What I learned on Audiogon This Year

these are lifelong learning experiences...
1) that all audiophiles are a little crazy (including me)
2) that if something arrives damaged, it is ALWAYS the other persons fault.
3) that anyone can make really, really expensive cables AND sell them, IF they are good at marketing.
4) that SOME of those expensive cables are really, really worth the money.
5) that MOST audiophiles need someone ELSE to tell them which are are good, and which are not. (they can't tell).
6) that a good percentage of audiophiles think the other percentage are idiots, because of some trivial belief.
7) that it takes at LEAST 5 audiophiles to change a light bulb..
8) that all audiophile have at least a few recordings they like to play over and over. Some of those audiophiles.. because they love the music, others because they think it makes thier system sound good.
9) that audiophiles are a dying breed.
10) that endless debates NEVER solve anything, that listening for ten minutes DOES solve.
11) that the gulf between audiophiles and mp3 lovers will someday close in our favor!!
12) that buying something NEW is not always the answer.
13) that selling the thing we just replaced has WAY more seller's remorse than we like to admit.. later...
more to come....

This is a great site if you want to know more about;
Stereo amplifiers, preamps, CD players, Turntables, carts, mounting carts, which cart to use with which TT, FM tuners, phono preamps, speakers, fixing stuff, is it worth fixing stuff, speaker cables, interconnect cables, RCA connectors, XLR connectors, Camac connectors, power cables, wall outlets, wall plate covers, power cord ends, wire comparo's, wire gauge, DBT, anti DBT, listening, how to listen, recordings, A/C issues, biamping, triamping, bigger amps, smaller amps, just right amps, tubes, no tubes, some tubes, rolling tubes, finding tubes, tweaks, more tweaks, laughable and overpriced tweaks, free tweaks, crazy tweaks, fun tweaks, speaker connectors, kinds of speakers, which speaker is right for what application, single driver speakers, crossovers, caps in crossovers, caps in amps, bigger caps, cable risers, dressing cables, racks (BOTH types), vibration control, tiptoes, pucks, cones, balls, (includes cojones), women, women who like stereo, women as objects, women as buyers of thousands of shoes, WAF, divorce and losing the stereo to "she-who-never-listened-in-her-life", hiding purchases, complains about high end cost, complaints about complaints about high end costs, kids, pets, kids and pets creating havoc with speakers, kids and pets fun, loving kids and pets, getting kids to love music, spending money on stereo stuff, making money selling stereo stuff, industry news, industry gossip, blogging personal stereo experiences, complaining, arguing, ranting, accusing, loving, hating, being miffed, miffing, ctting, dissing, prankstering, helping, taking off topic, bringing it back to topic, helping out, offering sage advice, offering idiotic advice, offering fatasy advice when one does not have a clue, offering a lifetime of experience to idiots, offering idiot advice to folks with a lifetime of real experience, listening to music, liking music, hating some other music, Jazz, Classical, Rock, artists, gossip on artists, who likes what artists, who likes what music,
DID I MISS ANYTHING?
Oh yeah, cars, coffee, wine, beer, underpants, jeans..