Why do people advertise "pet free, smoke free environment" for audio gear?

My recently acquired Vandersteens made a great cat scratcher!

 

Why advertise pet/smoke/kid-free...?

Why inherit someone else's pestilence?

I've got plenty of my own.

 

When I grew up in the 60's, both my parents smoked, our house had lead paint and asbestsos siding, and we played JARTS. Guess what? I lived.

 

Me too. Wouldn't argue against that changes made since then to our environments or behaviors are often for the better however...!

 

If you had ever spent time in recording studios of the past where smoking was common-place you would not have to ask, the gear can literally turn yellow with nicotine residue. It can gunk up pan pots, internal circuits etc. Another example, if you've ever had to sing into a house mic at a club/bar you'd be amazed at the stench they exude, even just from folks who ducked out back for a smoke, you don't need to be in a "smoking friendly" club, if there are any left. Likewise with pets, the dander and fur can get into places you would not believe. It's not a derogatory statement toward pet owners/lovers, just a fact. Even if someone has a pet they may keep them out of the "audio room".

When it comes down to it it's really just "Full Disclosure".

 

A very good friend came to Florida last year to escape "SNOW" and stayed with us for about a month while he looked for a place to live. The unfortunate part was he brought his cat with him. My wife told him the cat wasn't a problem but it needed to stay in the bedroom. No roaming the house. We have 2 full coat Yorkies. The dogs are confined to the kitchen/dining area, the lanai, and the bedroom,(only at bedtime) One day I looked, and the cat was in the great room on the back of the sofa. My friend says: "Isn't that cute, he found a place to relax"...... to which I replied, "our dogs do NOT have the run of the house and neither does your cat.... IF I see him outside the bedroom, or anywhere near my equipment before you find living arrangements, I'll be using him to tease the alligators in the retention pond behind my house". It wasn't even 10 days later he owned a condo in the next county.
My Yorkies are a very big part of my life. The plus side is most terriers don't shed per se, it is mostly from breakage. And, they follow the rules..... they're not allowed to smoke while playing records.........

 

If you buy something from a heavy smoker you will know.

 

My grandparents had Jarts...played with them when we'd go over there in the late 80's. Don't know why they thought it'd be safe for 7 yr olds to be throwing missiles around, but we lived

I bet they'd be worth a bit now, but there long gone.

 

Nothing worse than smoking Yorkie.

 

Never tried it - does the high last?

 

All the cat owners I know are rude about their cats.

 

I quit 7 years ago cold turkey.
There is no actual "high" but there is a slight "buzz" especially with
extremely strong cigs. Oh yeah, plus serious addiction.

 

Bought a used fly tying book about ten years ago.
It's obvious that the original owner was a pipe smoker.
While the odor doesn't bother me that much it could bother
some folks especially if they're allergic to tobacco smoke.

 

My wife is pretty allergic to cats and most dogs, and she's not alone. Speakers especially, but any piece of kit really, coming from a cat-filled home very likely brings with it allergens. I'm not saying she'd die if I brought in such a piece, but if the seller is truthful it's helpful to know.

Others have posted about how smoke residue can be really hard to remove from speaker cabinets and especially drivers. And it's pretty easy to smell.

 

I think he was talking about smoking Yorkies

 

When I wanted to sell a pair of Acoustat 1+1 speakers to a used equipment dealer, the dealer insisted on my going to the considerable trouble of first removing the white sock that covers the speaker. What they were looking for was a sticky layer of yellow to brown deposits that would be the result of being in a room where someone smoked (the electrostatic charge on the panel would attract smoke). This deposit damages the speaker, acording to the store's expert buyer.

Recently, I saw a picture that a dealer took of the inside of an amp he took in on trade. It looked like the amp had been left outside in a snowstorm; it had a layer of cat hair more than one inch thick covering the entire insides of the amp. The owner's white cat loved to sleep on top of the warm amp.

 

One cat and three dogs in my house and I have never had any problem with my equipment. I could easily post my used gear as being pet free an no one would be able to tell otherwise. Pets have no impact on the quality and operation of stereo equipment with the exception of an unusual altercation that caused damage. That would be listed in the condition description of the item. To assume equipment is better or worse because it was in the proximity of a pet is foolishness.

Cigs are pretty gross and the coating of tar that covers anything in close proximity to a smoker represents a cosmetic issue that deserves consideration. That being said I will gladly take an MC275 that was owned by a smoker. I can figure out a way to make that work.

 

I might be concerned about smoking and its effect on speaker cones. But, given how old are most of the parts in my amp and linestage (new gear made from vintage parts), I am sure the stuff has been exposed to smoke and it is still good. As for pet damage, one should be able to see that on the gear, and if there is no obvious damage, I don't think the presence of pets is an issue either.

But, from the comments above, it is obvious that odors and allergies are an issue to some people. If someone trying to sell their gear can make the claim that it was kept in pet and smoking free environments, it is obviousl worthwhile to point that out because it means something to at least some prospective buyers. It only is a bad thing to include this information if that kind of information would offend the sensibilities of smokers and pet owners. So, I suppose the question to ask here is:

Are pet owners and smokers offended by the posting of such information and less likely to make a purchase if they see this in a posting?

 

I know... I make them go outside.

 

I think it is largely salesmanship from the person posting the add. You can certainly buy garbage from a person that doesn't smoke or have pets and you can get good stuff from a smoker. It is largely irrelevant, if it is in good or excellent condition, that is all that matters. An amp full of cat hair or speakers coated in resin is not in good or excellent condition. Now saying that all cat owners are rude about their cats is a bit offensive.

 

I have a used PS3 I use for SACDs and after being repaired by a heavy smoker, every time I turn it on I smell cigarette smoke as the fan kicks and and blows it out. A little less every time, but it persists after 6 months or so. It can be a problem.

 

Of all the vintage gear I have owned, I had gotten 2 or 3 receivers or amps that were from a smoker. The smell was there and could not be 100% eliminated. It permeates the circuit boards, components, etc. Hours of cleaning will help, but when it heats up the smell is there.

 

Funny thread. Look, my friends, it all depends on the rarity of the equipment that is up for sale along with its actual "working" and cosmetic condition. "Oh, I see you have a pair of MC 275s for sale, but I also see a cat in the window. And what is that thing dangling from your wife's mouth? Well, sir, you can stick those mint Quad speakers and MC 275 amps where the sun don't shine." Uh huh. I mean, a piece of gear would have to be REALLY stained or smell for me to care. If it looks and plays well, I can't worry about what animals the owner has or had, or whether he smoked IF it is something that I have been searching for. If it's common, ok, find the guy that played his equipment once a month in a clean room environment.

 

If gear stinks, it stinks, it ain't coming in my house.

And you will know if it stinks-esp from a heavy smoke filled environment.

Would I want to spend hours and hours taking the gear apart and trying to get rid of the stench?

My time is money too so that factors into any potential deal, no matter what the gear.

 

I am a musician and a vintage microphone collector. I snagged a really good deal on an old Electro Voice RE20. When it arrived, it smelled so bad from smoke, I couldn't even bring it in my house, so I left it in my garage. The only cure was to have it "re-foamed" (replace the internal foam). In the end, it wasn't such a great deal.