain about them.

Everything is all about the money; I could tell you much more but I wont.  Not until everyone in this country discovers that everything is all about the money, including their healthcare, will any thing be done about it. 

In my opinion it's not that Audiogon has changed but social changes within society.

@drrsutliff +1!!

I can't think of any bad experiences I've had here and most (if not all) of my purchases have been from private sellers.  When I purchase from retail sellers, I usually buy directly from them.

Huh?
Today it’s all about making a dollar, if it was my site I’d done the same with it just like most would have. Occasionally you find a bargain in categories, and the forums are still sharing knowledge and technology.
Heh, change with the times.

I don't understand the complaint. If you don't like the merchandise you find here, don't buy it. I've not done a lot of business on the site, but I've been satisfied with the transactions.

None of this is news. I have done many transactions here, always buying, and I have not had a bad experience. This site probably, well definitely, has been taken over by retailers. But, there are serious audiophiles selling their stuff here as well. Unfortunately, if you find a vintage bargain from a private party, it was probably sold minutes after it appeared on this site. Very disappointing (unless you’re the seller)!

I guess I agree with most people here. One does NOT have to buy or sell anything here. You can exchange experiences, judgements, opinions and bias comments or just troll (as many, unfortunately do) and never buy or sell anything. In fact when I see a retailer bully into a thread, I make a point to remember NOT to buy from them. There will always be others who want to do that. No real problems.....

I wish you could filter out anything you want.  I would filter out dealer ads (for sure) and music, which clutters up the gear listings.  I often have to scroll through pages of CDs and LPs that I would never want to listen to.

So what, if I find a dealer that is better that what I have I don't feel bad .

I can only say that all of my buying and selling experience here have been positive and productive.
But I do sometimes miss items simply because I always do a lot of research and due diligence before any action.
This site and ABSOLUTELY eBay are not for those who make rash decisions with impulse purchases.
Unless you are a billionaire and obviously do not care over much over a couple hundred dollars!

I've gotten some great used gear here from dealers at great prices...

I've bought numerous items here and have had nothing but good experiences.

I've bought and sold here on the "Gon" with no problems at all. One slight issue ... I sold an ARC phono stage to a guy. I followed up with a phone call just to make sure he was happy with the purchase. He said that he took the cover off and found it to be "dusty" inside. I sent him a complete, brand new tube set to counter his efforts in dusting the unit. :-)

I sold another ARC phono stage here and included a few really nice LP's in the box. 

Deliver more than what is expected and the customer will be happy. :-)

Frank

@oregonpapa ,
Let me know when you sell something😉
Bob

I had sold and purchase several items here.
Very few bad experiences mostly from members with no feedback.
Audiogone is changing because we all change with the world in motion. If you don't adjust and get creative chances for success are small.
Regards 

Most of the equipment I'm using today was purchased on Audiogon. I've also sold many pieces on Audiogon. Have only had positive experiences. This is something I don't think I would be able to do without a site like this. I was thrilled when I discovered this site about 15 years ago. 

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆
What he said.....

There is also U.S.A.M. I have had good luck with buying and selling.on.that platform. Plus it costs less than Agon!

Audiogon is the greatest website ever . I was fortunate enough when looking at new equipment at a local hifi store a decade or so ago when the sales associate made me aware of agon . buying used , budget doubled . Twice the price for half the costs used . I have been coming here on a daily basis for the last ten years . mop the best forum out there !!!! 

One cannot "filter out" retailers on this site, which is one of my complaints. However, one can select "All Equipment" to filter out music. One should note the music is mostly sold by the same sellers, and they are retailers in disguise, whose pricing is ridiculous. I saw today a used item up for sale at about $10 less than retail, and it was up on more that one site. Used is USED. Don't fall for the BS.
The funtionality of the items sold here is not the issue, it is the over hyped and baseless claim to high end and concomitant overpricing of equipment I remember wasn't worth the asking price when new, much less the prices it is selling for in the present, after decades of use if not abuse.
This reminds me of the old story of a man who had and old chair that was still good and he didn't need, so he placed it on his lawn with a sign saying "Free Chair" and it sat there for a while, so he changed the sign to "For Sale" and someone stole it within an hour.
I was there in the 70'sand 80's. I sold audio then. I listened to a lot of this equipment. It was crap then and it now is old crap, you're better off with modern equipment that retails for a lot less and provides much greater value, lower signal to noise ratios, more reliability, greater bandwidth and fidelity. Vintage does not mean better, this is a romancification, a myth to sell equipment no one wants and is "rare" because it sucked, was a bad value and didn't sell much or was thrown out after it got old and no one wanted it used, but now it is "Vintage" - overvalued and ludicrously overpriced. Prime examples are old receivers preamps and amps, both transistor and tube. Chain stores and their suppliers had their own equipment made that was more often than not cheaper versions of branded items and offered a greater profit and lower value. Some old items were great and still are, but they were and are rare. Used equipment should be less expensive, not more. Let the buyer beware is my point. Do research. Make decisions based on self education. If you see many of the same item being sold on line ask yourself why, especially if these items are recent additions to the market. Also be aware that may old items had sonic characteristics that are ruined by replacing their parts with modern equivalents passed as upgrades. Be aware that anything old will require recapping at the least, and may contain parts that are irreplaceable. like belts, gears or switches. Avoid stores passing as people, and buy from each other. RESIST GREED.

