Buying Used Equipment on the Internet

Do your due diligence and you will be fine. My last buyer was very reluctant to send money via friends or family or bank transfer. I spoke to him as many as 5 times before he felt comfortable sending money. My last four sale transactions were all over $10K and all of them were either using friends n family or bank transfer. Communications is the key in cash equivalent or any transactions, you can easily pick up red flags in conversing with your buyers or sellers. 

Wow. Great advice here. I've been buying and selling gear for 40 years and most of my system I bought used or on closeout. Here's a few points that I didn't see mentioned above.

1. Buying used gear and/or gear that is considerably less than full retail takes a lot of time. If you enjoy doing it it's a fun part of the hobby. If you don't enjoy it then it will be tedious and worrisome.

2. If you are looking for a particular piece of gear you can use HIfi Shark to search for everything used for sale at that time. You can also put an alert on eBay that lets you know when that particular piece of gear gets listed. Also, do a Google search for the item with the words "for sale."

3. eBay will let you search for sold items so you can see the price they actually sold for. There is also a way to do this on Audiogon but I haven't used it.

4. If you are interested in a particular piece of gear keep an eye out for the manufacturer introducing a new model. You can sometimes get new gear at a used price. I bought a PS Audio transport and DAC at a 63% discount ($4k each marked down to $1.5K each) when they introduced their new models. I also just bought a new Marantz KI Ruby SACD player for $3k (had been $4k) on closeout. This strategy goes back to late 90's when I bought my Krell KSA 300S amp for about half price (dealer demo) when Krell introduced its new FPB line (I still have this amp).

5. I estimate that I must have bought over 50 pieces of used or closeout gear over the years. Out of that total I think I've received a total of 4 or 5 pieces that were damaged or not accurately represented in the ad. All of the problems have been on eBay. I've never bought on Agon but I've never had a problem with anything I bought on US AudioMart. If it happens to you stay calm and attempt to work out an acceptable solution with the seller. This forum is a good resource for advice if you are having a problem resolving the issue.

Good luck and happy listening!

I've bought a lot of used equipment on ebay and only one bad experience. The seller just put the amp in a box without padding.... you know what happened. When you buy used equipment make sure you have a good tech near you because they will go bad much quicker than new. There was good advice from some above about checking the seller's rating and don't buy from someone who has their first posting (although I've done it and it worked out well). Now my best advice..... buy new!

save for overtly hacked accounts, substantial amounts of positive seller feedback on sites like audiogon or audiomart is very important... it speaks to the person doing the trading, their character, their level of attentiveness and care

then, to be totally sure, ask to speak to the person, get comfortable, if you still have some lingering doubts

ultimately, for buying all used, valuable items, it is important to get a good feel for the seller/prior owner, understand what kind of people they are

all this said, buying used gear is just well suited for some people -- for this minority of folks, dealers or direct sales is readily available

I'm looking back at years and years of buying "vintage" on line -- both tube and SS.. Sometimes I've received very defective equipment listed as "Works Fine". Sometimes I've received very stupidly packed equipment, broken (think McIntosh glass and loose vacuum tubes for starters)-- and wondered whether any thought went into the packing process. The feeling of receiving a dented box that rattles and clinks is painful and angering -- not a happy way to have a hobby. 

By the time I get the stuff repaired (transporting, waiting, PAYING), I've spent a good deal of money and time, and endured no small amount of agony. AND, "virgin" vintage equipment will about always benefit repair/restoration -- caps and tubes -- to name two candidates. More money and more time.

I've pretty much decided to buy vintage in post-repair condition from local shops or well-reviewed eStores (see below). But more than that, I come to think that new gear will be more convenient, more capable, and cost less when completely accounted. New tends to be reasonably auditionable.

If a person really wants to buy vintage on line, I'd agree that TMR is a reasonable starting point, as is Audio Classics, along with a number of the NY shops/salons and one or two in California.