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View Full Version : If Krell equipment is so good, then why does so much of it on eBay remain unsold?



Neil McCauley
01-07-2008, 07:46
If Krell equipment is so good, then why does so much of it on eBay remain unsold?

If you look at the worldwide eBay sales of Krell during the past few weeks, and put a minimum value of £200 (to exclude brochures, spares and so on) in the search filters, you’ll find today that 33 items were listed during the period and failed to sell i.e. 60.6% failed to reach their asking price.

Check here: http://completed.shop.ebay.co.uk/items/?_nkw=krell&_in_kw=1&_ex_kw=&_sacat=293&LH_Complete=1&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo=200&_udhi=&_samilow=&_samihi=&_sadis=200&_fpos=&LH_SubLocation=1&fsradio2=%26LH_PrefLoc%3D1&_sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&_salic=3&_saact=3&LH_SALE_CURRENCY=0

Is it because (a) post 1990 Krell equipment is not perceived as sonically attractive as their classics on which their reputation was built i.e. KSA-50, KSA-100 and KMA-100 or (b) that Krell sellers are unrealistic about how others value this gear?

To set this into some sort of perspective, I’ve just carried out the same exercise with PS Audio equipment and Bel Canto equipment using the same parameters i.e. over £200 and worldwide.

5 Bel Canto items were advertised and 4 remained unsold. A ‘failure rate’ of 80%.

Check here: http://completed.shop.ebay.co.uk/items/?_nkw=bel+canto&_in_kw=1&_ex_kw=&_sacat=293&LH_Complete=1&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo=200&_udhi=&_samilow=&_samihi=&_sadis=200&_fpos=&LH_SubLocation=1&fsradio2=%26LH_PrefLoc%3D1&_sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&_salic=3&_saact=3&LH_SALE_CURRENCY=0

In contrast re PS Audio, 13 items were advertised and 6 were unsold. A ‘failure rate’ of 46.1%

Check here: http://completed.shop.ebay.co.uk/items/?_nkw=PS+Audio&_in_kw=1&_ex_kw=&_sacat=293&LH_Complete=1&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo=200&_udhi=&_samilow=&_samihi=&_sadis=200&_fpos=&LH_SubLocation=1&fsradio2=%26LH_PrefLoc%3D1&_sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&_salic=3&_saact=3&LH_SALE_CURRENCY=0

As we are examining ratios here, the quantity of items for sale would, at face value, appear to be irrelevant. But is it? Is their some correlation between the failure rate (i.e. items that remain unsold) at the quantity of items for sale of that brand during a similar period?

My guess, and currently it only is a guess, is that owners of specific brands do, depending on one’s perspective, either have inflated / unrealistic views of a non-brand potential owner’s perception of the brand and/or the model -– whereas as others (PS Audio in this instance) are far more realistic about brand and market values?

Observations are invited. Thank you.


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Sand Dancin Donkey Walker
01-07-2008, 09:12
Hi Howard
I think you have it about right there, with the idea that some Krell and other brand owners have an over inflated idea of the worth of their gear. I have owned an FPB200 in the past and would certainly have no problem with owning another. Maybe if the original owner is selling an amp, and considering the high original and highly optimistic cost of Krell etc. They ask a high second user price which is just a touch to high?? Also remember some individuales want to sell at very high values and buy at the very cheap values, and don't seem to want to offer stuff at more realistic prices where they may just sell better.

Andy - SDDW

tfarney
01-07-2008, 17:56
As we are examining ratios here, the quantity of items for sale would, at face value, appear to be irrelevant. But is it? Is their some correlation between the failure rate (i.e. items that remain unsold) at the quantity of items for sale of that brand during a similar period?

Sure. This is simple economics. If the supply in a given period goes up and the demand does not, either prices will drop to drive up the demand or product will go unsold. I suppose the rest is just human nature. We have a tendency to be unrealistic about the value of our own stuff -- especially if we are brand loyalists. I suspect Krell has a few of those among their owners.

Tim

Filterlab
03-07-2008, 19:36
Hi Howard
I think you have it about right there, with the idea that some Krell and other brand owners have an over inflated idea of the worth of their gear.

Bang on the nail, some of the asking and starting prices are astronomical. I bet they'd sell for loads if people were actually allowed to bid on it rather than having an opening bid of £3,000 or something equally as daft. High starting prices (as eBay quite rightly put in their text) put people off and most won't even watch the auction. However, pop a McIntosh amplifier with a £1 start and no reserve and far more punters will watch and potentially bid, and bidding leads to outbidding which leads to sniping. :)

sastusbulbas
06-07-2008, 21:43
I think these figures may also be caused by the amount of sellers with little or no feedback and the amount of fraudulent Krell listings which appear, I am sure about 90 percent of unsold Krell items on eBay have the same pictures and text :lol:

Though eBay listings can often be less ridiculous than many of the second hand Krell items which appear in the dealers adverts of magazines.

Filterlab
09-07-2008, 21:07
Yeah, Krell do seem to have their unfair share of fraudulent auctions, I guess it's a name a lot of folk know to be of high value equipment.

jandl100
12-07-2008, 11:20
Bang on the nail, some of the asking and starting prices are astronomical.

Nope, I have to disagree with the principle of starting auctions at a very low price. IME all too often kit fails to make it to a realistic price (and, no, I don't think I'm over-inflating actual worth).

These days my eBay auctions always start at the genuine minimum I would accept for the item. I can just imagine a somewhat unusual valve amp (or whatever) selling for 99p! You do have to remember that most UK hifi buyers are a pretty conservative bunch, and if you are selling things away from the mainstream (like I often do, as I like unusual kit) you may get very few bids. I'd rather someone didn't get a "bargain" at my expense!

Filterlab
12-07-2008, 11:39
True, I suppose it's to do with confidence in what you sell and if it's mainstream enough to be recognised by the bidding masses. I started my MartinLogans at £1 and they ended at £1250 ish which was £250 more than I'd anticipated. But when I sold the passive I was careful with the opening bid as I didn't want it to go for nothing.