Thread: The vagaries of buying/selling used gear

Most of us have probably bought/sold used hifi gear in our day, these are some of the common questions. Feel free to add to the list...

Question: why are you selling this? (amp, speaker, DAC, turntable, etc)
Answer: I moved to a smaller place otherwise id never sell it.
The truth: I can't get rid of this POS fast enough its horrible and hard to believe it received positive reviews.

Q: What's the rest of the system like that you have this connected to?
A: Oh, I have Wilson speakers, Pass amps, etc...
TT: '70s vintage mid-fi crap...truth is I can't afford this stuff nor do I know what a hi-end system should sound like.

Q: How many hours does the cartridge have on it?
A: about 250
TT: How the hell would I know I'm probably the 3rd owner but there's still a stylus on it!

Q: How much life (or time) is left on the output tubes?
A: (see phono cartridge scenario above)

Q: You say its almost 8/10 condition, can you explain what the corrosion is from based on your description?
A: It was my father's he stored it in a basement, but hardly ever used it. the spots aren't really noticeable.
TT: I bought this at an estate sale, it probably spent most of its life as a jack stand under a '65 impala.

Q: Has the unit ever been worked on or modified?
A: Oh no, it's completely stock.
TT: I tried to 'improve it' with better caps, connectors and internal wiring when I realized I made a few mistakes, shorted out the amp and it had to go back to the manufacturer to be restored.

Q: Are you the original owner?
A: No I'm the second owner.
TT: pff...I couldn't tell you. the shipping box has more than 4 address labels partially peeled off of it. I'm probably the 5th or 6th owner for all I know.

Q: I'm interested in your XYZ speakers but heard they have spotty support in the US, is that true?
A: They have a distributor/Rep in the US but I never had a problem with the speakers, they sound great!
TT: I just found out the manufacturer went out of business, I better sell these now or they'll be worthless boat anchors in a few months.

Q: do the amp's transformers hum or make any noise?
A: I'm not sure what you're asking me, it reproduces music I never noticed any hum.
TT: This amp has hummed like a mother' since day one, if the buyer complains I'll blame his house wiring.

Q: you say its close to mint or 9/10 from a non smoker and kid-free home?
A: Yup
TT: do pets count as kids? my cats sleep on them all day long, I live next to the turnpike and leave my windows open. regular dusting? that's for anal people. i'll blow the soot out with a can of air they'll never know the difference.

Q: Are you interested in any trades? I have a Sansui receiver, Hafler amp (needs work) and a collectible pair of Advent speakers towards your amp.
A: Sorry, I'm not considering trades at the moment.
TT: Are you f'n kidding me?! I'm trying to sell a $10,000 Audio Research amp, what makes you think i'd be interested in your dreck?

Q: How will they be packed if you don't have the factory boxes?
A: I'm an expert at shipping, it will be double boxed for maximum protection.
TT: I'll drive around the back of the supermarket after work and grab a few discarded produce boxes. Whats the difference, cardboard is cardboard.

Q: I 'm very interested in your XYZ cables, how do they compare sound-wise with ABC cables?
A: Oh, the XYZ's are way better, you wont be disappointed.
TT: What sort of asinine question is that? He doesn't even know what my tastes are or the sound of my system. This guy needs to get a life.

I stumbled onto this disclaimer by a seller on Audiomart I thought was too funny...

"This piece is drug-and disease-free. No pets, no smoking, no children anywhere near this amp. Occasionally a non-smoking child might have been in the same room, but never with a pet. Even visiting pets were never allowed to smoke, and definitely not upstairs, maybe in the basement with the Sonos."

we've all been there, and seen some outrageous comments to sell gear,