performance vs. resale

if you're thinking about resale when you're making the purchase, don't buy it. its like contemplating how the divorce will go, when getting married.

Jaybo; to use your analogy, when I'm buying equipment, I'm really just dating. I already know I'm not going to be married to it. I think most people here (which is what keeps this site going) buy and sell equipment as a hobby. I like to try lots of different stuff in my room/system and couldn't do it if I didn't take resale into consideration.

I too swap gear in and out somewhat frequently. It is a strategy to upgrade so resale factor is important to me. Look at it this way, if you purchase a three year old piece for $1k, keep it for six months to a year and sell it for $800 to $900, is it worth the $? It is to me. The bummer is when you pay the going price for an item and when you get ready to sell it you notice the price has dropped drastically. I stay away from really esoteric equipment, modded equipment or, dare I say, tube equipment, as I believe it's overpriced. Haven't been burned too badly yet.
This hobby is great with the advent of e-selling as I've been able to experience equipment that never would have made it into my system if local shopping was all that was available.

I'm not sure by what criteria Timrhu determines that tube gear is overpriced. Relative to what?

The market decides correct pricing. If a used tube amplifier "X" commonly sells for $"Y", then $"Y" is the correct price, and it's neither overpriced nor underpriced.

I am aware of some solid state gear that sits unsold for weeks and months because it's overpriced by the sellers. When one of these units is priced correctly, it sells very quickly.

Most (well, many) audiophiles have a closet where old equipment goes to die.