I have had nothing but good experiences buying and selling on Agon. I do not do much at all. In 2 instances of buying I was surprised to find the seller was an hour away and I was able to drive over and meet him. In another the seller lived in the same town as my wife and I happen to be visiting so we drove over to his place and made the purchase. Both were experienced audiophiles and wonderful gentlemen. Without Agon I would have not experienced this or gotten the fair deals on great, used equipment. 

My whole system is based on purchases here. I have had very good experiences also. If we all keep in mind that we should treat each other with a bit of respect then most transactions should be painless. We should do this out of love for the hobby..........and the music!

However, one can select "All Equipment" to filter out music.

Thanks for letting me know about that!  I never noticed that button!  It still would be nice if you could filter out any categories you want.

I haven't had a ton of purchases here, but all went through pretty smoothly. I always request to talk with the seller by phone before purchase and if I get the "do not trust" signal I don't buy. There are lots of forums and blogs out there without a commercial or financial aspect to them. Maybe try there?

I have been around her since near day one (at some ancient point I needed to reregister, ...  Anyway, never a problem.            
When I see an ad asking several times what an item is worth? I LAUGH. Who cares... Do you think you are the gon 'value police' ?Some ads claim a 27 year old item is only 8 years old. Some double or triple the original MSRP. Some ask crazy money for gear. Not my problem.    
Latest I laughed at was a Threshold FET 10 line stage preamp asking $1800+ and the Audio Research Sp-10 asking $5,000(I bought a ARC Sp-10 mk2 for $600  cash and a few broken bits of junk worth $200, about nine years ago. IMO tht was all it was worth, but I sold it here for $2,300 anyway when it was selling for 3K LOL.)        
(I recently bought a FET 10 line AND phono for $900)      
I look at it as folks unable to deal with reality. Who cares. Anyone can ask any price. Anyone is free to say nope. Works good.

Believe it or not this is not personal, it is a warning to the people out there who are being fooled by the obvious marketing of items that are overpriced, not an attack on you, personally. I am unfollowing this thread, my message is out there and I don't need this misandrist attitude.

I've had zero problems with Audiogon sellers, enjoy the forums too.

Exec Summary of original post:

I am am tired of having to work harder to find a bargain.   

Owners of this site are not altruists.   They want to make as much as they can.  You want to save as much money as you can.    How has this dynamic changed in any way since the days of cavemen ?

Stating the obvious assumes the person you are responding to is less than intelligent. This should be a more respectful forum. I am sorry If I offended anyone, but expressing an opinion is not against the law, and I am not an argumentative individual. There are many amateurs out there who weren't there when the equipment being sold here as vintage was new,as I was. I merely mean to forewarn them that much of today's new and far less expensive equipment is better, not just in specifications but in musicality and value.

The thread started by someone stating: "I think you’re all stupid,, and I will save you" .
I on the other hand, think the overwhelming majority here are rather smart. And can figure out on their own, without assistance, how to navigate the World they live in. The fact is, there may be someone, who knows what they are doing, who will buy some overpriced device, because they CHOOSE TO. They are not being bamboozled or tricked, and in ’need’ of saving.
And for those who what the pearl in the oyster handed to them with zero effort? LOL. To find good deals you have to actually work at looking. (Realized the ’great deal’ lasts perhaps 30 minutes before it vanishes from listed components. Stuff no one what sits for 30 DAYS, maybe 60 DAYS...
So... here is one 30 minute deal...I recently bought a pair of components (Threshold FET 10 line and phono) for $900 which current listings are $1800 and $1500 for the pair. I saw and bought within ten minutes of the posting. And the seller mentioned another buyer was going to buy, and the listing vanished, because I hit ’buy’ first. If the complaint is due to being unable to watch the listings.. I can’t fix that for you, you gotta do the work and look all the time. If it is due to high prices. Folks have every right to ask anything they want. No problem by me. Just realize the ads are full of all the stuff with high prices no one will buy, and the listing sits for a month, maybe two/three months.. Where the good deal the low price and a fantastic bargain got bought within minutes of being posted for sale.The folks who pay to place ads with high priced gear are also paying your way to look at the gear, bargain or rip off. I thank them all.

