Posted by GarMan [ 216.13.136.38 ] on February 18, 2005 at 16:17:55:
Just though I’d toss this out for discussion on the topic of DIY economics. For myself, there are various reasons why I’m a DIY’er. I enjoy the learning and building process, the pride of saying “I made that”, and of course, the economics aspect of it. I tend to select projects that compete with commercially available units that I would never be able to afford. There very little sense in trying to duplicate a set of speakers or an amp that I can purchase for $200 at BestBuy. Probably end up spending more than the $200. However, I strongly believe that $500 to $1000 in parts, plus a lot of labour, can net you an amp or speakers that compete with commercial units costing $2000 plus.
My friends think it’s pretty cool that I build my own and (not to toot my own horns) are impressed with my results. However, they often point out that DIY tends to have very low resale value, so brand name products are better investments.
Here’s my line of thinking. And comments are welcome. The $700 I spent in parts and material for my 3PI gave me a set of speakers that sound as good if not better than speakers I’ve heard in the $3000+ range. From what I’ve seen, audio equipment tends to lose 1/3 of their value in the resale market after a few years. Therefore, the use of these $3,000 speakers would cost me $1,000 over the course of 4 years (if I decide to resell). As for the 3PI, even if I can’t give it away (unlikely) and end up tossing it out into the trash, it’s still just $700 spent.
Thoughts?
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