Audiozen, I hope you will respect my general distaste for conducting business in the discussion forums. In that vein, please feel free to let me know if you desire to contact me offline, and I'd be more than willing to answer whatever questions/concerns you may have beyond what I provide here.
But to address your (legitimate) concerns in brief, yet relatively informative fashion:
1) Yes. I do have a licensed business, registered in the USA and state of Pennsylvania.
However, following the old adage, "if you want to make a small fortune in audio, start with a large one", audio is not my "real (a lead software engineer at the local Blue Cross affiliate) job" but something to instead have some fun (and make some money) with
2) No. I do not have a website dedicated to vacuum tube sales. I do maintain three websites in the high-end audio marketplace, and with the IT background, there would be no issue in standing one up if I deem that day has come.
For me, a website, which is simply a vehicle for advertising oneself, does not a business make. Rather, it must transcend that. It's effort, dedication, commitment, willingness to learn the craft, transparency, equity, honesty, relationships and reputation one makes for themselves in the marketplace, and the ultimate teller of truth, time
3) Yes. I do sell tubes out of my home. As countless other high-end audio professionals do the same, I make no apologies for that. Sadly (at least for me), for the most part, the days of the brick and mortar audio store have passed away.
Yet, it's that lack of overhead that allows me to sell tubes or whatever other product I choose at or below those who do so directly from China, while providing the assurance of dealing with a (familiar, accessible, and approachable) North American entity
4) Further, I do enjoy the transparency the Audiogon, Audio Asylum, and other high-end audio sites provide, which serve as my vehicle of advertisement for now. Inherent in that are the assurances provided to the buyer via the seller's actual (not something they themselves claim) reputation/feedback, protections extended by the site, and the overall buying process itself.
Of course, I believe this works both ways. By that I mean if the seller conducts themselves in the proper manner, they will potentially also reap dividends
5) Entities (manufacturers/representatives of both vacuum tubes and assembled kit alike) in China often inquire regarding my willingness to formally represent them in North America. To date, I have demurred.
Likewise, European (vacuum tube, raw parts [i.e. capacitors, transformers, loudspeaker drivers], and assembled kit alike) companies have also approached me about establishing a formal relationship. For the most part, I don't see the type of advantage I demand being able to provide to the end user/customer
Now, on to something far more important, Bud Fried passed away in 2005. He remains the model of something unfortunately no longer present in this business except in very rare instance. And on a personal level, I continue to miss him terribly...