I have purchased quite a few items on Agon and had trouble with 3 of the purchases. In all 3 cases the seller was at fault and did what was needed to do to make it right. I have 3000+ sales and 20 years on Ebay and Ebay has gone from a seller friendly to a buyer friendly site. I pray Agon never falls into that category. I love vintage equipment especially old jukeboxes from the 40's. Vintage equipment has its place but keep in mind the equipment is 50 years old and every capacitor should be replaced. Most of the equipment does not have paper wrap capacitors (big fire hazard) but sooner or later a capacitor is going to fail.

So many people are saying, “a fool
and his money soon part”? I would add people and audiophiles believe what they want to believe. This is a perfect place to take advantage of gullibility and susceptibility. It is not rocket science to spot the over-the-top bully sales people, scam artists and those wanting to make a fast buck at someone else’s expense. 
I have been buying at the remaining brick and mortar stores where I can see, test drive and ask questions about what I am interested in from a person. Not saying someone cannot get taken at places like that, but when you buy here, little help from Audiogon, and you don’t know the person on the other end of the transaction or the history of the equipment. I am not knocking anyone on Audiogon who sells or buys, just not my cup of tea.

Agon is first class!!!! 

, Be Happy , You can say this and not get put in Prison,   """ Not until everyone in this country discovers that everything is all about the money, including their healthcare, will any thing be done about it" 
 Doggie , Free stuff is very expensive 

I wish nothing but the best for Audiogon!  It’s a fun and interesting resource, for the most part. I’ve bought and sold here and had great experiences.  The day it adds no value to my audio interest will be the day I stop visiting the site. 

Audiogon is great. I've had great experiences purchasing and selling. The people on Audiogon have educated me and provided a social gathering of like minded individuals. Music comes first, equipment second.

Boy you guys are very opinionated. Good. It may actually lead to rational thinking, eventually.

No issues with any sort of transaction here on the market site. 

Only issue I have is that the Listing and selling prices have increased dramatically, in some case nearly double! 

What are seller fees?

Seller fees are the various costs and charges incurred in listing an

item on Audiogon. There are two types of fees a seller may be

expected to pay: Listing Fee and Transaction Fee.

Listing fees are the cost associated with placing an ad or auction on

Audiogon. There is a $5 minimum listing fee for all listings on

Audiogon.

Transaction fees are the cost associated after a listing is sold on

Audiogon.

What does it cost to sell equipment on Audiogon?

Users can choose between two listing types: Pay Now and Pay

Later.

Pay Now listing fees are calculated at 2% of the item’s list price—

with a $5 minimum—but incur no transaction fees. There is a

maximum listing fee of $700 for Pay Now Listings.

Pay Later listings have a $5 listing fee no matter the list price, but

incur a 3.5% transaction fee if the item is sold. There is no

transaction fee if the item does not sell. Audiogon has a minimum

transaction fee of $5 and a maximum transaction fee of $700.

Unlike eBay, we don't calculate transaction fees off sales price and

shipping cost, only on the sales price.

Below are several examples. Total cost assumes item sold:

$50 Item

Listing Type Listing Fee Transaction Fee Total Cost

Pay Now $5 $0 $5

Pay Later $5 $5 $10

$1,000 Item

$21,000 Item

Listing Type Listing Fee Transaction Fee Total Cost

Pay Now $20 $0 $20

Pay Later $5 $35 $40

Listing Type Listing Fee Transaction Fee Total Cost

Pay Now $420 $0 $420

Pay Later $5 $700 $

Still cheaper than eBay but not by very much at all on the top end of the market.

Agon caps it at $700.
EBay caps it at $750.

Actually for a very high dollar item you are probably better off on eBay now as there is a vastly larger audience to potentially sell too.

Doing a few hypothetical sales on my calculator , there are only a few instances where you pay less than you used to under the old tiered structure. Majority is going to cost you more to sell period!