Will Internet Distroy High End ?

I would not have gained access to high end audio if not for the internet. The ability to read lots of (potentially) unbiased personal reviews has made the decision process more informed while offering more options. Used prices don't hurt, either, and direct access to buyers helps individual sellers to get better resale prices. Rules sometimes change to make sitting in the middleman seat unviable.

I do hope that dealers who care about the music and their customers more than profit margins will survive through their efforts.

It's not that bad for off line dealers. Infact, I know of a few mom & pop dealers in my area that do business with 3rd party on line distributers to get a share of the on line business. This way they only exist to the distributers and not the general public including the manufacturers. This reminds me of the baseball owners of the past who would rake in all of the money and pay little to the players. Now like all things, what goes around comes around and look at the salaries of today's sports stars. In this case, look at the prices these guys sell their gear for and look at the money that they've made. I say the internet is the great equalizer and the true power to the people. If it's about cash, the mom & pop stores who want to survive will survive and do what's necessary to adapt to the world of the internet.

Hi Stokjoc. As it happens I just posted the following to start a thread, and which probably belongs here...

"I have decided to go back to dealing with dealers I know, or can meet face to face. I have grown sick of the rudeness of sellers, in particular, and occasionally buyers when transacting over the internet. One part of me wonders if I am cutting my nose to spite my face, so to speak. But I find a pleasantly transacted deal has an effect on my enjoyment of this hobby and maybe even causes me to feel better about the equipment acquired. I am interested in how others have fared with internet transactions in this regard.

"This post is probably an over-reaction to a recent discourse with two dealers on the internet whose primary focus in their correspondence in reply to my enquiries was about the consequences of me failing to meet my side of the bargain - stated so indelicately by both as to seem more like an accusation. My reaction to both was to tell them I had no interest in entering into a contract with someone who clearly was going to be unpleasant to deal with. As it happens both are connected with this site (but I will not name them)."

There has always existed a secondary market in audio equiptment just as there is one in autos, watches, paintings, etc. How can someone buy the lastest fad item from their dealer until they have moved yesterday's fad item? For many years I was a member of AudioMart a print journal of audio only adds. It was much the same as Audiogon except to play you had to be sponsored by an existing member. Fundamentally it was no different than Audiogon. But actually there are a few differences. The greater exposure of the net, democratization, if you will, has led to much higher prices for used gear and likewise, with more players in the game, there seem to be many more flakes out there, not to mention those that just don't understand the obligations and protocols for entering into a transaction.

I think my only local dealers that are going to go down are the one's that need it, but that are just making not quite too little to force them out of their misery. That'll be just fine with me because then I won't have to go driving all over town to compare CDP's, they will all be at the one or two shops that make it.