Experiences buying used cartridges

Here's a question for those who are considering a used cartridge...how do you really know how many hours on that piece? Therefore, how much wear has the diamond incurred...because just a few playings of a worn diamond and your LP's are toast.

Fair push back from Ebm and Daveyf.

If you check my feedback, you'll see that I sold some used cartridges a while back on buyer's approval. No payment up front. At some point, trust comes into the picture.

I would just feel better with a new one.

Tried it only once. Bought a $2,000 LOMC used for $800. Advertised as < 50 hours, but it arrived with a seriously off-center cantilever. It seemed to me then and now that it would have taken much longer than 50 hours to do that.

Others have been luckier, obviously. In the end, you assess the risk vs. the reward (savings) and make your own choice.

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I've sold a couple of used cartridges here on the 'Gon. The cartridges were a couple of years old. I sold them because I just never played my turntable. Sold them for 50% of the cost of new. They probably had less than 25 hrs each on them. The cartridges sold pretty quickly on the strength of my sales feedback. However, I doubt if I'd ever buy a used cartridge.
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