The internet has given tremendous opportunity to younger and less well healed audiophiles. If you have more time and learn to research well you can save a ton of money and have orders of more choices than from a dealer. Like MC says there is a limit to auditioning. I am glad I did what I did when I was younger
BTW, my dealer is doing pretty well… after building his business for twenty plus years.. starting out of his house. But he is not rich by a long shot. These guys can make a good living… the few that do well. But it is not a way to get rich, period. If he had put his effort into being a general contractor, or developer… he would have more money (remember for the first ten years he made just enough to survive). My guy sells on the internet, and lots of low end stuff (he has two employees that make good livings). It takes a lot of skills and work to run a business like this. He programs his own web presence and does some programming on the side, “just in case”.
BTW, my dealer is doing pretty well… after building his business for twenty plus years.. starting out of his house. But he is not rich by a long shot. These guys can make a good living… the few that do well. But it is not a way to get rich, period. If he had put his effort into being a general contractor, or developer… he would have more money (remember for the first ten years he made just enough to survive). My guy sells on the internet, and lots of low end stuff (he has two employees that make good livings). It takes a lot of skills and work to run a business like this. He programs his own web presence and does some programming on the side, “just in case”.