Wow, everything posted for sale is ''light use''??

Schubert,
So far I kept Totem Forest speakers over 10 years.
Can't say anything about light use though.

I tend to believe most on this site keep their gear in good shape and these represent fair values used for the most part.

Of course always exceptions.

And sure, sellers always look to put the best spin on a product no matter what or where. Exaggeration is a fact of life, especially when there will be no evidence to the contrary.

Best to deal with those with a good reputation and history of being accurate and reliable whenever possible. I always ask lots of questions before buying used to help gauge. It has worked out pretty well. I have probably participated in a couple of dozen audio related transactions between here and ebay over the last 5 years or so. Only one bad experience on ebay, involving a deadbeat buyer, though that one was a couple of years back and helped tame my enthusiasm for ebay.

I guess as they say "you don't have to eat the whole egg to know it is rotten"

sell it and move on...

I'm sort of an audio hoarder. I have stuff sitting in the closet for years. Stuff like cartridges, amps, preamps. Even some of it in sealed (NOS) boxes. Some of it does only have a couple of hours, from trying it out. A lot of NOS spare tubes. The stuff I use every day is another story. High hours that are unmeasured. There are ads I've seen where the people must not be audio people. Auction resellers I'm guessing. The description they use just doesn't fit. Those ads make me curious at times. Ads for CD players that say low hours, but a tired (dim) fluorescent display says a lot there. The stuff here looks a lot better at times, than some Fleabay ads. Use your better judgment.
The ads with the high prices that just sit there are another one I can't figure out. I thought they want to sell something, but they won't adjust their prices into reality.

I have seen some beautiful, immaculate amps that I would like to have, esp the Japanese ones with the big meters, but when you click on 'research this item' they are sometimes as much as 25 years old. What are the major considerations in evaluating old equipment and what is considered a good price vs the original MSRP.