Buying Used Speakers

I bought mine from a store that I'd been going to for decades with a strong reputation that given your s/n you probably know. The last pair of 2.4s they had were first sold months before I came in and found them, in the finish I wanted, no less.  Some high powered attorney with more money than time wanted the latest in speakers so I picked up his 3month old trade for less than half price. I think they wanted the space as home theater had become their main focus. I'm not a big believer in divine intervention, particularly in audio but this still seems pretty miraculous to me.

I have bought speakers and audio equipment from different people on the site .Sometimes things don't last,sometimes they do.Your buying used so beware.Also if possible pick up the speakers yourself...you can get to hear ,them and check them out ,first hand.When ever audio equipment is shipped it can get damaged. I worked in the old PO and saw first hand how packages are handled. I unload trucks.I also worked for UPS in the claims dept ,so i know about damaged equipment, first hand.

Every speaker I’ve purchased the past 35 years has been used. Never had a problem and purchased much more expensive speakers than my budget could afford because I bought them used. I didn’t have $10k, what they sold for new, but I had 3k, and the seller ended up taking my ESL’s for an $1800 credit, so $1200 out of pocket for a $10k ESL was a no brainer. But no ESL I know of lasts 50 years! You’re lucky to get 20 years out of an ESL.

And word to the wise: I’d only ship speakers via ground freight.  Shipped and secured on their own pallet. Will cost you a bit more than FedEx or UPS, but worth the peace of mind not being destroyed in transit!

I have repeatedly purchased used speakers in my life. The biggest was the first: a pair of Vandersteen’s then-TOTL, the Model 4. I bought them from a west coast seller via an intermediary firm that handled the money (kind of a broker, ensuring the deal was satisfactory to both parties and arranging return/refund if not). They were shipped to my house in upstate NY on a semi-trailer. It was quite a scene getting them off that trailer and down the 250 ft driveway. It was a perfect transaction ... I loved those speaker to pieces.

35+ years later I’ve purchased 4 or 5 big 2-ways for the home office. All transactions were flawless, including the most recent--a pair of Harbeth 30.1s purchased from the UK. I've never been burned.

So you could say I’m wide open to purchasing used speakers. But this is a case where there really is no substitute for Paypal’s Goods & Services payment mechanism. In the case of the Harbeths, had the deal gone wrong, I would’ve had 3 parties to back up my claim: Paypal, eBay, and the credit card company. I would never buy something costing $3K or more without multiple layers of protection.

And naturally, when I sell speakers, I accept G&S payments. There's no other way to safely do this.

Timing on this topic and the comments are very helpful.  I am in the market for a new set of speakers and definitely going the route of buying used.  Its a plus to hear some of the suggestions that I have thought of, but there are quite a few new iideas brought up that I have not considered.  I live in the S.E. and have no problem with driving my SUV on a journey that takes a day or so plus an overnight!  Make it a destination and enjoy some of the local food and drink.  I can reach GA, S.C., N.C., AL, & TN given these parameters.  I look for a seller that has solid feedback in the past few years and returns email inquiries in a timely fashion.  I don't overdo my questions and if the pictures are semi-professional along with a good narrative I move to the next step.  Will definitely inspect the speakers when I arrive on site and will only buy a set with the original packaging.