During a recent visit to my forty-something in-laws, who do not have a home audio system but who have two nice late-model cars, it occurred to me that the combined MSRP of my primary home audio system is greater than the value of my car. I thought it might be interesting to find out where forum members fall on this spectrum.
POLL: Is the combined MSRP of your primary home audio system greater than the value of your car?
(If in doubt about your car’s value, please use the online Edmunds calculator to determine “private party” resale value. If you have more than one car, please use your most valuable car.)
The Combined MSRP of My Primary Home Audio System is Greater than the Value of My Car.
My Car’s Value is Greater than the Combined MSRP of My Primary Home Audio System.
Given your stated bias against “these polls,” I do not see the point of trying to explain the rationale to you other than to say that I thought it might be interesting to find out whether peoples’ audio systems have an MSRP that is greater than the value of their cars. If we were to ask a hundred ordinary citizens at random, I think all or virtually all of them would respond that their cars are more valuable than the MSRP’s of their audio systems. I have a hunch that the results might be very different on this forum, so I started a poll on the topic.
Cost of my Hi fi is currently greater than the value of my car. So when I get a new car this summer that means a nice upgrade to the hi fi is in the future
This is the new are you an audiophile litmus test, right?
My cars will probably always be higher than my home audio system but I have a few cars and I like my cars like I like my system. Very nice. I have expensive taste. Home audio System will be about a third of my cars value.
Along the lines of Elk’s comment regarding MSRP for audio gear vs. depreciated value of car, if I look at MSRP vs. MSRP, it’s actually pretty close, using either my car or my wife’s. MSRP of audio gear vs. depreciated value of cars, audio gear is higher than either. Interestingly, the current estimated resale value is pretty close as well between my main system gear and my wife’s car, which is of course newer than mine…
Even new-RR v. new-RR, my system’s value is LOTS higher than that of my car.
And, lucky me, my wife does NOT want to hear about what anything costs. My annual ‘budget’ is my (net) IRA Minimum Required Distribution, proceeds of sold items, PayPal credit-line amount, etc. Another way I describe this limitation is by explaining that in my retirement (that started 20 years ago at age 54 years, 1-1/2 months), net worth is NOT the problem, cash flow is.
My wife is very generous and loving, and I get gifted often.
I like your budget approach. Pretty amusing how these things can work.
My rule is all toys come out of cash after savings, expenses, etc. If I cannot pay for a new motorcycle, audio gear, automobile, etc. with a check I cannot afford it.
It is a fair question, and I thought about using MSRP vs. MSRP before settling on stereo MSRP vs. car resale value.
As someone who typically leases new cars and returns them to the dealer at the end of the lease for a new leased vehicle, I am perhaps less focused on a car’s MSRP than someone who buys new cars.
More importantly, I think using a car’s MSRP could throw off the (already unscientific) poll results. To use an extreme example to make the point, let’s say someone’s primary vehicle is a 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350. Apparently, the MSRP of that car was $4,311 back in the day. However, the current resale value is somewhere in the range of $270,000 to $540,000.00. It would be silly (to use your word) for someone who drives a GT350 to have to answer that his $10K to $100K stereo has a higher MSRP than that of his car.
The poll we are discussing is an admittedly blunt measurement of whether people have more money tied up in their audio systems than their cars. (In hindsight, I could have posed the question as whether someone spent more on his car than he did on his stereo, but that question would effectively exclude car leasers such as myself.)
Let’s put it this way. In my case, the audiophilia nervosa has got so bad that I’ve even moved houses (actually from a flat to a larger house) for audio purposes. And the audio equipment purchase escalation continues to this day, while I haven’t got a new car basically since 2010 (!)
Yes, but determining the accurate current value of used stereo equipment is much more difficult than determining the current value of a used car (hence my use of stereo MSRP).
Based on multiple comments, above, as well as the active voter turnout so far (currently at 46 votes in four hours), I do not think it is a ‘silly’ poll.*
*-If you want to see a silly poll, try this:
POLL: Who is Your Preferred Write-in Candidate in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election?
Elk
Paul McGowan
Ted Smith
I am Not Eligible to Vote in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election
I am Undecided Currently
I Know Who I am Voting for, But it is None of Anyone’s Business
I am Eligible to Vote, but I am Among the 40%+/- of U.S. Adults Who Do Not Vote in Presidental Elections
Certainly doesn’t look new -more like ‘about to collapse’ and ‘vintage’ at this point haha.
Working in the football (soccer) business where everyone owns Maseratis, Beemers, Mercs, Aston Martins etc, me driving around in a somewhat neglected 2010 Honda has turned me into the laughing stock here
