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What happened to the "club atmosphere" of Audiogon?

Hi Goners!

After 12 years as a member hear i have developed some questions based on my observations of Audiogon in the last four to five years...

When i joined it was a fledgling group of "music lovers" who now brand themselves, quite often it seems, as "audiophiles"! [ whatever that REALLY is...:-)
The boards were helpful, very helpful and almost never negative but like a brother [be it older or younger] discussing the finer points of a product,company, design etc...

It was known that you could score wonderful, WELL MAINTAINED audio and video products sold at a fair price and with confidence that the person who sold you that item would stand behind it!!

It was the CULTURE of Audiogon that made it so very special to me, in fact it has been on my radar every day since i joined!

I have been a seller, buyer, trader, cartridge seller and have noticed disturbing trends:
Seems if anything is mark "USED", even 5 minuted old, it should, at best, garner only 50%
Lowball offering has become rampant here,trying to then add insult to injury by asking the seller to pay shipping!
Nasty,curt e-mails without any simple courtesy and professionalism...Now i am painting with a broad brush BUT all of these negatives , and more i will not go into from this vein, have reduced this site to a "virtual close out Wharehouse" of close out merchandise or find your ads not even getting a question about your ad!!

I for one enjoy the banter with long time posters, some of who have earned my respect with they're
 witty yet insightful comments...

Has anyone else felt Audiogon's best days have come and gone if we follow the present template?
Thanks and keep the responses civil and helpful please!

128x128azjake
lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,555 posts
 
Great posts by akg_ca and asp307.  

This is still a great site, many of us here care enough to share their experiences and wisdom.  I learned a great deal here and been able to put together an awesome HT/2ch setup.  I couldn't have done it without our A'gon community support. 

I sell a lot here and bought some gear over the years. My motto always been, if you like something, pay the damn price and enjoy it.  Life is just too short to mull over saving few dollars. 

Being passionate about something is not always easy. But that's what elevates it from being merely a hobby.  
dbtom2
382 posts
 
Been using Audiogon for about a year.

The OP made me feel like I'm at a block party in my new neighborhood and all everbody talks about is how nice it used to be. ;)

Just want to say this site is great and I'm grateful to have it as a resource. 

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,821 posts
 
I just wish I had discovered Audiogon sooner. I have learned some great stuff here, not the least of which is some artists with whom I was not familiar. And I’ve "met" some people I would be very happy to be friends with in real life ;-). Thanks ya’ll!
chazro's avatar
chazro
635 posts
 
I think it reflects what's happened at Ebay.  In the beginning it was people selling used goods with some professionals thrown into the mix.  Now it seems like it's the opposite, primarily pros dominating the site.  It's gone to a site that felt much like a glorified garage sale, to a place where people are actually making a living doing this.  
jperry
2,450 posts
 
I understand what you mean. The anonymity of the internet allows people to disregard common courtesy. Audiogon is still OK, but not what it once was. Now on Sundays I go to my local Hi Fi shop (yes they still exist and should be supported) to chat  about equipment and records. Thankfully some on this site like to be courteous and helpful to others, and you just  have to ignore the various brand campaigners and others with less than helpful agendas to prosecute. Strangely enough almost none of them have responded to this thread so far.
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