If you were to be a dealer, what lines would you like to carry and why?

[PeterA]

Would you also ban expensive cartridges from your shop? They share the same characteristics as "fancy" cables ...

Except cost. Cartridges don’t cost the same as a loom of cables or amps or speakers. Did you notice that I used the term “fancy” to describe my (five) cartridges? Nothing negative there.

I would have digital at many levels but only mid to upper level vinyl and try to have some of the same
software in both formats.

 

[PeterA]

Yes I saw some members pretend to be idealistic hobbyists when asked to comment on means of livelihood

Kedar I did not see those requests to comment on means of livelihood. I thought this was about what lines we would carry and why. Nothing about livelihood. Please show me where that was asked. And now we have the author of the thread suggesting he would have a dealership similar to the one I describe. No discussion of livelihood from him either, unless I missed what you caught.

No, I think this is more open ended. And the responses tell us the approach those participating in the thread would take. That is what makes it an interesting thread. The different approaches lead to further discussion. Ack's asking "Why" in the title is key.

 

[bonzo75]

When asked what I would do as a dealer, for me that means for livelihood. It assumes you are not doing your current day job and that's how you earn your living.

I did mention this is different if you are asking someone if they want to be a part time dealer to finance their own hobby. In which case there is no separate thread required, people will stock what they like as audiophile hobbyists, just try to buy it at dealer discount price, and in case some visitor offers to buy, make some margin else don't bother. In those situations they can also emphasise their own taste just like hobbyists do on this forum

 

[PeterA]

When asked what I would do as a dealer, for me that means for livelihood. It assumes you are not doing your current day job and that's how you earn your living.

I did mention this is different if you are asking someone if they want to be a part time dealer to finance their own hobby. In which case there is no separate thread required, people will stock what they like as audiophile hobbyists, just try to buy it at dealer discount price, and in case some visitor offers to buy, make some margin else don't bother. In those situations they can also emphasise their own taste just like hobbyists do on this forum

Kedar, lots of assumptions. I think rather than telling people what you think the thread asks, they should just answer the OP and we see where it goes. Ack himself responded after five pages, and his response is quite interesting.

You have chosen to answer the question from the point of view of making money. That is fine. But, Ack did not ask, "How would you run a financially successful dealership?", or "What gear would you sell to make money?" Or "If you were retired....?" You can surely answer those questions if you want. I like the open ended nature of the OP.

The problem, Kedar, is that you chose to answer one way, and you now tell people how they should answer too. Telling us that "some members pretend to be idealistic hobbyists when asked to comment on means of livelihood", is both insulting to those who chose to answer differently than you did, and it incorrectly assumes that this thread is only about how to make money.

 

[bonzo75]

Kedar, lots of assumptions. I think rather than telling people what you think the thread asks, they should just answer the OP and we see where it goes. Ack himself responded after five pages, and his response is quite interesting.

You have chosen to answer the question from the point of view of making money. That is fine. But, Ack did not ask, "How would you run a financially successful dealership?", or "What gear would you sell to make money?" Or "If you were retired....?" You can surely answer those questions if you want. I like the open ended nature of the OP.

Isn't the aim of a dealership to be financially successful? You might not achieve it, but If you buy gear without that aim, you are a hobbyist, in which case the question should be what gear would you own -no requirement to suffix by "as a dealer "

Peter, why would someone change from regular audiophile to a dealer if not to make money? Surely you could help out audiophiles with your status quo?

 

[spiritofmusic]

Ked, you know the one-man bands we're familiar with only survive because the female partner is sane enough to hold down a stable job?
The guys selling Liszts, Omegas and Animas never really sold near enough to easily pay the bills.

 

[PeterA]

Kedar, I know men and women who have started businesses for any number of reasons. Sometimes it is simply to pursue an interest, or get out of the house away from the spouse, or keep themselves busy. I know people who either inherited money, or married money, and they still start a business to do something they have always wanted to do. Making money, though nice, is not a requirement. We just read the OP from different points of view, and brought our own biases to it. Lets both just accept that.

 

[bonzo75]

Ked, you know the one-man bands we're familiar with only survive because the female partner is sane enough to hold down a stable job?
The guys selling Liszts, Omegas and Animas never really sold near enough to easily pay the bills.

