Second Hand Audio: Part 2
Getting a bigger boom for your buck!
Where to purchase second hand audio
There are many places where you can pick up second hand car audio gear, some of these include Cash Converters, Loot, Trademe, Canze, the list goes on. But how do you know which places are safe and reliable? How do you know your not going to get ripped off?
Trademe is probably the safest place to purchase from. This is because it has a feedback feature that allows you to see how reliable a trader is. Whenever a member buys or sells an item on Trademe the person who traded with that member leaves either positive or negative feedback. Therefore you can see for yourself and decide whether or not to buy from them.
Although Canze doesn’t have the Feedback feature, you can ask other users about a members selling manners. Usually in a ‘community’ such as forums, people get to know each other fairly well and can trust each other.
You should be safe when buying from Cash Converters, as you exchange your cash for goods on the spot. Be wary of Cashies though, occasionally they may receive stolen goods but may not realize it.
The Loot and Trade & Exchange are probably the most riskiest to buy from out of the mentioned places. There is no feedback feature and no facility to ask others about a seller. Instead you have to ring the seller and arrange the payment and delivery. Remember to follow the advice included in part one and if every thing turns out as expected then you should be safe.
Personal Experience
I have brought several items 2nd hand for my new install. Including an Alpine head unit, Focal front speakers, 2 Alpine amps and a pair of Audiocontrol Eqs. I brought them off Trademe, Canze and from my old tutor.
With the head unit, I saw an ad on Canze and rung up, negotiated a good price and proceeded to buy it. I didn’t however see any photos, or the product itself. I asked about its condition and the seller said there are a few small scratches on the face but nothing major. I received it several days later and noticed that there weren’t any scratches, it was more that the writing on the face had rubbed off a little. I was happy with the deal, the head unit works perfectly.
I found on Trademe someone selling two Alpine amps and a sub. They were advertised as ‘brand new’ and I saw photos of them on the site. The amps would be ideal for my system so asked the seller if he would sell them separately and for how much, he replied that he would sell both for $700. The RRP on these is $700 each (off the Alpine price list). I thought that since they were ‘brand new’ $700 is a fair price for both. I purchased and received them. As advertised they were literally brand new, they weren’t even out of the plastic. Again I was happy with my purchase.
The Focal speakers and Audiocontrol Eqs I purchased from my old tutor. I hooked them all up on a test bench and tested them, they all worked fine and they were in good condition. Both of these products are of high quality and brand new would be worth over $1800. Instead I got them for a fraction of that price which I was very pleased with.
If you want to ask someone about purchasing car audio, or anything else, we recommend you visit and join the Canze forums. The Canze forums are the largest online group of car audio enthusiasts and competitors in New Zealand.
Selling second hand audio
If you decide to sell your beloved audio gear, how do you know what price to sell it at? There are a few things to take into consideration, things like: how old is the product, what condition is it in, does it still work, does it come with all the accessories.
Now taking those factors into account you can decide on a price, my best advice here would be to ask yourself, ‘what’s the most I would honestly pay for this 2nd hand?’ and go from there. You may find at a later stage that you have to lower your price if no one shows any interest.
You can also put ‘ono’ (Or Near Offer) after your price and people might then offer you an amount, if you’re not happy with the suggested price you don’t have to sell.
The best place to sell car audio gear would be a source that is viewed by heaps of people, like the Newspaper, Loot, Trade & Exchange.
Other places include Trademe, Canze or other car audio sites. This is where your main target audience will be as you are advertising product that is specific to the people that view these sites. On these sites you can also provide a lot more info about your product than in a newspaper add. Buyers at these locations know quality car audio and will pay top dollar for top equipment.
Things to include in an ad are RMS power ratings, as PEAK ratings don’t really mean anything, RMS ratings are the only ones that matter. You should include a photo if possible so people can see the condition your product is in.
A web-link to a review on your product can also be helpful, that way people can read about it and decide whether it will satisfy their needs or not.
If you are unsure of a product’s suitability or quality the best thing to do is ask someone who knows. The most recommended place to do this is on the Canze forums or your local car audio shop.
Related Websites
