Walking Into A Brick & Mortar High End Audio Store

JWM wrote:

>>If people don't want to bother an audio salesman with no intentions of buying they can go to an audio show instead. There are so many now that one can go and hear without buying anything and not feel guilty. The shows have way more equipment and so many people under one roof that you can have a great time.

IMO, audio shows are great for looking but usually not so great for listening or evaluating audio gear.

>>Are you kidding? Audiogon allows 40-50% off of retail. Brick and Mortar if your lucky 10-20%. These people are not going to buy there no matter how nice the salesperson talks.

Is it really fair to compare a B&M store to Audiogon? Audiogon provides a space to sell (mostly) used gear. Most B&Ms forcus on new gear, although some sell or specialize in used gear. I think that you will typically find that the price for almost any piece of used gear sold at a B&M would be within spitting distance of the Audiogon price for the same gear. The market determines the value (price), not the seller.

When I was a teenager, and that was quite some time ago, I used to go into an audio store after school and hang out with the salesman and listen to gear. They knew they weren't going to make big bucks off of me, but not much was going on, and they were kind and generous and helped me develop into this hobby. Ultimately I did buy a Nakamichi 582 cassette deck from them that thousand dollars, which was a lot of money back then.

Unfortunately you can find anything new you want on audiogon as well for prices way below brick and mortar. Why is this so because audiophiles are always buying and selling.

One should not overlook the importance and necessity of having a good relationship with your local dealer. How could you not? Theres probbaly 20,000 people in the whole country who are into hi end audio. One (or two of them) are at your local dealer. How could you not want to get to know them? Its like being a book nut but never going to the library cause you get everything on amazon. Youre saving a few pennies but missing much more. An experience...

You said it Cerrot, I completely agree. Relationships have value.

JWN, you're not wrong, you can get plenty of new or near-new equipment on Audiogon at great prices. But we're not talking socks and t-shirts here, items which you buy and forget. Audio equipment sometimes requires adjustment/repair, and it's good to have people in the business who are on your side. There's great value in paying extra and cultivating a relationship with a local dealer in case you need help somewhere along the line. Additionally, many/most B&M dealers also have a healthy business dealing in pre-owned equipment, in which case they can be competitive against Audiogon while still offering the benefits of a local relationship. When I was looking for an integrated tube amp, I couldn't afford my dealer's new Leben, but I could afford their mint condition pre-owned ARC VSi55. Now, I could have saved a couple hundred waiting for that to pop up on Audiogon instead, but I wanted a local resource in case I need help with tubes, fuses, whatever. I was willing to pay more to have a local "partner" I could call for help.

Also, many B&M stores have awesome trade-up policies giving you full credit on your purchases towards new gear.

Not to go off the reservation here, but we are social creatures. We're built to move around, interact with others, shake hands, have eye contact, talk, share ideas and commerce. We're not supposed to sit in one chair, in our underwear, avoiding sunshine, clicking a mouse all day having things brought to our front door.