What price should I set my ad ?

Many of you might ask themselves how to calculate the right selling price for a second-hand speaker or a second-hand stereo receiver.
Unlike the car industry there is no "second-hand sales pitch".
Therefore, price is set by several factor such as: supply and demand, age of the material, Intensity of use, how and where the equipment where stored, rarity, high-end vs lower end products...
 
Please note that we have divided devices into 3 separate group: Analogue, Digital and Vintage.

Analogue devices

Analogue material value

Analogue material, which retains the sound signal in its uncoded form (understandable to the human ear), had its golden age in the 1970s. It consists of passive speakers, vinyl turntables, a lot of stereo preamps and stereo receiver, cables (RCA, XLR, speaker...).

Calculation of the selling price of your second-hand analogue material:

[NEW PRICE] - 40% (if sold during the 1st year)
[NEW PRICE] - 40% -10% (if sold during the 2nd year)
[NEW PRICE] - 40% -10% -10% (if sold during the 3rd year)
[NEW PRICE] - 40% -10% -10% -10% -10% -10% (if sold during the 4th year)
[NEW PRICE] - 40% -10% -10% -10% -10% -10% -10% -10% (if sold during the 5th year)
[NEW PRICE] - 40% -10% -10% -10% -10% -10% -10% -10% -5% (if sold during the 6th year)
[NEW PRICE] - 40% -10% -10% -10% -10% -10% -10% -10% -5% -5% (if sold in the 7th year)
[NEW PRICE] - 40% -10% -10% -10% -10% -10% -10% -10% -5% -5% -5% -5% -5% (if sold during the 8th year)
[NEW PRICE] - 40% -10% -10% -10% -10% -10% -10% -5% -5% -5% -5% -5% -5% -5% (if sold in the 9th year)
etc.

As shown graph, a device bought for €1000 can be resold 9 years later for approximatively €320.

 

Digital devices

Digital material value

 

Digital material, whose sound signal is encoded in binary systems (0 and 1), will have a much greater obsolescence due to the fact that it incorporates technology. These include active speakers, CD and DVD players, DACs, optical, coaxial and HDMI cables, etc.

As a result, rules for calculating the price are different. If we average what we found on AV-Market.com and round it up a bit, here's what that will give as a discount on a digital material 9 years after original purchase. As you can see, on this graph, a device bought for €1000 can be resold 9 years later for around €100.

Some manufacturers have tried to keep a record of their Hifi equipment, but this has never been kept and considered.

This rule is only a starting point for classic materials.
Time to time we witness that many years after original purchase, equipment is sold at a much higher price. Those case generally concern collectible and this concerns only a very small number of appliances.

 


"Vintage" devices

Equipment older than 25 years old are considered "Vintage". Those can carry a significant value, either because they are still performing well or because they offer an exceptional look that can no longer be found today. Some vintage devices are also highly sought after by collectors. In those case, we invite you to turn to others enthusiast who knowledge about vintage will allow you to value fairly your equipment.
We, nevertheless advise you to find several equipment similar to yours, in the same or close condition, to give you a clear idea of the price.
 
Also, be aware that more beautiful the pictures of your ad are, the more reassuring potential buyer will be, that could result in an increase of inquiry you will receive regarding the equipment you are selling.
 
Sell slightly cheaper if you're in a hurry!