[imho]

Hello,

For those of you who are collectors or "wanna-be" collectors, I just wanted to let you know some of the recent incidents I have experienced in the past month or two.

As a newbie to Head-Fi and the world of PCDP collecting, I literally got 'hooked-on' PCDP collecting and paid a pretty severe price for it.

Anyway, here is MY story, I hope you learn something:

I have spent in excess of $2K and went from having just 3 PCDPs to over 30 PCDPs in just over a month period. I have been getting AT LEAST one, if not more, PCDPs per day and it has come to a point where I don't know which item is from whom. I ate in to my vacation money and savings and that bums me out.

I also experienced a VERY nasty deal with a guy who lives in the Czech Republic (e-bay I.D. Kristall-Kunst) who claims to be from Germany who TOTALLY screwed me over.

I had a few unpleasant experiences on Head-Fi as well, from people who caught up with the fact that I was a newbie and that I was willing to dish out the $$$. There are a few Head-Fiers who will either buy a PCDP from e-bay or other fellow Head-Fiers and then sell it off to unsuspecting, new Head-Fiers at a premium. I accidently came across this reading one of the threads here and reading the sales forum and feedback forum. For those of you who are not familiar, I do audits (yes, look for frauds and scams) for a living and therefore was able to cross reference the three separate forums to make the connection. Head-Fi is a VERY small protal compared to sites like Yahoo or Google, and it is NOT hard to get caught. I will watch and see what happens, but for now will not reveal any names <there are at LEAST 6 members that I am aware of who are playing this "buy-cheap-sell-expensive" to fellow Head-Fiers.> This is just wrong, immoral and dishonest...unlike what ONE member suggested, "what is wrong with making a few $$$ for going to all the trouble for buying and selling?" You be the judger, but when a seller buys an item and re-sells it at a 100-200% premium in less than a month, it's simply just not right.

To do it on e-bay is one thing, to take advantage of Head-Fi, is wrong. I consider Head-Fi to be a community, not a capitalist, money making scheme shop~ e-bay tends to fit this mold more often than not...
(*BEFORE you start dealing with other Head-Fiers, do TONS of research...not that hard to do; read postings, feedbacks, threads, go on e-bay...quite a few...to my dissapointment... are here to make $$$ and NOT interested in the wellfare of other Head-Fiers.)

All the sellers will say mint-condition, but unless the unit has NEVER been used or been out of the box (I got lucky with a D-777 <thanx again Jazzyone>and a D-T24 in that they were never used and in brand new condition), chances are the items are in worse condition than described and are USED... remember, these are not ANTIQUES, they are electronic "PORTABLE" players...with OLD technology.

I collect a lot of items and some (first-day issue stamps, sports memorabilia, limited edition collectibles) are GUARANTEED to appreciate in value...
I don't use my PCDPs, I just clean and wrap them up, so that they will stay in the same condition from the day I purchased them until the day I sell them...but I am not buying them to make money off them, if that was the case, I would be in real-estate and stocks...

However, I VERY much doubt a $25 ~ $150 item will increase in value significantly over time...whereas I have stuff that cost $5,000 couple of years ago, that I KNOW for a fact have increased significantly in value...

Anyway, getting back to PCDPs. The e-bay market seems to be drying up temporarily (have you seen the selections out there? Of course, I ONLY collect SONY's so...) and I have decided to stick to the current high end (D-NE20, D-NE10, D-NE900, D-NE920) brand new items.

I realized after making the purchases, A LOT of the so called "vintage" or "legendary" PCDPs were JUNK!
NONE of them come REMOTELY close to a full sized unit in sound quality and features. I prefer SACDs and maybe I can "dream" about portable SACDPs...

My point of this whole post is to forewarn the newbies who might get wrapped up in this whole "PCDP Collection" frenzie. There have been NUMEROUS threads related to this topic and I should have read it a few more times before I went on this mad shopping spree.
The thread that got me started:
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=153017
plus these
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...=vintage+pcdps
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=43218
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...gendary +PCDP
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...=vintage+pcdps

"A collection SHOULD be a collection"; in other words, a collection should consist of getting a rare item worth SOME value over a lengthy period of time. Most of my other collections have been over a period of 20+ years...

