I don’t think most folks are equipped to evaluate the condition of a stylus, regardless of the type of microscope they have. (I have a bunch of usb ones, and the vintage Shure stylus scope, which is cool in its own right as a period artifact). Me, I can get a lot of mileage from a good cartridge if I am careful, I inspect the cartridge almost after every side, try to avoid any sort of damage in cleaning (largely dry brushing at this point) and am obviously sensitive to the performance of the thing: if it mistracks, distorts, or is audibly obvious misperforming, you may be beyond the point where it needs to be replaced or ’fixed.’ Are your records damaged? Probably not, but don’t push it. Address the cartridge if there is any question.
I think the biggest fallacy for audiophiles is the gradual reduction in sound quality that you get used to, so a fresh iteration is a revelation. I’ve seen this a few times.
I liken this to a fresh pair of sneakers. (Get what I mean?) Vinyl is not for the faint of heart. You gotta stay on it.