Retail?

Doesn't the manufacturer set the suggested retail price to help protect the brand, and offer some assurance to the dealer that the investments made by them are somewhat safe?

For instance a Wilson dealer pays 40 to 50% of MSRP. Wilson expects the dealer to maintain a certain territory and not discount the speaker more than say 10% of MSRP.

This keeps the brand strong and the dealers investment worthwhile and all parties are drinking wine and kissing.

If a dealer goes rogue and starts ignoring territory and selling speakers at 40 to 50% off MSRP (Still making many thousands) this puts all the other dealers and Wilson at risk. The rogue dealer becomes dealer of the year until his speakers start showing up all over fleabay and Agon at cheap prices.

In my mind this is more of why a MSRP price exists. I agree with the above though, that it can help determine the age of a product.

>>Audio equipment depreciates (unless it becomes a vintage collectible), real estate appreciates<

One last thought:

Really?? I'm in Scottsdale at the moment. Tell the residents here, some of whom have lost 50% of their equity. Ditto Las Vegas and many cities in Florida, etc. You simply refuse to accept the facts.

MSRP is meaningless in a resale negotiation.

Thank you

It is not the current MSRP that matters to me, it is my sense of what was paid for the used item being sold and whether someone is trying to get a windfall profit by suggesting what seller paid for it is somehow connected to the MSRP being listed in the Audiogon ad when it is no such thing (which I think is, many times, being done purposefully and knowingly deceptive). That is what seems dishonest to me. But, I'll buy from people who I deem to be honest and avoid those that do not seem to be. There is "business" and there is fairness, they don't have to be at odds. I've bored myself. Nevermind.

P.S. No question that real estate, as a rule, appreciates over time, the current crisis nothwithstanding - an anomoly does not disprove the rule. Buy that land in AZ and FLA today, and wait (smart money is already doing it).

I really don't care whether the seller lists an MSRP that was the actual cost of the actual item being sold, or the highest MSRP that an IDENTICAL item being sold ever had, even if that item was regularly discounted. On some level using the MSRP rather than the actual costs can avoid confusion for a purchaser when choosing the same item between different sellers. The practice of listing an MSRP that might have only been asked for one day of a given year, as a comparison to the discounted price being currently offered, is a standard retail practice. Are we asking Audiogoners to have a (much?) higher standard? Often times the seller wasn't the original buyer, and there's a good chance the current seller doesn't really know what the actual original cost was to the original buyer. Putting a some what accurate reference point is better than putting nothing. Let the buyer beware.
I do get peeved when a seller lists an untrue MSRP. I suspect that often times a seller uses the MSRP of a latter model for a previous one, e.g. listing the Mark IV price when selling the Mark III item. That's lazy and dishonest.

Unsound, don't think anyone can disagree with you regarding untrue MSRP - not even Bill:)

I guess I'll settle on a serial# and take it from there. Other than that, I just say "Uncle".