Why is used audio equipment so undesirable?

Is selling used audio gear to a dealer via trade-in when buying something new worthwhile? Goal is to get 20% off list when you buy something new, but then throw in a used piece to trade in and it confuses the process. The dealer has to make 30% for the used item if he’s lucky and he may evaluate it, which is always iffy.

And then selling a used piece to someone by way of a classified ad like audiogon is not ideal. I’ve seen fairly good stuff sitting on audiogon for a long Time. And then you discover it’s being sold by a dealer at a price that’s a lot higher than it should be. Who are they kidding?

Selling speakers and amplifiers that are extremely heavy makes sense to sell back to a dealer from a convenience standpoint. They deliver something new and they take the old away. Very similar to buying a mattress or a refrigerator.

I always feel it appropriate that my dealer can make a living… so he has to make money. The margins are not as high for dealers as it used to be. Getting 20% would violate most agreements to be distributors and cause the dealer to lose rights to sell… and they probably would not make a penny on the stuff. Margins are not 50%. The audio dealer owners I know drive Toyotas not Porsche.

A good dealer will earn every penny he gets from you… by steering you towards equipment that satisfies your audio taste.

My first car, at age 20, and my second car at age 22 was also used.  However, since every car was new.  I can't help but ask, why is this person selling this gear.  Is there something wrong with it, or was there something much better?  For that reason, I would purchase Hi-Fi gear new.  Besides, what if there is something wrong with it and you cannot get your money back.  I always feel someone who is selling something used there might be a reason why.  However, maybe audiophiles are different because I feel most of us take great care with our gear.  

emergingsoul:

Checked and you have zero marketplace feedback here @ A’Gon.

Just a thought, but why don’t you try listing all the mentioned spare gear here?

Then, you could could start a new thread about how it went.

DeKay

Because he just enjoys starting threads with unsupported assertions and then disappearing.