Why so many linn lp12s for sale

Dctom states: "The LP12 has had its day. I had a couple over a 20 year period. It does need regular attention which is not difficult if you know what to do.
IMO it is now outclassed by better designs."

Which tells me that Dctom hasn't recently heard a top shelf LP12. Plus, LP12's don't need "regular attention"- if they are set-up correctly in the first place.
I think what Moonglum said about the number sold holds a lot of truth as well.
IMHO, a top shelf LP12 is still highly competitive with the best out there.

$1500 will buy you a very nice sounding used LP12 with a valhala power supply, cirkus bearing and Ittok LVII tonearm. It will provide many years of vinyl enjoyment.

My gut tells me that if one goes about it right and has some DIY ability to make it right, Linn tables may still represent on of the better values out there.

If not, and support is needed at each point along the way, perhaps not as much compared to other current day options that come with good support. The support needed will also factor into the cost though.

IMHO, getting phono absolutely right to audiophile standards is NOT EASY, even for those with experience.

IF you have to rely on external support to do it, plan to pay for that support in that my experience has been that audio gear has never had high margins needed to provide extended amounts of free support and for vendors to still stay in business.

A little DIY goes a long way I would say, especially in the case of high end phono setups.

Ayre monoblocks featured NC machined-from-solid aluminium casework as did Dan D'Agostino's latest triumph - "The Momentum" pre-amp costing £32K(!) but the casework of those units is probably less relevant to their performance than a Keel is to a Linn and yet we never seemed to hear as many complaints? ;^)

Granted, they're not upgrades but they cost real money. It's all relative. To put the LP12 chassis in context an additional armboard for my TT (a small NC machined 2cm thick flat billet of aluminium) would set me back £600(!) With a top-of- the-line LP12 you also get a very good phono stage (probably worth £1-2K) making the overall cost cheaper than some competing "reference" tables. Not saying the ultimate LP12 is cheap or that I personally would buy one but it's important to maintain a sense of proportion?

Many of the reference "mega" tables are tipping the scales at over £30K. The top LP12 may or may not be in their league but it's a clear case of horses-for-courses?

The reason is obvious. Everybody wants to get the right one but need to sell his own first.