Anyone can do this:
Simply buy used cartridge for affordable price (which is easy to re-sell with no loss at all), if you really like it then buy the same cartridge, but a brand new (sealed in the box) from authorized dealer for higher price with warranty if you want (maybe even with discount from a good dealer). You can only play with a cartridge for 2000 hrs maximum if the stylus is MicroRidge (or related), and only 500 hrs if the stylus is elliptical. Then your $10k cartridge must be re-tipped, but they don’t want you to re-tip it, they want you to buy anothey brand new cartridge for 60% of what you paid for a previous brand new cart. Each 2000 hrs of playtime you will have to pay again. Only a few manufacturers offer affordable re-tip or factory rebuild. Once you paid $10k most of the manufacturers would like to get another $6k from you when the stylus is worn. Or even more if you want to "upgrade" to the next overpriced model. This is crazy!
$10k for a cartridge is a waste of money anyway. You are trying to get demo of $10k cartridge to buy it, but what’s then? Another $6k to use it longer than 2000 hrs ? It’s a waste of money anyway, no matter how your cartridge was bought (with demo or without demo). It’s absolutely insane to pay $10k and then another $6k just to use a cartridge for a long time.
For the same price i can buy 16 amazing top of the line vintage cartridges and it would be much better investment because this is an experience with 16 different cartridges on different tonearms etc. This experience will bring me some killer cartridges for sure. And i don't care about dealers and stuff.
Your problem exist for very few people, who would like to buy the most expensive cartridges for some reason whithout even knowing why do they need them (because they never even tried them).
When do you think yours post will change everything in dealerships and customers care etc ?
Simply buy used cartridge for affordable price (which is easy to re-sell with no loss at all), if you really like it then buy the same cartridge, but a brand new (sealed in the box) from authorized dealer for higher price with warranty if you want (maybe even with discount from a good dealer). You can only play with a cartridge for 2000 hrs maximum if the stylus is MicroRidge (or related), and only 500 hrs if the stylus is elliptical. Then your $10k cartridge must be re-tipped, but they don’t want you to re-tip it, they want you to buy anothey brand new cartridge for 60% of what you paid for a previous brand new cart. Each 2000 hrs of playtime you will have to pay again. Only a few manufacturers offer affordable re-tip or factory rebuild. Once you paid $10k most of the manufacturers would like to get another $6k from you when the stylus is worn. Or even more if you want to "upgrade" to the next overpriced model. This is crazy!
$10k for a cartridge is a waste of money anyway. You are trying to get demo of $10k cartridge to buy it, but what’s then? Another $6k to use it longer than 2000 hrs ? It’s a waste of money anyway, no matter how your cartridge was bought (with demo or without demo). It’s absolutely insane to pay $10k and then another $6k just to use a cartridge for a long time.
For the same price i can buy 16 amazing top of the line vintage cartridges and it would be much better investment because this is an experience with 16 different cartridges on different tonearms etc. This experience will bring me some killer cartridges for sure. And i don't care about dealers and stuff.
Your problem exist for very few people, who would like to buy the most expensive cartridges for some reason whithout even knowing why do they need them (because they never even tried them).
When do you think yours post will change everything in dealerships and customers care etc ?