Any kind of hobby should NOT entail a sense of regret or guilt, which I am feeling right now.

So all the newbies who are considering joining the ranks of Carlflow, Pappucho, Insomniac, Filburt, Audiofiler, Warubozu, Purk...

(I) It is NOT a cheap hobby
(II) Prices WILL go up and down
(III) LUCK plays a key role (a non-head-fier who just wants to get RID of a PCDP will sell it to you for dirt cheap~ I got a D-EJ900 for $50)
(IV) There ARE mean people out there who are there to buy them cheap and sell it at a high premium to suckers like me (e-bay I.D.: chrisnh911)

and last but not least:

(V) DON'T GET SUCKED INTO THE HYPE~ but remember to have fun!

 

[dj_mocok]

On my thread a week or two ago I just mentioned I spotted a cheap D303 and D350 on eBay Australia. But since I wasn't gonna buy it, I just posted here on Headfi for someone who can appreciate it more than me.

I should've bought it and sold it to you at 200% price increase instead.

 

[Homeless]

Maybe it's none of my business considering I don't own a single PCDP let alone collect them, but I really don't think it's right that you're threatening to post the names of people who sold you a PCDP at a "premium". You payed for it. You said yourself that you do audits, and that you've researched the prices recently, well, I hate to come across as blunt, but maybe you should have done that before hand. You admitted compulsive spending, then want to point the finger at someone else...I just don't think it's right, but hey, like I said...maybe it's none of my business...

 

[imho]

I have posted this thread, because I have found out a lot of these information AFTER the facts.

I DON'T want anyone else to be taken advantage of...

I DON'T want my money back or want to return my purchases...

I did NOT post names because the guilty know who they are and I hope this thread will discourage those from doing this (price gauging) going forward.

I was able to spend that kind of money, but there are others here who just want ONE nice player and are saving up to get one.

I have seen quite a few threads regarding "scams" and "foul play" (BOTH buyers and sellers) here and it hurts me...(headphones, amps, etc.)
[size=medium]
So, if you are not going to say anything to deter people from scamming fellow head-fiers (A LOT of you work, WAY TOO HARD for your money and every dollar counts!!!), PLEASE stop the post trashing...I did NOT ask for useless 2 cents.[/size]

THANK YOU!

 

[pne]

imho, i told you to get a REAL source in one of your threads

now look at what you've done! you could have gotten one really awesome source instead of 30 old portable ones!

all in good humor of course.

 

[lumanogin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homeless Maybe it's none of my business considering I don't own a single PCDP let alone collect them, but I really don't think it's right that you're threatening to post the names of people who sold you a PCDP at a "premium". You payed for it. You said yourself that you do audits, and that you've researched the prices recently, well, I hate to come across as blunt, but maybe you should have done that before hand. You admitted compulsive spending, then want to point the finger at someone else...I just don't think it's right, but hey, like I said...maybe it's none of my business...

Sorry imho. I've got to agree with this guy to an extent. But like you said it was compulsive buying. Like an itch you need to scratch

I got scammed too recently, so did a few other head-fier's here, from the same guy. Realized it was my mistake in the end.

Anyway, hope you don't feel like you got ripped off from me and my D-34. And I've got a broken D-465 if you want it (for $30)

Kidding. stay away from them. Having two or three is already overboard to me.

 

[Homeless]

Sorry man but I don't see a lot of the responses in here going along the lines of helping others not to be "taken". If someone scammed you then I would understand a heads up, but no one scammed you. Prices are usually negotiable, and hey, everyone overpays for something, sometime.

You also opened a can of worms and went off topic already Quote:

Originally Posted by imho I am very disappointed about some of the topics that have been brought up in the "member's lounge" forum...I realized that I don't hang out with teenagers and do not belong in their conversations...

What does that have to do with anything? I don't really understand the point of the thread...sorry...

 

[Oistrakh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pne imho, i told you to get a REAL source in one of your threads now look at what you've done! you could have gotten one really awesome source instead of 30 old portable ones!

I agree on that one

 

[dhp]

heh, would you be interested in my D-111?

 

[imho]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oistrakh I agree on that one

A mistake I hope NOBODY else makes...

