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

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.

My standards/rules for purchasing used speakers are:

100% positive feedback ratings from the seller. 

"Local" seller where possible - although I've driven 250 miles to Massachusetts twice to pick up a pair of Ohm Walsh 2's and then a pair of Thiel CS3.5's...both worth the trip. I've driven to virtually all the boroughs in NY for others, including 3 different Maggies, Von Schweikert, Dynaudio, Totem...

Original owners. Unmodded in any way. 

In November of 2014 I picked up another pair of Thiel CS3.5's from an original owner in NJ. Now 30 years old they still sound wonderful. 

99.95 % of the members here truly care about their reputations like myself, so that rating truly matters. I have had one purchase go south here during the course of my tenure because the seller lists (and still does) one address yet ships from another - in a different state no less! 

A'gon members tend to take better care of their stuff in general, period. Buying here is a good course of action.