Discounts vs. Agon listings

I must sound vague or uncertain. I'm not, really. I'm wondering if I'm swayed more by the offer of a discount than by the actual discount. I think, "Gosh, what a nice gesture. That kind of customer service deserves my business." But then I can probably find twice the table at the same price in the for sale site. Makes value seem like a soap opera dilemma. (In all honesty, I think new is better, but my wallet often doesn't.)

Some good advice. Thank you.

Jaybo's point is valid--I'm certainly not looking for components for component's sake. However, over the years I've become more disatisfied by cd playback. A change has been in the works for some time. In preparation, I've read plenty and know turntable/record care is not simply press-and-play, which is a concern since the distributor in my case is an online merchant who will not be around to set up and fine tune a table. Again, I read a lot; I'm extremely focussed; and I'm handy. All seem to be necessary traits in record upkeep, so I'm not too worried.

I probably could go without, but circumstances fell in my favor without much direction: In a computer foul-up, the merchant misdelivered someone's 3K Scoutmaster (with my name on the shipping label!) to my house. An honest man, I called the merchant and let them in on their mistake. They were floored and grateful, so I guess they gave me a reward. In any case, there was a mysterious and tantalizing cube of cardboard sitting on my living room floor for a few days. It got me thinking.

Buying used doesn't bother me. 90% of my equipment, along with a house and car and lifestyle are used. But there is an I-can-find-better mindset that becomes more concrete the more used you buy.

Regards,
Walt

Jaybo: Again, sage advice. Well worth contemplation.

Lloydc: Your warnings are heeded; they are what I worry about.

Tiger: That's something I hadn't considered. I was surprised that initial setup performance bested any savings on new retail. Is setup something that can't be done by the layman, no matter how well read, patient or handy?

Thanks Don and others who subscribe to the dealer demo route--it sounds like a really smart alternative. I have doubts, however, about any dealer in my area agreeing to drive 40 miles into the sticks to set up a demo table for me. It doesn't hurt to ask I suppose, but I have doubts. I've read an encyclopedia's worth of information concerning the set up of turntables. To be frank, it doesn't appear that difficult, but after reading the posts to this thread, I obviously must be missing something major.

I've too many cds to replace digital. Many sound fantastic. Many, far too many, sound not so good. Dollars to doughnuts it's the same with analogue. (I remember somewhere in my past taping pennies to a tonearm to keep it from skating.) All the same, I'd like the opportunity to compare. The offer extended to me seemed an excellent way to get that opportunity, albeit on my own with the requisite fiddling and the subsequent headaches. Now I'm wondering if I was short-sighted and greedy, which is probably the right thing to wonder.