HAVE ALL SALES STOPPED ON AUDIOGON ???

As Bob sang: The Times They are A-Changin

In addition to excellent observations by:
@grannyring
@phillyb
Social Media seems to have replaced sitting in front of the stereo.  Bonding ain't what it used to be.

Also, the economy has changed. The middle-class is getting hammered. The cost of living is going up, wages are not. Discretionary spending has been re-calibrated. Millenials are paying upwards of 45% of their income on rent. Many are stashing any extra $$$ towards savings - they don’t trust that Social Security will be around for them.

If someone offers less than what we think the item we are selling is worth, keep it. Obviously, it is more worth to us than to the potential buyer. Why would those buyers offering less be talked bad about? They simply know what something is worth to them. No harm done. We can always wait for a buyer that will think higher about the item we are selling. Maybe she/he does come along. If not, well, maybe $1500 was actually not that bad two years ago when we got that offer.


Also, how many of us go to the grocery store and give an offer on milk? Why do we expect that a buyer has to make an offer? Isn’t it the seller who has to know what she/he is willing to part from the possession for?

What do people do with old cars? Keep them?

How many audiophiles do you know under the age of 50?  Even under the age of 60?   The younguns aren't into it the way we are and hi-end has always been a vanishingly small market.

I agree with Grannyring 100%.

i have a pair of current Monitor Audio speakers and stands listed at 50% of retail and no takers, and another pair of Spendors at about 40% of their original retail price, again no takers. Both are 9/10 condition. I have done this for over two decades and the market has never been this weak, never. BTW, I am 65 so I also agree folks like me are a dying breed.

In my industry the old saying was “your first loss is your best loss”.  Meaning that insulting offer you turned down won’t look so bad 8 months from now when you are still sitting with unused equipment while it ages.  Which really bothers some owners because their rationale is “just listen to it, it sounds great!”.  And by extension, it MUST be worth more.

From a different angle, if I buy a speaker new, and 5 months later the manufacturer introduces an update version, my older version drops in perceived value even more than just depreciation.  But aside from manufacturers of real quality (Bryston 20 year unconditional warranty), other manufacturers HAVE to keep introducing upgrades or new models to generate interest and sales.  

But the key to it all is the market size.  If more new people come in at different price levels (depending on their disposable $) then they feed off the new and used market. So they generate purchases as they climb for better equipment and generate sales of used stuff when they tire of it.  So long as there is a buying pool, there is enough demand to keep the resale values in order. 
Which is the scary reality I suspect is going on...I have cases of movies on VCR tapes. I can lower my price to zero and it won’t sell.