Objective of starting their dealership and what they achieve financially are different things. Peter for sure is stocking things he wants to listen to at home as a hobbyist, and not expanding beyond that

 

[bonzo75]

Kedar, I know men and women who have started businesses for any number of reasons. Sometimes it is simply to pursue an interest, or get out of the house away from the spouse, or keep themselves busy. I know people who either inherited money, or married money, and they still start a business to do something they have always wanted to do. Making money, though nice, is not a requirement. We just read the OP from different points of view, and brought our own biases to it. Lets both just accept that.

Sure, those descriptions read as an hobbyist though.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Ked, you know the one-man bands we're familiar with only survive because the female partner is sane enough to hold down a stable job?
The guys selling Liszts, Omegas and Animas never really sold near enough to easily pay the bills.

Lol.

There was a dealer i did business with here in holland , i bought a 10 k wadia cd player of him ,a Graaf GM 200 etc .
Finally i wanted to sell the Graaf power amp , i didnt have the time do it , so i asked him to sell it for me in his shop.
He would get 10 - 15 % can t remember exactly .
After a couple of months i called and he said it was sold , he would transfer the money , this went on and on .
I heard from other people that he actually wasnt very trustworthy .
He thought he could pull it of with me i reckon .
Any way he was wrong i filled a courtcase in the end and he lost , he had to pay everything and then some

Took me 2 years of agony though

 

[PeterA]

Objective of starting their dealership and what they achieve financially are different things. Peter for sure is stocking things he wants to listen to at home as a hobbyist, and not expanding beyond that

Sure they are different, and we have answered the OP differently. But you are wrong about the second part. Did you see my comment about carrying many levels of digital gear? Do I have any digital at home? And I have not yet expanded on the brands I would carry. I may do that in future posts. It would not be only what I want to listen to at home as a hobbyist. You are full of assumptions today, Bonzo.

I am not trying to expand the hobby by listening to music in my home. I am answering a hypothetical question raised in the OP. You are adding all sorts of stuff not mentioned in the OP. More assumptions. Do you really just want to comment on how I responded to the OP? I would rather hear from more people about what they would do.

 

[bonzo75]

Sorry Peter, in my reply to Marc I was referring to another Peter.

 

[spiritofmusic]

...and not this Marc lol.

 

[sbnx]

I was given this advice as a youth -- "Never turn your hobby into a business". I think this is sound advice. It will turn your hobby into work and strip the enjoyment you get out of it. Also, you are emotionally attached to the stuff you are trying to sell thus inhibiting your ability to make good business decisions.

 

[andromedaaudio]

There are some who do a good job .
One of the main distributors here (wilson levinson ) etc, has a nice listening studio , good service etc .
I think its important to have a very slick listening room .
Take a car dealer for example if you are in the market for a new mercedes you go most likely to a professional looking large dealership with a great showroom etc .
If you are gonna spend the money anyway you might as well get some of your moneys worth .

 

[bonzo75]

I was given this advice as a youth -- "Never turn your hobby into a business". I think this is sound advice. It will turn your hobby into work and strip the enjoyment you get out of it. Also, you are emotionally attached to the stuff you are trying to sell thus inhibiting your ability to make good business decisions.

Exactly. Do one or the other.

 

[andromedaaudio]

After doing a project in holland and germany for the last month and a half .
I ve changed my dealer plans somewhat .
I ll probably locate the shop in Germany .
Most likely not so much rules and regulations as amsterdam/ brussels plus lots of rich people , Ruhr gebiet or something like that .
Still drive as fast as you can in a lot of places , in these corona times of restrictions everywhere, one needs to let steam of once in a while .
Plus i could put made in germany on it .
I could see that become a viable option HIFI DEUTSCHLAND

 

[gian60]

I will be courious in technical Brain SS amp

 

[andromedaaudio]

I will be courious in technical Brain SS amp

I thought you were happy with CH precision lately ??


The amp brands i would like to carry would depend on my show visit expiriences next year in munich .
To hear where the SOTA of high end is now, i ve never heard Technical Brain SS .

 

[gian60]

I am happy and never will change my CH

But the only SS brand i am courios to listen are Technical Brain,small Japanise brand.I had big and fantastic experience with Yamamura and Imai small tube company,i think TB is a small top company like them but SS instead tube,for this i am very courious