Should listings include the age of the item?


It looks like a lot of used items sell for 50% off list, but:

1) The age of the item is not included in the listing
2) The list price seems to be the current list price, not the price paid for the item

Let me know what you think. Would including the age make valuing on used equipment a little more accurate?
bigby
I prefer ads that list MSRP.

I think it is permissible to list *current* MSRP. In fact, I think it is most useful to the buyer, since what they would have to pay new -- today -- is a salient consideration in figuring what the used piece is worth to them. If the buyer is not a time traveler, MSRP at time of sale is of little interest, unless the buyer is worried about the seller making out too well, which seems to me irrelevant to the fairness of the price. (Would it matter to you if the seller got the piece as a gift, so the deal was "pure profit" for them? If so, why?)

As a buyer, I've tended shoot for 50-60% of current MSRP for a clean, desirable, piece of electronics, and find one can often do better than that for speakers (esp. those which are a PITA to ship). My sense is that the current market is pretty soft, and the buyer can often do better than my benchmark.

One wrinkle is that the supply chain for some products (eg, PS Audio, Gallo) wildly undercuts MSRP. Here, I guess the buyer should beware, and ascertain "street price" in calculating their offer.

John

Yeah, it would be nice to list the age. But if it's not listed, just ask. Easy, no?
Wolf,

Your answer is flippant. And I guess that Audiogon provides what could be termed a "flipitage" marketplace.
Most wolves are an endangered species, so being a flippant wolf isn't the wisest choice, lol.