BUY "ONE" good unit and appreciate it...that is REALLY all that you need...

SURE...for free with S&H included...D-111 FYI is a piece of crap...I learned that LONG time ago, when I got it...eewwww

SERIOUSLY, if anybody REALLY "NEEDS" a PCDP and can't afford one, let me know... PM me and I will send you one I have or buy you one...Least I can do from this experience.

 

[Aman]

What the... ?

I'm sorry, but Head-Fi's severs are held in AMERICA, a place where you're free to get ripped off if you are, dare I say, stupid enough.

Many Head-Fiers state their opening prices much higher than they expect to get out of them, and then decrease the dollar value by a small amount every day or two. This is so that potential buyers watch the thread and then act once they immediately see the price that they wish to pay. These kinds of people are selling because they've simply lost interest in the product, and wish to regain some of their losses.

Other Head-Fiers, like me, sell gear because we simply do not have enough room in our living spaces to keep everything. Living in a two-room apartment in the east village, I price my gear lower than it should be so that I can get a quick and easy sale. I really can't have more than one amp without being extremely cluttered, after all!

"Buyer beware" is all I can say to you - and, in addition, that you maybe should stop throwing your money away on all these ridiculous "collections" you have and maybe start spending your money on something more useful, where you won't feel as idiotic if you happen to overpay for something. But for something as useless as a portable CD player, getting "ripped off" must suck for you, since you had no desire to even use it! You could have gotten a real source and at least helped pay some factory worker's salary. You lose SO MUCH credibility within your original post, man...

 

[dhp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by imho A mistake I hope NOBODY else makes... BUY "ONE" good unit and appreciate it...that is REALLY all that you need... SURE...for free with S&H included...D-111 FYI is a piece of crap...I learned that LONG time ago, when I got it...eewwww SERIOUSLY, if anybody REALLY "NEEDS" a PCDP and can't afford one, let me know... PM me and I will send you one I have or buy you one...Least I can do from this experience.

D-111 isn't bad for ~free, which is what I paid for it

 

[imho]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aman "Buyer beware" is all I can say to you - and, in addition, that you maybe should stop throwing your money away on all these ridiculous "collections" you have and maybe start spending your money on something more useful, where you won't feel as idiotic if you happen to overpay for something. But for something as useless as a portable CD player, getting "ripped off" must suck for you, since you had no desire to even use it! You could have gotten a real source and at least helped pay some factory worker's salary. You lose SO MUCH credibility within your original post, man...

Why is it ALWAYS the buyer beware? I have seen sellers get scammed here too. And read my previous posts. I am willing to buy or give someone a PCDP if they need one. I don't want OTHERS to get taken advantage off. I don't consider my collections ridiculous and although they might not be "liquid", they are considered assets. I still have savings, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estates...(By the way, when I work, I work 15 hour days, 7 days a week, and I work VERY hard, want my bosses number?) FYI, a lot of times the moeny you make from hard work IS allowed to be spent on rewarding yourself.

I don't mind the over paying as much as people taking ADVANTAGE of other people. I give enough at church every Sunday, to charities, do community service and volunteer work. I make and receive a lot, but more importantly, I try not to forget to give back...

Any OTHER advice you want to give me?

 

[Homeless]

well apparently I was ignored by imho after getting a "nice pm" from him, thanks for the chance to respond to it by the way

If on the off chance you can see this, seriously...I'm not trolling or trying to argue with you. I posted on topic and you didn't like what I had to say, but obviously I'm not the only one who feels that way. Did you want sympathy from everyone? I wish I had $2500 to spend on material items, but I don't...you should be happy that you apparently do.

 

[spaceconvoy]

Here's what I read - "whine whine whine I paid too much for something, I can't control my spending habits, people are taking advantage of my gullibility, life's not fair whine whine". Your rightious anger is totally inappropriate in this situation. Please stop calling it a "scam" because you haven't been scammed in the slightest bit. Buying something in one place where that item has a low value and selling in a market that appreciates its full value is essentially the job of every merchant/middle man. How exactly is this wrong? Was the item not as described, fake, broken, or didn't arrive? Why does this require a whole thread with large red text? Get over yourself.