Burned out hi fi salesman

I had my chance to buy my friends audioshop I looked into it did a biz plan etc. and found it to be a dying biz .Only thing floating it was HT home install.Well for years I bought most all my gear from these fine folks but as time moved on and audio types like me started looking into other types of systems instead on giant SS or Tube amp with low eff loudspeakers.This and all the other local shops just moved into more HT gear so if I wanted to buy in town it was order only and wait and even then hardly any choice for gear.So I had no choice but to purchase online and DIY.Audioshops did this to themselfs why blame the customers?

Move to Denver CO.

We have many execelent shops in town. Although most do HT also they still have an execelent assortment of Highend gear. Both for the HT enthusist and the Audiophool.

Michael

Perkidin,

At 24, when I purchased my first new porsche, the first sales person did not even want to talk to me so I went down the cubes and found a sales person that wanted my business, this salesperson not only took me for a test drive but really sounded interested in working with me. I paid cash that day. Treat your clients as you would want to be treated. Simple but effective. (oh and back then 911s were only 30,000)

My experience with hi fi in NH was going into one of the few high end dealers (mostly home theater) and asking about tube amps. I was shown a Golden Tube tube SE 40 amp for about $1000, told all the Chinese stuff was junk, and told to buy this from them used with no warranty. This was the only tube amp in the store at the time. Lack of choice is a major reason I purchase on Audiogon. They also showed me a set of consignment speakers made by " Kestral 2 ". I advised them these were "Meadowlark" Kestral 2's, and let them know the manufacturer was out of business. Lack of knowledge was also an issue with me. Audiogon has been a lifesaver for me, and allowed me to assemble a system I could not have put together from any local dealers.

As a hi fi saleman of close to thirty years here's my take:
Don't go into a stereo store and waste a saleman's time if, regardless of what you hear, you are not going to buy from him or her and then rationalize your guilt and your ethical obligation away expose facto by saying that you weren't treated right. Tell the salesperson up front that you're not there to buy but to gather information and listen. If he's worth his salt and he has the time he'll spend it with you and enjoy the experience. But woe be tide unto you if you take the salesman away from his floor while he can be making money.

Our perceptions of value outside of nature are nothing more than an illusion and on a very real level buying something from anyone is nothing less than an act of kindness and humanity. The idea that you can quantify, by percentages, the quality of sound or the accuracy of sound or the joy derived from the sound is the silliest thing I have ever heard of. Stereo sales people burn out because they don't get traffic, they can't sell, or they don't love the hobby.