Anyone else receive low offers right away ?

We're in a recession, it's a buyer's market. It's not outrageous for a 10 year old piece of equipment to go for 80% of list price.

?

Yes I notice low ball offers a lot. What kills me is guys who make plenty of money and can afford to pay market price or there abouts still make stupid low ball offers. This happened to me about 3 years ago and it turned out to be a Doctor who lived in my hometown. It was my understanding he does this ALL the time. I refer to them as bottom dwellers but its part of buying and selling online I suppose.

@Jmcgrogan2 and Jdoris

I was not trying to "seller bash", I apologize if it came off that way. Quite the contrary I think audiogon has a very respectable seller community. The point I was trying to make (and perhaps not clearly) was that used electronics in general devalue substantially over short periods of time. This goes for both consumer and audiophile electronics. How much is a used flat screen TV bought 10 years ago for $2000 worth today? Maybe $50. I know that high end gear holds value better, but I don't think an 80% depreciation of an electronics component over the course of 10 years is unreasonable. At the end of the day, it is the market that determines the value of items. The fact that the majority of items listed on Audiogon do not sell tells me that "overall" sellers are overpricing their goods. This is not inherently bad, but I think the data supports this conclusion. It's a careful balance of trying to make money vs trying to sell a product. I simply don't see many items starting at $1 (which would ultimately guarantee a sell at the community determined value) but rather many items on sale for minimal discounts that ultimately do not sell. Perhaps my interpretation is wrong but going through the listings most equipment listings do not have any bids on them despite being listed for extended amounts of time. Audiogon is (fortunately/unfortunately) more of an "outlet store" with moderate discounts than a true "auction house" where bidding starts very low and value is determined by the community. IMHO. I respect all other opinions however. :)

Jmcgrogan2, I too wish I would of held onto some of the gear I've sold in the past. At that time I always thought if I let it go I can always buy it back. It turns out that this is not so easily done anymore because for some reason more people are hanging to what they have and when it rarely does come up for sale the seller is asking a premium price.

@Invenio78, no harm done, no worries. I guess there is some misunderstanding here though. I've been here on Audiogon for well over 10 years, I NEVER considered Audiogon an "auction house". I have bought and sold many pieces of equipment over the years here, but never once did I put a piece for sale on auction. I've always placed ads. I found that I could always sell anything if I priced it aggressively enough.

Over the years though, I've found that patience is a virtue when buying AND selling. I may still 'jump' on an item if the price is right, but that is very rare (thankfully). I do realize that if I was desperate I could sell everything I have starting an auction at $1. However, that could also be a big mistake. I've seen quite a few people regret that decision over the years. Because this hobby is about being in the right place at the right time. Starting an auction at $1, you are "forcing" the time issue.

Many times I've turned down the early lower offers and found someone that really wants what I have weeks or even months later. Sure, it doesn't always work, occasionally I overestimate the price of something and wind up selling it months later at a steep discount, but this is very rare. I've also sold stuff that was snapped up within 30 minutes and wondered if I should have priced it higher. That's part of the "game".

The bottom line is, as you say "the market determines the value of an item". The only audio gear that I've seen for 80% off at 10 years old though is either digital gear or phono cartridges. I don't think you can compare the gear here to televisions, because for the most part, the stuff here has a longer lifespan. My current amp turns 20 years old this year, I've never had a 20 year old TV. Vintage gear is popular in this hobby, I can't say the same for television. :-)