New vs Used when buying please share thoughts

Buying used audio equipment is a lot like buying a used car.
You can get a wonderful deal, or a lemon!
Buying used is a risk. A risk many feel comfortable with.
The most important part of buying used is to find sellers you can trust.
Personally, sellers who have too many sales in a short period, are not selling personal equipment, they are dealers in reality, if not openly so named. And I would avoid them.
The best sellers are selling equipment they have used, and are upgrading. It has not sat in a closet for five years, nor been just picked up at the local electronics bargain fair!
If the person you email is gruff, or annoyed by questions, I would pass on that seller too. Ask a stupid question already answered in the ad to feel out if they are jerks. I decent person WILL spend the time to answer your question! The ones who get nasty... pass.
Pay for decent shipping! FedEx 3 day is the best. Expensive but your gizmo will arrive safe. The worst are ground anything, FedEx, UPS, postal ground all suck. Find stuff that has the original box and manual! Usually the original owner will have these if they own a house. (Some folks do not have the room to save all the boxes, but if they are the original owner, I would go for it.
These ideas are specifically for the first time buyer used, and do not appy to seasoned used shoppers. (So don't crucify me 'goN'ers)
The reasons to buy used are to save money! perhaps to buy a great item that is no longer produced.
To buy new: warranty.
New OR used, the item could have problems, and so that part of the picture is not as important as it might seem. But avoid products that cannot be repaired, because no parts can be had, or because they are too expensive to repair (mid priced $400 used, CD players come to mind, too expensive to repair!, just toss and get a new one!)

My entire system, except for the rack, was constructed from Audiogon. When you can buy something at 45-60% less than retail with no tax, it is hard to argue with that. There is no doubt that there is risk involved. However, I would never have this system with this risk.

There is risk in sending a stranger a cashier's check.

There is risk in shipping heavy/delicate equipment, no matter which carrier you use.

There is risk that you can get carried away and overextend yourself with all the unbelievable buys.

That said, I personally think the risk is worth it. You can pretty much find anything you want here. Speakers are the most problematic. I would suggest purchasing a demo pair from a dealer through audiogon, so that you can have the full warranty. Ask the seller to take detailed photos of all the sides of the equipment out of the box and in the box in case you need to process a claim through the shipping company. If you purchase speakers that have good customer service, ask that they be shipped first to the factory for evaluation at your cost. Look for reputable sellers with good feedback, long-time members, and those that contribute to discussion. There are plenty of dealers online who have stores you can call. Make contact by email and phone so that you can get an idea of who you are dealing with, especially for the big-ticket items.

There are some really good seller here, who are very professional and reasonable. Sometimes unfortunate things out of anyone's hands do happen. Just remember to remain reasonable and try to work it out. Also, if you are the type that expects a piece of used equipment to look and smell like brand new, then you might be set up for disappointment (although almost all the things I bought were extremely well cared for).

Good luck,
Rob

I have been building a high-end system from money saved while in the Mid East for the Iraq war. Around 90 % has come off Audiogon--and I would say I built about a 35-50K system for a bit over 20K. Buying used is the only way to go if you cannot afford to upgrade as warranty nears or as a new model is introduced; with a price that would take some people's entire years income to buy! Most of my stuff is 2-5 years old and cost twice to three times what I would have paid new.

As for turntables, arms, cartridges IMHO should be bought new (too fragile to ship and could have been damaged or abused), for speakers they should be heard first, however if you can get some good advice from fellow Audiogoners, buying a set of used speakers is a good idea, but remeber to ask for pictures and consider the shipping costs. Also are there repairs available?

I buy all my cables and tweaks of Audiogon and so far I have not had to give any neg feedbacks and I feel that msot out there are honest. Any other inputs form Audiogoners!

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.