Qs about Grace F-9 U cartridge

You name six different cartridges, none of which is "bad", and ask whether the Grace will stand up to them in SQ.  I only know one person who may own all or most of the cartridges you already own, and that is Raul.  So maybe Raul can offer his opinion.  But even Raul can only offer an opinion based on his system and listening acumen, which is considerable.  In the end, you have to decide.  In my partially informed opinion, the Grace has a place in that group.

No, the Grace Ruby, even with the SS upgrade, is not my best cartridge.  It's probably my favorite MM, but I own two MI types and at least one LOMC type that I would rate ahead of it, but we're talking about lofty regions of excellence.  I really don't think in these terms.  The Ruby/SS is among the 6-7 cartridges that I use, while maybe 15 others sit in a drawer.

So, you've answered your own question.  If you're satisfied with the story that goes along with any used cartridge, then buy it.  Worst case scenario, if you're not happy, is you can change to a sapphire cantilever + LC stylus per the services of Soundsmith.  I did that with my OEM Grace Ruby, and I found it to be a major upgrade.

Never heard of the U version but it may not have been exported from Japan. Price is not the only criterion for what constitutes a good deal. In a used cartridge, condition is 99% of the deal, in my book. Does the seller have the original container, and does it read “9U”? That would prove it’s OEM and not a re-tip, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing either. Yes I’d expect a Shibata to outperform an E version, and yes these are great cartridges.