New vs Used when buying please share thoughts

I agree with the other guys..Audiogon has alot of really nice and honest audiophiles selling gear.Regardless if it's new or used. I personally only buy from someone who excepts paypal.No matter how good the product looks.If I can't go and pick it up.. paypal is my only payment option.I am also more comfortable buying from someone with at least a little feedback.But everyone has to start some where so I can give the benefit of the doubt if I talk to them on the phone.If their unwilling to give a contact number I won't bother.
My biggest gripe is communication..if the seller has poor communication I pass them by.

Good information in the above posts about doing whatever you can to get to know the seller, preferably through asking a few questions in person.

One thing I'd like to amplify upon is the risk of shipping. I've had very good luck in finding wonderful equipment here from buyers who are honest and helpful but two of the last three items I've bought have arrived damaged because of inadequate packing.

It's important to have the original box available but that's just the start. Many original boxes were designed only to hold the gear while stacked on a palatte with other boxes, not to withstand the handling while being shipped individually. That's particularly true of some equipment that might be considered consumer-grade but even some very high-end gear comes from the manufacturer in packing that clearly was just an after-thought.

Rigid foam, styrofoam or equivalent, just doesn't work if that's the only protection the gear has. The first jolt crushes the foam and the second one damages the gear. Using a combination of resiliant material and rigid foam seems to help a lot and double boxing is good insurance.

It may be difficult to negotiate with the seller over the quality of the packing but it's worth paying attention to. Insurance is important but settling a claim satisfactorily is difficult, sometimes impossible, and it's very disappointing to find a deal on a piece of equipment you really want and then open the box to find it damaged.

This shouldn't discourage you from buying used, I've bought lots of stuff and highly recommend the process, but this is just part of the diligence in making sure you have a good experience.

come on guys! you can't keep hyping the used market or nobody is gonna be buying the new stuff!!!!
hahah!

You know, some of us live in very rural areas and don't even have a real opportunity to buy new. I've been buying and selling used through audiogon for a while. You get to know what kind of people you're dealing with usually after an e-mail or two. Some are serious and some are tire-kickers asking extra questions that are either already addressed in the ads or available on product websites. I've begun to have dealings internationally. Some great people in Europe. It's not a bad thing to have a blend of both new and used. As one other person said they don't keep long enough for a warranty to matter, but return policies are easier locally. Most A'goners set fair prices on their used equipment but still negotiate a bit. Then there are those, who no matter how low the price is, still offer ridiculously lower amounts. Funny how many of these items bought for next to nothing end up back for sale at twice the price paid. It's annoying and the reason you'll see some of the "don't jerk me around" specifics in some ads. I've been pretty lucky in my dealings with buyers/sellers on Audiogon, with only a very few items arriving at just a bit less than advertised ( some things suprisingly say "demo") but still acceptable. I find most fair and honest because we have multiple dealings and can't afford bad feedback. Best of luck.

OK, Geoff, I'll take the bait! If, as you say, you are new to the hi fi world, then buying used could be a long process involving a lot of trial and error and likely disappointment. My advice to my friends just starting out has always been to go to a good dealer or two that you can trust (I can recommend some in the NY tri-state and even Philadelphia areas, I'm sure others here can do the same in other towns), listen to a number of systems and buy a system that you've heard and sounds best to you. Remember that great equipment doesn't always sound its best without synergy with the rest of the system--hearing an entire system at a dealer's is a way to get around that problem. Your listening room will be a variable you can't control, but a good dealer can help you around that as well in making your choices. Then live with the system a while, find out what your tastes and biases are in the equipment and music you listen to. If ultimately you have something you'd like to change, then use the resources here, if your dealer can't help. Audiogon is a great place to get information and buy and sell equipment, but when you're starting out only you can tell yourself what sounds good to you, and not much used equipment here provides for an in-home audition before buying. My $.02.