Lots of good observations in this thread. Yes, the old sense of community at Audiogon has changed, and not for the better. Yes, the hobbyist orientation of the Audiogon ads has changed so that today a high percentage are dealers. Yes, there are more scammers today among the Audiogon buyers and sellers. But then similar changes have occurred at other audio sites as well so the change in Audiogon ownership is not solely responsible. The bottom line for me is that the Audiogon forums are still useful (even if the quality of posts is not what it once was) and the ads are still a good place for buying used equipment.
However, for selling items, Audiogon is no longer my first place to run an ad due to the fees and restrictive policies of the new management. For me the Audio Asylum classifieds are now the first place for trying to sell. They don't have as many views and it may take longer to sell something, but so far I have been able to sell the items I have listed and each experience has been a positive one. There are other alternative sites as well.
So while things have changed, there is no benefit in complaining about how the old days were so much better. Embrace the present. Appreciate Audiogon for what it has to offer, but at the same time explore other options for both ads and forums. This is not the only game in town.
However, for selling items, Audiogon is no longer my first place to run an ad due to the fees and restrictive policies of the new management. For me the Audio Asylum classifieds are now the first place for trying to sell. They don't have as many views and it may take longer to sell something, but so far I have been able to sell the items I have listed and each experience has been a positive one. There are other alternative sites as well.
So while things have changed, there is no benefit in complaining about how the old days were so much better. Embrace the present. Appreciate Audiogon for what it has to offer, but at the same time explore other options for both ads and forums. This is not the only game in town.