I just realized: my main system is completely b-stock/open box/used / promotion

[MeloManiac]

This morning, at six o'clock, while listening to Springsteen's Born to Run on vinyl - that's why I put 'maniac' after 'Melo' in my name here - I realized something: every single item in my main system is either  b-stock, open box, promotion or used.

Kings of it all are, of course, my 1972 Heresy speakers. But then the CS300 (used), my Pro-Ject turntable (retails at +400 euro, I bought it closed box at reduced price for 180 euro), iFi Zen Phono (open box, retail €189 (vs €124 I paid), Marantz CD5005 (€250 vs open box €160), and my latest purchase, a Beyerdynamic headphone DT990 Pro (€139 vs 124).

Every piece here, I really wanted, and I purchased it after doing a lot of research (or getting advice here on the Klipsch forum). After putting the order, I find it exciting to wait for delivery, and I must say I've never been disappointed. Every item I purchased like that was always in excellent order. Even when the description says 'minor signs of use', they are just fine. 

It makes me wonder why the original buyer sent it back. What did he or she not like about it? The headphone is 250 ohm, and does not work well with smartphones (volume is low), so I can imagine that explains why I got to choose from eight (!) b-stock items of that headphone in one and the same shop. Another explanation would be that people order multiple brands of piece of gear, test them and then only keep the one they like the best for their system. I've never done this myself, I guess I'm getting old...

 

Anyhow, great opportunities are out there for music lovers on a budget and shopkeepers should know that selling b-stock of good quality (and keeping up a reliable evaluation system to grade their b-stock) in the long run will be rewarding because they build on good reputation, and it is good for the environment.

 

Note: I was shocked to learn that Amazon UK was dumping returned goods in landfills (after shredding them), rather than re-selling them as open-box. In the UK alone, there are 27 of these dumping facilities. Their explanation was that it was often cheaper than processing returned goods and trying to sell them again. Also,  a marketseller at Amazon, apparently, must pay Amazon for shelf-space quite a lot, and often, the seller therefore will ask Amazon the destroy returned goods. After huge upset over this in the press, Amazon has now promissed no longer to do this, are at least, to re-evaluate this practice.

 

[wuzzzer]

Of the 17 items listed in my signature, three were purchased new by me:  my TV, UHD player and The One.  Everything else was used or open box. 

[parlophone1]

Well, most of the gear I bought was on discount, not B-stock.

With a few exceptions that I payed full price 🙂

For example, my Beyers DT990Pro (250 ohm) were regular item on a local retailer shelf. Since it was sitting there for a long time, the shop decided to lower the price.

I usually seek such opportunities locally, where I ca try the item I am interested in. I don't have the nerve for shipping back and all the fuss. 

[MeloManiac]

2 hours ago, parlophone1 said:

opportunities locally

I should be doing this more, but living in a rural small town, there isn't much gear available here. 

[mustang_flht]

Hi,

 

I have both new and used :

 

- Turtable Teac TN550 : new in 2016 / box sealed by factory

- Cartridge AT VM740ML : new in 2019 / box sealed by factory

- CDs TASCAM CD200-SB : new in 2020 / box sealed by factory

- DAB+ / Spotify / FM / Net Radio ... Majority Fitzwilliam : new in 2019 / box sealed by factory

- Preamplifier McIntosh C504 : used in 1999

- Amplifier CARY SLi50 : equipment on display in store in 1998

- Amplifier PAS audio 2002PCA : new in 2021 / box sealed by factory

- Klipsch Cornwall CWIII : new in 2016 > Purchased in Germany, Unopened boxes, sealed by the Hope factory

- BeyerDynamic DT990 : new in 2020 / box sealed by factory

 

For the most part, even if they were closed by the factory I took advantage of good promotions and reduced prices: for example the Tascam CD200-SB cost around 420 € in Europe, I bought mine at 347 € delivered my house.

The new, closed AT VM740ML cartridge: price in store when purchasing 329 € paid in promotion less than 250 € delivered to me.

Ditto for the Klipsch Cornwall III, at the time in 2016 cost around 5000 € the pair, then a few months after my purchase 6000 € here in Europe, I found mine delivered to my door for 3020 € the new pair and sealed by Hope factory, they still had the protective film from the official German importer: OSIRIS AUDIO AG.

 

On the other hand I agreed to pay the normal price of 589 € for my new PAS audio 2002PCA amplifier, because there is only one seller in Europe and anyway the HiFi amps are equivalent in sound quality and power are worth 2, 3 or even 4 times its price, so even at full price it's a good deal.

 

[Schu]

they sell B stock Lebens?

[MeloManiac]

49 minutes ago, Schu said:

they sell B stock Lebens?

Used