hifi as investment?

Wheeler: As a case in point regarding the Marantz gear, i recently traded my original Marantz 8 ( serial number just above 1000 ) that was in very good shape for some test equipment. While the Marantz 8 is an item that seems to be in less demand than the 8B, an 8 in good shape would draw somewhere between $800 - $1200 on the used market with the 8B drawing several hundred dollars more. Due to the condition of the 8 that i had, a local collector had been interested in this unit ever since seeing it. When all was said and done, he ended trading me some test gear that would sell for over $2000 in current condition. Since i had paid considerably less for this unit, the "investment" that i made in this piece did pay off.

Having said that, this is a rare case of planning ahead and finding a good deal when i initially purchased this unit. As Jdevine stated above, if you can buy low and sell high, you'll do okay. I've been involved in quite a few transactions and never really been "stung" without everything working out okay in the long run. Just take into account that there are bound to be mishaps in shipping, items that are misrepresented, etc... On top of this, you may end up with a less than satisfying system musically as products that may hold their value individually may not work together as a system synergistically. Then again, we all have different priorities and ideas as to what "sounds good", so have at it. So long as it makes you happy ( one way or the other ), that's all that counts. Sean
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I always consider the "deal" when purchasing used equipment. I certainly don't plan to make money if I later sell the piece of equipment, however, I do intend to cut my potential loses on each piece.

My plan is to always buy "desirable" components with original packaging and only if it is fairly priced. I have bought several pieces like this that just didn't work well in my room. I re-sold them for little or no loss. For me, this is a great way to try lots of different equipment.

If this is a goal for you, I would highly suggest keeping an eye on what products regularly get recommended in their respective catagories and learn what the "real world" prices are for these pieces.

As an example, I bought a pair of perfect Reference 3A MM DeCapos when saw them listed for $1000. For me, this was a no brainer. I had wanted to hear a pair in my room and I knew I could re-sell them for a profit or at least with zero loss. Anyway, they are still in my system. I consider them a great investment.

Enjoy,

TIC

None of the hardware holds their value forever, and even in the short term, they merely lose it slower that average equipment. Take a look at the best gear on this site, and you will see that even the best loses its value over time, albeit at a slower rate.

The only possible way to invest in HiFi is in the software. (Buying limited edition records, CD's, etc...).
Had we all had the vision to have bought all the MFSL records, and some of the gold CD's we could lay our hands on, and stashed them away, we would all be quite rich right now!) These MFSL records and CD's have gained in value quite a bit from their original purchase price. (I have an unopened MFSL Rolling Stones box set that I bought for $100 about 12, and it is currently worth 7 or 8 times that amount! But then again, who would have thought they could have gone bankrupt. If they were still in business, my collection would only be worth what they are currently selling it for. And, yes, I know they are back now, selling SACD's.)

However, even this plan has a flaws. The first flaw being, what if that standard is replaced with another technology that TRULY is better. For equipment this is a given, it will always get better, or at least it always has in the past 100 years or so. Even for the Software, this is somewhat true. As an example, old 78's, and to some extent old 45's, are still worth money, but who buys them other than for collecting and completing collections? (Take a look at the Audiogon "music for sale" catagory and you won't see any, at least I have not!) LPs are a different story, because while CD's are easier to handle and less fragile, they are not better. SACD's have narrowed the gab considerably, but still LP's rule (at least in my system.) Please don't flame me for that last statement, as everyone has a different opinion on the subject!

The second flaw is, what if they keep making the limited editions? If you have 100 records stashed away bought at retail prices, they are only valuable if they stop making them. If they don't, then you have no chance of marking up your inventory and making a profit. As long as the consumers keep demanding a product, they will keep making them, or at least the most popular items. As an example, see the current LP market. They are still making records, when 95% of the market is only buying CD's. Only us Audiophiles (and Hip-Hop fans, go figure, huh?!) are buying records. We continue to expand our collections, (and our circle of friends who listen to our analog systems, and make that leap themselves), so the record compnaies can continue to make the records for us to buy. I went to the Home Entertainment Expo and bought $250 worth of records, some priced no more than the CD (i.e. Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida - $10. Yeah, yeah, I know, dating myself. BTW, lousy recording, but I still like it). So even if you had stashed a copy away, only those true collectors would be interested in it. I would, and did, buy the latest reproduction, rather than pay a marked up price to buy an original issue.

The art world is currently experiencing this same problem, with limited editions seriegraphs. lithographs, etc.. Because the artists are continuing to make new originals, and subsequently and making hundreds of limited edition copies, they have diluted the market so the limited editions are not worth nearly what you might think they would be worth.

Sorry to be so long winded, but anything I can do to dissuade you from going down that path will be worth it to you in the long run, trust me.

You're going to spend and probably lose money in this hobby. The upside is you get to enjoy your expenditures. If you want to invest in audio, try collecting popular rare NOS tubes, old collectible vinyl records, and possibly some sought-after vintage gear.

Buy hi-end vintage turntables in mint shape.
Oracle,VPI,Linn,Sota etc.