Why I sell

I sell when I need to buy rolling papers, Yah Mon by the case!

I don't think anyone should have to justify why you are selling & it makes me laugh when I see an ad with various reasons why as if there should be some sort of guilt associated with it. I buy to try and have sold a great deal of gear that I loved and the ride was exhilarating. But this is a fun thread that should produce some interesting responses.

Wow -- you people are mistrustful -- heh heh.

I, for one, have sold for perfectly respectable reasons every time. Seriously.

I sold a preamp when I decided I wanted remote control.

I then sold the next preamp when I wanted built in phono.

I then sold the next preamp because I got tired of fiddling with tubes.

I then sold the next because I could afford a really good tube pre and I missed the tube sound.

I sold an amp because I wanted more power.

I sold that amp because I wanted monoblocks.

I sold those to upgrade to better ones.

I sold those to upgrade yet again.

I sold a cd player because the damn thing had the same remote code as my new preamp -- anyone with a Linn Ikemi, don't get an Aesthetix Calypso!

I sold speakers because I was traveling for a year and then moving into a new house and I figured I'd wait and see what room I had before I selected speakers.

I also bought and sold Maggie 3.6's for the typical reason there. Loved the sound, but couldn't deal with the lack of SPL's when I wanted to rock out.

I've sold cables because of radical level upgrades -- like going from Cardas Microtwin to Tara Decade to Kubala Emotion.

I'm about to sell some speaker cables because they are too short for my new room, and a sub that was great with the Maggies but not necessary with my Aerials.

Some of us can be trusted to give good reasons for selling that can be believed.

My experiences buying here have been good that way as well. I think that there are more honest resellers than dishonest, and "doesn't sound good" at this level may be "didn't sound good to me, in my room, in my system." I sold a Rogue 99 Magnum when I wanted a quieter preamp, and the local guy that bought it from me still has it and still loves it.

I bought a set of monoblocks from a Silicon Valley engineer in the mid 90's. He sold nearly new Bryston monoblocks because his company went public and he bought Levinson 33's.

Honest people really exist. So do divorces, mistake purchases, upgrades....and cynics.

Happy Sunday everyone!

Rich

I don't think anyone should have to justify why you are selling & it makes me laugh when I see an ad with various reasons why as if there should be some sort of guilt associated with it.

It's not necessarily guilt...it's called "marketing". Most buyers don't know the sellers, so if the sellers can paint a story that makes the potential buyers more confortable, they can sell quicker (or at a higher price). I'm by no means an "Audiogon Power Seller" or anything of the sort, but when I've needed to, I've unloaded a lot of gear in a very short amount of time at a fair price.

Following this advice, I moved $10k of stuff in under 2 weeks (no joke) - I was unemployed and needed cash for grad school.

1. Pictures are a must…and not just of the component itself. A photo of the component in a system helps, too. This also shows that the component wasn't used in a pig sty. It gives the buyer confidence that the product exists and hasn't be abused.

2. The product needs a bit of personal narrative. What did you really like about it? What were the products strengths? What similar components have you used?

3. You need to post a reason why you're selling the goods. Make it personal, particularly if the strengths listed above are compelling.

4. List "out the door" pricing. Spell it all out. List the product for $2000, but in the description, say "include a flat $100 for UPS ground shipping and $65 for paypal." And that all goods will be in original boxes, then boxed again.

5. Talk up your reputation. I always say that I take my Audiogon reputation seriously, and anyone who has any concerns should contact those who have left me feedback.

6. Use proper English. Poor grammar stinks of a scam.

7. Make the ad fun. I want to get the impression I'm dealing with a guy I'd want to buy a beer.

8. Make it clear that your posted price is more than fair and not negotiable.

These are the rules I follow, and have been really successful. Bottom line, I post in an ad exactly what I look for in an ad.

It's nobody's business why I want to sell my item.

It is for sale and it is a very good item at a fair price.

Please see the photos.

If I really need the money....I don't want you to know that I'm broke.

If my wife says it has to go, I don't want you to know that I'm a wimp.

Do you want to buy it or not?