Buying Pet Peeve - Pictures


I must admit one of my favorite activities is scouring the Internet looking at ads of used audio gear. For years, I have been keeping tabs on the used audio market.  Prior to the internet there was Audiomart, the Audio Trading Times and the back of Audio magazines and now the internet has made it all very easy.

 

It seems that USAudiomart, EBay, Craigslist, FB Marketplace, and Audiogon (not in that order) are the best places for used gear and I’m constantly checking into these sites, even when I’m not looking to purchase gear.  You never know when that rare gem will come up for sale, and you better snap it up before someone else does.

 

What I have found over the last 6 months or longer is that either sellers have become lazy, or perhaps just stupid?  The internet has been around long enough for people to know that good pictures are the key to selling gear, and the key to getting top dollar, yet I continually see really poor pictures of gear.

 

It irks me daily when I see it, and I end up yelling at my computer just like I will yell at my tv while watching a sporting event.  

 

My 2 biggest picture pet peeves are:

1.  someone selling expensive speakers who can’t be bothered to take the grills off or won’t take pictures of the binding posts or speaker rears

2.  A seller consumed with the mod that he did on an amp or preamp and takes multiple pictures of the inside of the unit but forgets to take pictures of what the actual unit looks like.

 

There are other poor photo practices like taking pictures in a dark room, using that old flip phone to take pictures, or just being lazy and not unplugging your gear and taking some stand alone pictures.  
 

*** Sorry if this offends anyone, that is not my intent.  I’m just finally venting after seeing this occur so often.   

 

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 piles of dust on the equipment

Really? - I would love to see a picture of this.😄

I understand and relate to the sentiment, though.

Some people are just oblivious to how perception affects the sales process.

Personally, I clean everything really well (yes, dust is very photogenic) and make sure to show every view, along with every flaw. This protects both me and the person who is interested in buying it. No surprises.

Then again, some people will try to sell a sofa and then use a photo showing three large dogs sleeping on it.

 

Manufacturers and professional sellers of new gear need to take note on pictures. It’s even more infuriating having to search used gear to see drivers, rear inputs and internal components to a lesser degree.

In the 80s I subscribed to a monthy high end classified that was published on 8.5x11 white paper, folded once, stapled and bulk mailed.  It listed stereo equipment nationwide with phone numbers (no internet yet).  I bought a pair of Mirage M3Si advertised there.  He was in the bay area, I was in San Diego area.  We met at a freeway ramp with a gas station near Bakersfield (half way).  It was cold, blustery, and the wind was blowing 30.  We drove around behind the gas station for shelter. We moved 2 large, covered packages from his vehicle to mine and I gave him an envelope full of Ben Franklins.  It truly looked like a drug deal but no cops showed up.

Does anyone remember the name of the publication I'm referring to?

Jerry