Corona impact on hi end audio

[NorthStar]

Corona impact on people who listen to audio, who sell audio for a living, who buy audio, the impact on their lives ... life & death. The audio gear and audio hi end shows they can wait for now, because without people alive to buy and sell it just doesn't matter anymore.

What's Best is to save lives, and then when all the storm is over we can start rebuild this beautiful high end audio world we love so much.

My opinion of course.

 

[Joe Whip]

We have cancelled all trips and social outings. We are still supporting our local restaurants via take out. i was planning on attending quite a few performances but will just be listening at home for the next couple of months. I hate looking at our holdings in the market. It will go back up over time. No need to lock in loses by selling, although in early February we did switch more to cash at the height of the market. Not buying anything at the moment.

 

[BlueFox]

I also switched a lot to cash. Kept some stock as selling it would have bought a big tax bill. Maybe paying tax would have been a better move.

 

[marty]

This is the time to sell all your hifi gear and invest into the markets to make money on the rise so that you can then sell and buy more expensive hifi

That's wishful thinking. It seems to me that the market for high end audio is dead and getting worse every day. I look at Audiogon regularly. Nothing is moving that is high end, and there are some darn good values out there. To begin, it's obvious to me that due to aging of the potential customer base for these products, the marketplace for these goods is shrinking almost daily and will continue to do so. Second, people in the relevant age-group to be potential customers are far more concerned with their retirement funds than new toys. Look around at the next big Audio show. As Harry Weisfeld put it recently, the customers he generally runs into now are on their second cardiac stent procedure. Sadly, it just isn't a pretty picture for high end audio now.

 

[Folsom]

That's wishful thinking. It seems to me that the market for high end audio is dead and getting worse every day. I look at Audiogon regularly. Nothing is moving that is high end, and there are some darn good values out there. To begin, it's obvious to me that due to aging of the potential customer base for these products, the marketplace for these goods is shrinking almost daily and will continue to do so. Second, people in the relevant age-group to be potential customers are far more concerned with their retirement funds than new toys. Look around at the next big Audio show. As Harry Weisfeld put it recently, the customers he generally runs into now are on their second cardiac stent procedure. Sadly, it just isn't a pretty picture for high end audio now.

I think what you mean is the used market isn't hot. The high end stuff does sell, just not used as much. I think there are trends and when a piece of gear isn't on one of them it gets no attention. To me I have seen more of an uptick in luxury spending. Right at this exact moment it's not but that won't last long.

 

[DaveC]

Most people I know are not buying non-essential items right now.

I suspect this will have a similar effect on high end audio as the 2008 market crash, and even worse if it lingers and things don't return to normal quickly.

I'm certainly looking into doing some other things I know how to do to make money right now. I've gotten a few orders and inquiries since the markets crashed but for the most part it's slowed way down.

 

[Folsom]

It's only true if people want to believe like you, Dave.

What could really happen? People will make a lot of money if they're smart. Then they'll buy more toys. I would be shocked if this lasts into the summer since the heat is going to basically destroy the spreading. (assuming we don't air condition everything when we know it helps it spread)