NOS Shure V15 type III cartridge opinions

Ralf it’s no penalty for trying existing one first
The way original needle sounds is unbeatable by any aftermarket .
In room conditions without usage it will stay just fine for century...
the suspension of most vintage needles is visible with pocket microscope for jeweler

The needle will last forever, but the suspension on any Shure I've ever had never made it more than two years whether I used it or not.

If the cantilever appears to be fine, but won't hold the cartridge up when set up with the correct tracking force, this is a sign that the suspension has perished. OTOH, sometimes when it perishes it simply gets hard; at that point the cartridge sounds 'tinny'. Out of desperation when I had a cartridge do that, I put a tiny drop of brake fluid into the suspension area and let it sit with the cartridge pointed up for about a week. After that it played much better for about 6 months. Then it became really obvious that I simply had to replace the needle assembly.

Consensus seems to be that the suspension for the stylus may be suspect after all this time.

For something this old you can count on it, and its not something you can see with a microscope. We're not talking about the stylus- the suspension is at the other end of the cantilever.

I would get the stylus replaced before taking it seriously! IOW if you like it now, it gets better :)