I’m sure many buyers and sellers
on Audiogon have pondered this question. Assuming an audio component is
otherwise very well cared for, how many times can it be shipped from one place
to another before it gets damaged? I’m sure this depends on a number of
factors:
Quality of packaging:
Some manufacturers have really well thought out packaging that keeps the
components snugly cushioned in custom molded clamshells with double boxes.
Perhaps there are even packaging techniques that I haven’t even seen that work
really well. I have also seen some packaging, even for really high quality components,
that is poorly constructed and will fall apart after one or two shipments. For something
really substantial like speakers, I know some companies will sell you brand new
packaging if you need it. I once got a quote of around $250 for some new
speaker packaging, not including shipping fees. Definitely not cheap, but perhaps
worth the money if you’re trying to sell some goods and don’t want to limit
yourself to local-only transactions.
Size and
type of component. It seems to me that smaller electronic items the size of a
large book would hold easily over multiple shipments. That just seems
intuitive. In my mind, the most risky items would be big heavy amps (especially
tubed) and speakers. Come to think of it, am I overly paranoid about that?
Maybe high end audio components are more durable that I expect. In my mind, I picture
internal parts like speaker crossovers, and amplifier circuit boards just popping
loose eventually during a bumpy ride. Does that happen? If so, it would seem
kind of silly given that so many high end components are extremely durable on
the outside, perhaps even overbuilt.
I wonder how manufacturers think
about this question when they ship their gear to audio shows all over the
country, or perhaps even internationally. Do they sell off their gear at a
discount after one show, or do they ship their stuff from place to place like “going
on tour”?
