1. WHAT speakers? You never said.
2. Everything depreciates. And speakers at that price level are boutique, not appealing to very many consumers. Most people buying them are rich enough that they are NOT "stretching" their budgets to buy them, so they’ll buy new, sight unseen and likely they’ve never even heard them. They are buying them on some dealer’s recommendation. I recall the story on here of Elon Musk blowing the hell out of some speakers or amps because he didn’t have a clue. He was just wanting good sound for playing video games.
3. If you want to save $20K, spend a day and go see and hear them in person. Play them well with music you know at various volumes. Examine drivers, cabinets, smells, grilles, everything.
4. How will they be shipped to you? Buy the damned insurance and insure them for $100K, just in case.
5. Everyone has price ranges they are comfortable with. If you were considering $50K, but now have pauses because in 18 months they are only worth 60% of new, then I wouldn’t buy them.
6. Does depreciation really matter? If you bought them at $50K and kept them 10 years, what is the problem? Will these be your "end game" speakers?
7. I often see old 1980s and 1990s "vintage" speakers going on Reverb for MORE than they cost originally, factoring in inflation. People are dumb or too nostalgic if they cough up that money for something 30 years old with questionable crossover components.
8. OK, so you found ONE seller asking $30K for them. That doesn’t necessarily mean there are 20 people out there that would sell them so quickly for that amount. You don’t know the person’s reasons for selling them. Maybe their dog peed on the drivers. Or, maybe they are going through some tough times and need cash and are willing to take a hit to get that cash. Maybe there’s another "plaything" they want to buy more important to them than these speakers.
9. Life is short. Make a decision and go with it. Either way it isn’t the end of the world. Enjoy.
