Why so many Flaky Buyers?

Bad thing about buying and selling on the web, lag time and catalog shopping. Some of us take forever to answer an email, the net itself is sometimes slow,down, misderecting email, etc. People don't like hurting your feelings,saying they want it, starting out with good intentions etc. Then you have to realize, sombody else may be posting what you have for sale RIGHT NOW at 50 dollars less, and they are going to look. Audio sites are like a big Sears Chanukah/Christmas Wishbook, only better in that the pages get constantly updated
I think I have about 1/3 of what I get inquiries on the Web sites go through, about 90% on Ebay. Of course its a contract on Ebay,and by bidding the buyer feels more commited. Bad thing there is that you have to answer 5241 questions like
"Why is the minumum bid on your 100wpc Mark Levinson $1500, cause my Scott is rated at 200wpc and I only paid $300 for it". I guess what I am saying is"Welcome to the world of retail", and have a little more pity on thise sales guys in the audio store next time you go in, cause there is a lot of rejection before you get any rewards.

... and don't forget the deteriorating economy. Most of us now have less disposable income then before, hence more "window shopping" and fewer firm sales. I have friends in the car business who have a much worse time then what you've cited above... tons of people taking test drives and looking, but no one buying.

We all have to be prepared to take a little less, give a little more and work a little harder for business. Like all things economic, it will change with time. --Lorne

I think Jvia said it really well. I guess when you sell used "stuff" yourself, you have to be prepared to possibly put in a lot of work, & probably deal with a certain amount of jerks. Like, you could sell your components to a used stereo dealer, or put them on consignment, but you would get that much less (but hopefully save the hassles). Have you ever sold a used car yourself? You get way more than trading it in to a dealer, but is a GIGANTIC PITA.

I'd like to hear on this thread from any audiophiles who constantly buy & sell stuff on the web & how they manage.
One thing I've read a lot, & firmly believe myself, is talk to the buyer or seller on the phone before agreeing to any transaction! A great way to weed people out, if not foolproof. However I've done way more buying than selling so far, & that's a whole other topic full of potential pitfalls..... I've been sandbagged a couple of times by sellers (real jerks) who agreed to my offer & then suddenly backed out. However you'd also be amazed at how many truly ethical, conscientious audiophiles are out there. Good luck!