How do I know if seller is selling genuine cables?

I hope we all realize that when we choose to play in the Audiogon second hand game, there is ALWAYS the RISK of getting less than promised, and it does not have to be on cables only.

How do we know when buying a second hand CD player, amplifier, pre-amp, etc. that the equipment was not previously serviced with non-genuine, or sub-standard parts? For example, I once bought a 5-channel amp on Audiogon, and only after one of the channels burned out a tweeter on my speaker a year later did I find out through service at the manufacturer that the circuit board for that channel was not the original, but a sub-standard replacement with an unstable voltage stablizer. It was the sub-standard board in the amp that killed my tweeter.

I have seen many a times people place ads in the wanted to buy section (below the ad) for broken amps, CD players, etc. of well known brands so that they can put in a cheap fix and then flip for a nice, quick profit, probably on Audiogon also.

Interestingly, I have had the least problems and concerns in buying cables. It is actually the amps, CD players, and everything else that I would worry a lot more....

Pay full retail price at dealer's website and you're done.

Correction; ( http://thecableco.com/ )

I hope we all realize that when we choose to play in the Audiogon second hand game, there is ALWAYS the RISK of getting less than promised, and it does not have to be on cables only.

Very good point, Avguy and one we all need to keep in mind. Esp. those who rip retailers (b&m OR internet)for their mark-up. In the long run, even w a couple of "less than perfect" transactions, I am WAY, WAY ahead of the game w the upgrades I've made since I started buying on this site.

you may check the quiz bellow my post even before reading it to shortly know the answer why there are fake cables.

check dhgate.com. plenty of audioquest, monster, transparent, even sometimes cardas too for double-digit times cheaper than original one looking absolutely the same! ya want ta get monster hdmi stuff for just $3/1m? ye'll getit there easy. btw works as any hdmi no compromise... just the same one you'd get from bestbuy for $34.

hey! even for dealer getting this stuff is kinda tempting isn't it?

anybody asked the question why???

i do have a very simple answer: A LABEL SHOULD NEVER COST MORE THAN PRODUCT DOES to avoid fakes coz lots of us realy go nutz to get $10k speaker cable without realizing that it's so easy to make an undistiguishable clone for a lot cheaper.

realizing the illegal acts of dishonesty of such manufacturers and re-sellers of these products at the same time, one should realize that these actions could've been dramatically minimized if the manufacturers would ask a legit price for the original product. another words this mess happens ONLY because of OM rip-offs so that illegal cloning or copying activities are often cary some kind of sanitary action of rip-off in response to rip-off.

so final quiz:

Q1. what has the highest mark-up in audio?

a)Digital components
b)Analogue components
c)Amp-preamp
d)Cables

Q2. what is the easiest audio component to clone?

use the same choices as in Q1 to provide the answer:

Q3. what to your belief should be the lowest mark-up a

use the same choices as in Q1 to provide the answer:

P.S. Gotta appreciate OP for this discussion.