HAVE ALL SALES STOPPED ON AUDIOGON ???

Back in the day.....
In the 1990s and 2000s we could buy and try used gear and then sell what didn't work out for about the same money we paid for it.  A lot of used equipment changed hands in those days and it was certainly a fun way to try new stuff without much risk.  In the last 10 years, the ability to quickly sell used gear for anything close to what was paid has diminished.  In most cases, you can either sell it fast at a significantly lower price or let it sit for awhile to get a better price.  This is what a buyer's market looks like and it really should not be a surprise.  

Look at it this way.  How many new amplifier models has Pass come out with in the past 10 years?  Not to pick on Pass, but this has happened throughout the industry where manufacturers continually try to both upgrade their line-ups and generate interest with new models so there is simply more and better gear available.  On top of that, the digital industry has exploded with better and better sounding gear coming out almost monthly.  As a result, the market is flooded with fairly high quality used and new gear that is available to an audience that most here believe is diminishing. 

I suspect the viewpoint that there are less buyers is mostly true because some of the more active "audiophiles" around here have matured their systems to the point where they don't need or want further upgrades, others have "retired" from the hobby or at least downsized due to age.  The infatuation with great sounding home audio we grew up with in the 60's and 70's has given way to a generation that is more interested in whatever can be played from a cell phone or thumb drive and listened to through ear buds.  Not all of the younger folks look at things like that but it is certainly a viable, less expensive, and more portable way to enjoy music than spending a lot on a large home audio system.  In addition, with the retail model moving away from brick and mortar, and towards on-line sales, and the savvy sellers offering trial periods or 30-day returns, it is easier than ever to audition new models with the only risk being restocking and return shipping fees.  The times have changed. 

In summary, I believe folks will continue to be interested in high-end audio, and that internet sales of used gear will continue, but we have ridden the big wave.  The sky is not falling but the economy of more available gear and less buyers is our new reality.   Just my take on things.  

This thread made me reflect on the generation gap. When I was in high school and college in the 1970's, music and audio was the focal point of a lot of social interaction.  My friends and I spent countless hours listening to the latest albums by Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, etc., smoking joints, talking to friends while listening . . . We always gravitated to the friend who had the best listening room and stereo.  When I could afford some "good" equipment, which I recall were Phase Linear 3000 separates and Epicure Trilogy speakers, my place in college was a social center.  Picking albums to listen to was part of the social "scene."  HEA was something I started to chase.  Music as a relaxing time out has been with me for 50 years.  I strive to get the sound that reproduces being "there."

My stepson is 28.  His age group was raised on iPhones and iPods and the isolation that focusing on one's phone 24/7 brings.  He likes coming over and getting turned on to the "old school" rock in my music room.  He and his buddies still listen to music when they are together (I guess EDM counts as music), but they are perfectly content to use a bluetooth speaker and play their mixes off of their iPhones.  Techno, dubstep, EDM does not seem to engender the appreciation of "being there," perhaps because you are never "there."  It is manufactured electronically and played back through a laptop or DJ electronic setup.  Do they really look forward to getting together and listening to the latest track by Steve Aoki?

I try to instill in him an appreciation for sound quality, and just gave him his first somewhat real sound system, a 5.1 setup by KEF.  We'll see where that leads.  Since the early days, AudioGon always allowed me to reach equipment well beyond my pay grade, even as my pay grade adjusted upwards.  Perhaps the lack of demand for "silly" priced equipment is due to the lack of new blood and insufficient demand for it by those that know or think they know the difference between one $8,000 preamp and another.  Or perhaps there is some recognition that paying $5K for a set of interconnects doesn't sound $4500 better than $500 interconnects.  The law of diminishing returns certainly makes me think twice about blowing big bucks for a 10% (or less) improvement.  

But it is sad to think that HEA is a dying hobby, that is dying with us.

This may not be the best time for the Dragon. It may even be dangerous.

@glupson, I take it all in stride.  Lead a horse to water but can't make him drink.  My stepson seemingly appreciates my HT setup, and definitely loved to hear some of my favorites, like Jimi Hendrix' Electric Ladyland, on my music system, so I remain optimistic!  What are kids of his generation willing to blow on HEA . . .? Remains to be seen.