Why are "low hours" a consideration?

Marty,
Reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw in organic, Eugene, Oygun.
Old, rusty, smoking, noisy, beat up Datsun stopped for me as I crossed the street. It was so dirty and smokey, I had to take a second look as it went down the street. Underneath the dirt, on what must have been a bumper, I could barely make out a bumper sticker: "My other car is a piece of shit, too!"

"Mint"
"Low hours"
"Barely used"

It's all good...

Oregon,
I saw this bumper sticker on the back of a pickup when I was driving thru Montana: "Don't like my driving? Call 1-800-EAT-SHIT". It passed me and I was doing 80 and the driver was an old lady.

Low hours: Puffery
Pet free: Some people have severe allergies.
Near mint: Beside a piece of candy?
Barely used: Listened to in the nude.
Divorce forces sale: Spent more on my cables than my wifes
watch.

Oopsie daisy - I should have said the life is approx 1,000 hours...

Advertising 'jingoism': Low hours, Like new, just bought and changed my mind.. Or, the truth: Just found at a rummage for $20, yours for $1,400. I think it was in a flood, but I hosed off the mud and it looks pretty good for $20. and.. I bought it used two years ago, I been using the cart since then about five hours a day.. but it still sounds good, and I think you could get a few hours out of it with only some LP damage.. at 1/2 list it is a steal.
When the truth can be altered with a simple keyboard, it pays to be wary.
I do not buy enough stuff to worry about all the hype. When I find what I was looking for, Usually I just buy it because the last time one was for sale was two years ago. I do not worry about the marketing stuff.
If you feel the need to get only the perfect deal.. (brand new, at 75% off retail, with free hand delivery.) well.. you have my sympathies!

I definitely can appreciate this thread, but you all know that we are going to continue to buy and sell on Audiogon, despite the sales rhetoric. As Elizabeth said, "be wary", but also be informed. I would think it's safe to say that everyone on this thread meets that criteria!