What is going on? No-one buys good stuff priced right.

" We are being phased out ". That's a little too desperate, I would say, but yes the situation is not good.
About wine analogy. Yes, you can clearly tell the difference between a so-so wine and an excellent one even if you have never tried any wine before. But any analogy has limits. Those who were 'brainwashed' with digital, and usually poor quality digital, would have hard time to appreciate fine things.

There is a lot of great equipment available for sale here on Audiogon (as opposed to Cr**g**st), and some of it is expensive, even very expensive, but no one is forced to buy anything. The summer, notwithstanding, there is a button called "Make Offer" that allows anyone to submit an offer lower than the asking price. I have noticed that some things have been sitting longer than previous years. Sometimes, it's the fault of the seller. One guy, recently told me he was too busy for a short demo, despite living close to me. I just think that, with 100%+ feedback, I deserved a demo. Needless to say, I won't be buying anything from that seller.

I have been tempted to replace my Avalons with the latest in speaker development, but the price of an even used pair of, say Raidho, Rockport, Tidal, Vandersteen, YG Acoustics, etc., have reached into the unreachable stratosphere. Even if I was able to afford an uber-speaker, I have no assurances that I will find it's performance more satisfying.  And...of course, I am left with the need to sell a more than moderately priced speaker in today's market. The days of continual upgrades may be over for me.

Yeah, well, if fewer people upgrade and fewer start building their systems..we'll have the situation we do.

tonykay;  I don't know.  I have no problem letting a person into my home to hear the item for sale after they have made an offer.  That way I'm sure I'm dealing with a serious person as opposed to a lookie loo.

If they are interested in purchasing that particular item and make and offer, my sole responsibility after that (if they want to come by to hear it work) is to make sure it is working as I advertised it and the prove to the buyer that it is working.

There is lots of equipment for sale.  The real issue is whether a particular person is interested in that particular piece.  Sometimes it takes awhile to find the right buyer.

This is true for most equipment.  Cars, watches, art, etc.  The right buyer has to see the advertisement or item for sale.  If they don't, then the item will sit for awhile. 

It is important to not be desperate to sell something.  Patience is key, along with pricing the item correctly in the first place.

enjoy