Vandersteen 2CE Signature II: Is it worth the price of $2700? Why are so many for sale?

I did only see one pair of 2Ce Sig. for sale right now so actually vast majority of the people who bought them are holding on to them. I paid $450 for a pair of 2Ci speakers in excellent condition that I bought locally a few months ago and it’s by far the best money I’ve spent, on anything, period. I would actually not hesitate to buy another newer model if I see one come up for sale locally. They are a bit chunky so they may not fit everyone’s space/decor requirements but I really enjoy their clean, fluid, and most importantly non-fatiguing sound. I’d love to hear the new models just to see how much better they are in comparison to my “vintage” 2Cis.

Regarding the positioning, I personally don’t find them any more (or less) location sensitive as compared to most other speakers I’ve owned or currently own in other rooms/systems. Just like any other speaker, you need to put them a couple of feet away from the side walls and a foot or two from the back wall. Perhaps one exception is they sound better with no toe in and parallel with the back wall.
As for the $2700 price tag for a new pair, there are a lot of (other) great speakers out there in the $3K price range so I would definitely take the time to audition as many as possible before I commit to one brand/model. Ultimately, you may decide these are the best bang for the buck, or you may not.

"How do you know the age/series of the speaker."

Actually you can’t. I asked Richard about my 2Cis and his response was they don’t keep a record of the serial numbers and dates. He did however give me a rough approximate timeframe for mine. Maybe he does now for the newer models.