IWC Doppel
pfm Member
Do Central Audio allow home Dems of secondhand kit ?
This would make things quite attractive
This would make things quite attractive
Dealers v Ebay
- Thread starter Central Audio
- Start date
sq225917
Bit of this, bit of that
Goods for sale second hand generally have two prices. What a dealer would get for it, and what joe public would get for the same item, which is typically less.
Tony (Central) makes his business from buying at below market price and then selling at a greater price to someone who wants the kit, it's all about knowing whats coming to market and getting it before it is made available for sale. I'm sure most of Tony's gear comes from people upgrading, they buy better gear from him and trade is older gear.
I think it's a fallacy that dealers would offer more than market attainable rate for gear. Sure we all have seen stuff go on ebay for peanuts, badly advertised, photographed, described and sold at the wrong time, these are the exception not the rule. Tony's margin has to come from somewhere and that somewhere is lower sale price to vendor and higher purchase price to next buyer- there is no free lunch here.
That said I've bought three of last five items from Tony and have been pleased with both price and service each time. (SO he must get some suckers selling stuff).. ;-)
Tony (Central) makes his business from buying at below market price and then selling at a greater price to someone who wants the kit, it's all about knowing whats coming to market and getting it before it is made available for sale. I'm sure most of Tony's gear comes from people upgrading, they buy better gear from him and trade is older gear.
I think it's a fallacy that dealers would offer more than market attainable rate for gear. Sure we all have seen stuff go on ebay for peanuts, badly advertised, photographed, described and sold at the wrong time, these are the exception not the rule. Tony's margin has to come from somewhere and that somewhere is lower sale price to vendor and higher purchase price to next buyer- there is no free lunch here.
That said I've bought three of last five items from Tony and have been pleased with both price and service each time. (SO he must get some suckers selling stuff).. ;-)
Central Audio
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Cereal Killer
432
Never buy off ebay, or blind from any S/H dealer. Ones person idea of 'mint' is not always anothers... I've made both these mistakes in the past and is the reason i buy new/x-dem.
If S/H is the only option go there, see it, dem it and decide.
If S/H is the only option go there, see it, dem it and decide.
Cereal Killer
432
Think i should name and shame them actually - Choice HI-FI, are the worst - STAY AWAY.
I don't like Ebay. I've had to deal with no end of idiots, as a result I sell here and get the price right, and I can talk to the buyer beforehand so everyone's happy. I've sold on here and had the stuff sold on again at a profit, if someone wants to do that then that's fine. I'd use a dealer if I wanted to get rid quick or if I had a pile of stuff to move. He'll make a living, that's what he's there for, and in exchange I get rid of the old stuff and get to cherry pick the rest of his stock. All fair and reasonable.
As for Central Audio, I'll give you a warning. It's all his fault. He sold me my first bit of serious hifi, a rather well used and scruffy LP12 with Notts Analogue arm at a knock down price back in 1997. I got it running and cleaned up, used it for a couple of years and sold it less arm. The arm's still in use on my Garrard 401, going great guns, and I now have a great pile of hifi in the lounge and elsewhere making great music. If I hadn't turned up that LP12 I's still be happy with my Rega 2 and a couple of hundred quid's worth of Japanese integrated and I wouldn't trip over ESL57s in the lounge. That's all the fault of Tony at CA. The git.
As for Central Audio, I'll give you a warning. It's all his fault. He sold me my first bit of serious hifi, a rather well used and scruffy LP12 with Notts Analogue arm at a knock down price back in 1997. I got it running and cleaned up, used it for a couple of years and sold it less arm. The arm's still in use on my Garrard 401, going great guns, and I now have a great pile of hifi in the lounge and elsewhere making great music. If I hadn't turned up that LP12 I's still be happy with my Rega 2 and a couple of hundred quid's worth of Japanese integrated and I wouldn't trip over ESL57s in the lounge. That's all the fault of Tony at CA. The git.
positive_energy
pfm Member
I have bought and sold on ebay for years. But I dont use PayPal. It is a load of pain. Avoid it. I use bank transfer payment for all my transactions, it is cheap and secure. I would buy from dealers if they did not collectively act like the mafia. I am always surprised when UK sellers won't ship to the rest of the EU - its just a different address on the box for christ sake. Most of the loonies are in the UK anyway looking at the news....
Central Audio
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there's two thoughts to lob in here :
On the one hand, dealers (unless they are hobbists and don't trade much) have to add VAT - that's another £175 per £1000 amplifier, quite a considerable jump! People tradeing on Ebay may not qualify...or may hope the tax man hasn't noticed...
