2. misc-audio
  3. 1195509166

Be nice to nOobs

I'm fairly new to good audio, and very new to Audiogon. What a great site! I looked at all the goodies, and thought, "This is a great way to try different stuff, sell it if I don't like it, and really listen to a wide range of gear until I decide what I like."

My problem is this: I've made several offers at full price, but in most cases never even received a reply. Is this normal, or is it maybe because I don't have a track record at A-gon? I've sent follow-up e-mails asking if the stuff is still available . . . and again gotten no answer.

I welcome any advice on what I'm doing wrong or could do better. I'm a noOb, but I'm a serious buyer, and getting tired of feeling "like chopped livah".

Regards,
David
debitto
yoby
539 posts
 
David, again welcome. Try buying something on auction. This is how I did my first A'Gon transaction.
debitto OP
4 posts
 
Thank you, Yoby. I had thought that buying directly would be simpler and more straightforward, but given my experiences with that, I think I will look into the auctions as well.

Regards,

David
jimmy2615
436 posts
 
David,

I'm surprised - I've bought and sold many things on AGon and always had great communication with all. But playing devil's advocate, as a seller, sometimes you get 5-10 emails a day, and it takes time to respond to all of them if you are working or have other issues (then again, I believe you should not list an item if you are not willing to talk to people). I always do - at least a quick note to let them know someone else has already given an intent to buy, or something like that. The email from the buyer also is important - some potential buyers just send something like 'will you take X less than what it was listed for' or 'I am interested' and nothing else - as a seller it is nice to get a well written inquiry, much like you'd expect if you were talking in person. As a buyer, on only one occasion a seller gave me a terribly written response, and because of it I did not go any further with the transaction.
I think your experience is unusual - in my experience this forum is very professional and better suited to good transactions than most retailers (with the exception of good 'high-end salons'). We represent a very small precentage of the population, most of whom find the hobby odd. This forum and its users seem to 'stick together' in my experience.
debitto OP
4 posts
 
Hi Jimmy,

Thanks to some good information I received on this thread, I've taken to hitting the New Today items regularly, and I've gotten much better response on the one item I've inquired about. I think that some of the items I was asking about before were already sold, and the owner hadn't gotten around to listing them as such on A-gon.

This thread has helped me a lot, and reinforced the notion that it's better to be humble enough to acknowledge one's ignorance and ask for help than to stand on one's pride.

Warm regards to all,
David
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