Zd542,
Two points you made that I don't agree with. First, I've been buying from internet dealers for a long time and you are wrong, no way do they have the same over head that a B&M store does. Not even close. And if done well they can reach a national audience which is what is needed to stay in business. In the many transactions that I've engaged in with internet dealers, they acted as simple order takers. There was zero pre sales service or post sales service and I don't expect any. Give me the product at 35% off and have a nice day.
I'm old enough to remember when B&M audio stores had a great model and the difference was volume. They did big volume. Now, they are like car dealerships. It's horrible. They expect you to only visit when you are ready to spend $10k. You visit, you listen, now you spend $10k. Sorry, but not very many people can afford that model. But they have to be like that, they have NO customers. I never go to these places anymore, but when I did most of the time I was the only person in the entire store. The model doesn't work anymore.
The other thing you said I don't agree with is that the used market would be hurt if people stopped buying new gear from B&M dealers. This is wrong. If the manufactures were openly selling at lower markup over the internet than the used prices would just be cheaper. People would still buy new gear just without the 45% dealer markup. Then the used market would also benefit from lower prices. Look at a company like wyred4sound. They sell an amp for $2k that would be $4k if sold by a B&M store. When it sells used, it's just all that much cheaper.
And as for a company like wilson doing business as an internet operation. Not sure. I will say that people do buy wilson speakers all the time here on audiogon. So the used market is willing to buy these products mail order.
Two points you made that I don't agree with. First, I've been buying from internet dealers for a long time and you are wrong, no way do they have the same over head that a B&M store does. Not even close. And if done well they can reach a national audience which is what is needed to stay in business. In the many transactions that I've engaged in with internet dealers, they acted as simple order takers. There was zero pre sales service or post sales service and I don't expect any. Give me the product at 35% off and have a nice day.
I'm old enough to remember when B&M audio stores had a great model and the difference was volume. They did big volume. Now, they are like car dealerships. It's horrible. They expect you to only visit when you are ready to spend $10k. You visit, you listen, now you spend $10k. Sorry, but not very many people can afford that model. But they have to be like that, they have NO customers. I never go to these places anymore, but when I did most of the time I was the only person in the entire store. The model doesn't work anymore.
The other thing you said I don't agree with is that the used market would be hurt if people stopped buying new gear from B&M dealers. This is wrong. If the manufactures were openly selling at lower markup over the internet than the used prices would just be cheaper. People would still buy new gear just without the 45% dealer markup. Then the used market would also benefit from lower prices. Look at a company like wyred4sound. They sell an amp for $2k that would be $4k if sold by a B&M store. When it sells used, it's just all that much cheaper.
And as for a company like wilson doing business as an internet operation. Not sure. I will say that people do buy wilson speakers all the time here on audiogon. So the used market is willing to buy these products mail order.