Balanced against that - Prices on Ebay (and sometimes reflected on here) have risen to totally insane levels for some makes - £2k for a pair of 20 year old 135's?!? You could pick them up for comfortably under a grand a few years ago... and as said, you could get lucky on a 300, or just buy something new for that price!
On the one hand, dealers (unless they are hobbists and don't trade much) have to add VAT - that's another £175 per £1000 amplifier, quite a considerable jump! People tradeing on Ebay may not qualify...or may hope the tax man hasn't noticed...
Balanced against that - Prices on Ebay (and sometimes reflected on here) have risen to totally insane levels for some makes - £2k for a pair of 20 year old 135's?!? You could pick them up for comfortably under a grand a few years ago... and as said, you could get lucky on a 300, or just buy something new for that price!
Central Audio
Trade Central Audio
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positive_energy
pfm Member
The world is full of good and bad people. Discriminating against someone because they belong to one group or another is not a very effective way of protecting yourself. Common sense and simple precautions apply wherever you buy. The rest is just marketing hype.
I have bought all my hifi gear off ebay without any problems whatsoever
and if I were selling hifi equipment, I would sell it on ebay .... there are a few tricks to selling on ebay ... you need to do your research and see what those items sell for, and you need to advertise properly (such as using ebay pulse to see what are the major keywords to use in your title)
so, if your item is correctly priced and correctly advertised, you will sell it very quickly
BTW, my wife sells fulltime on ebay and has sold in excess of 6000 tems (mainly antiques/collectables)
and if I were selling hifi equipment, I would sell it on ebay .... there are a few tricks to selling on ebay ... you need to do your research and see what those items sell for, and you need to advertise properly (such as using ebay pulse to see what are the major keywords to use in your title)
so, if your item is correctly priced and correctly advertised, you will sell it very quickly
BTW, my wife sells fulltime on ebay and has sold in excess of 6000 tems (mainly antiques/collectables)
IWC Doppel
pfm Member
So what do you get for a price premium then ?
YNWOAN
100% Analogue
Yes, I am entirely in support of dealers. However, buying and selling second hand is entirely different to buying new from a dealer; I certainly don't think people should waste dealers time by getting a free demo and then buying off eBay.
Spike
pfm Member
"So what do you get for a price premium then ?"
You get an excellent service from a top guy. Tony's prices are not over the top. I bought an almost brand new Klimax Kontrol from him a few years ago at well below eBay and Linn dealer prices, he also provided me a brand new Arcam Solo Movie at the best price I could find in the UK with the full Arcam guarantee. I did not dem these at any dealer so did not waste there time.
You get an excellent service from a top guy. Tony's prices are not over the top. I bought an almost brand new Klimax Kontrol from him a few years ago at well below eBay and Linn dealer prices, he also provided me a brand new Arcam Solo Movie at the best price I could find in the UK with the full Arcam guarantee. I did not dem these at any dealer so did not waste there time.
Spike
pfm Member
"Yes, I am entirely in support of dealers. However, buying and selling second hand is entirely different to buying new from a dealer; I certainly don't think people should waste dealers time by getting a free demo and then buying off eBay."
So how many items in your current set up have you bought from a dealer?
So how many items in your current set up have you bought from a dealer?
YNWOAN
100% Analogue
All of them, those that can be bought from a dealer any way (as I was one once). There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying second hand - but there is in using a dealers facilities and then spending your money elsewhere (I have never done that).
dont see what a service has to do with it .... if I buy a component for my hifi, I hope that I don't need to call back with any problems ....
to me it all boils down to price and dealers selling on ebay don't have the same overheads as a dealer with premesis on the high street, so it is cheaper on ebay(including new items)
IMHO, dealers who dont sell on ebay or similar sites are destined to doom ... people dont care about friendly service anymore, it's all about price .... even Tesco's will be selling shortly on ebay
to me it all boils down to price and dealers selling on ebay don't have the same overheads as a dealer with premesis on the high street, so it is cheaper on ebay(including new items)
IMHO, dealers who dont sell on ebay or similar sites are destined to doom ... people dont care about friendly service anymore, it's all about price .... even Tesco's will be selling shortly on ebay
Spike
pfm Member
"All of them (as I was one once). There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying second hand - but there is in using a dealers facilities and then spending your money elsewhere (I have never done that)."
I can completely agree with this. I have never had a demo at a dealer and bought second hand. I have had a demo at one dealer and bought the same item from another dealer because the first dealer was pants. This has happened on three occasions off the top of my head in the last 25 years, a couple of times in London and once in York.
I can completely agree with this. I have never had a demo at a dealer and bought second hand. I have had a demo at one dealer and bought the same item from another dealer because the first dealer was pants. This has happened on three occasions off the top of my head in the last 25 years, a couple of times in London and once in York.