Guidelines for buying used speakers (as in, are there any?)

I always avoid loudspeakers where the bass drivers have foam surrounds.  Those go bad as soon as 10 years of age.  Just don't go there.

Modern foams supposedly outlast the older ones. Its a bit of a head scratcher. Who’s to know exactly what speakers employ the "new surround" technology.

I have speakers that are 20 years old with foams that are still holding up. UV from sun and artificial light and the gassing of of carpet and other materials will play a role in there longevity.

Arro's are fine sounding speakers in an appropriate size room with good amplification while standing at an optimum distance from wall. I can see some people being able to live with there bass response. I preferred mine with a pair of subs. But I like to feel the bass as well as hear it.    

In the last year I acquired 4 sets of used Meadowlarks (Swifts, Kestrals, Ospreys, & Swallows) all from the original owners and all but the Swifts were purchased remotely and shipped.

All but the Kestrals are in fabulous shape and sound great.  The Kestrals had some dings but I knew that up front and they also sound great.

Since these speakers are all at least 10+ years old the only concern I had was most of the drivers are no longer available.  I've scoured the internet and found a number of unused replacement drivers.

For the money I paid, these are fantastic speakers! nuff

I would not buy used speakers unless:

A) I trusted the seller completely; or
B) I listened to them to my satisfaction.

I've done this, and I am now enjoying speakers that have changed my understanding of high-end audio. I would not have easily come to pay $35,000+ for the speakers someone else broke in for me and that set me back $9,900.

Biggest problem: shipping. FedEx has destroyed two pairs of speakers I shipped to buyers. They spend all of their time explaining why they did not have to pay for the damage they caused. 

You need to open the boxes immediately and complain the same day. The burden is on the buyer. Once I paid for all necessary repairs on a pair of B&W 803Ds.