would this Deter you from buying used gear????

Engraving will NOT prevent resale to an individual buyer of stolen goods, but it will probably stop the out of town pawnshop routine. It may or may not keep you from being burglerized. The two issues are completely different. A thief may not have the time or the lighting to see the engraving until later. So he may not be able resell, but he's probably not going to return the item either. If caught in the process of escaping, then the engraving may tip the police off to the nature of the crime. Keeping the thief OUT of your property as long as possible is a better investment imho. In summary, engraving does not protect anything. I would not buy an engraved item either. What happens if an overzealous officer of the law draws the wrong conclusion upon close inspection ( that I purchased stolen stuff)?

Yes, imagine what it would look like after the item was sold 5 or 6 times. Why not just create a data base for the neighborhood watch? Regards, Kevin.

Inferior components would end up looking like the Stanley Cup.

This could be the beginning of a new and innovative grading scale. For example:

0 - 1 engravings = Stereophile category A+++.

2 - 3 engravings = Stereophile category A++.

3 - 4 engravings = Stereophile category A+.

5 - 6 engravings = Stereophile category A.

7 + engravings = White elephant. Save it for the next Christmas gift exchange at the office.

-IMO

To answer the question, yes it would be a negative to me buying it. I am not sure of the value of engraving anything with a serial number. Is the S/N not in itself a unique ID? My brother tells me he video tapes all of his valuables and gets a closeup of the S/N and model numbers. This seems like a good idea. I am not sure why I have not gotten around to it myself. My main concern in buying something engraved is the concern for how difficult it would be to sell it to someone else. When I received my new Oddessy Stratus amp, it had my name on a nameplate on the back. I kinda thought it was a nice personal touch. I had since sold it never even thinking about my name engraved on the back. The new owner never mentioned it. Us audio nuts are kinda freaky about tiny inaudible flaws. I am all for making a thieve's life more difficult, but I am not sure engraving personal info would do so. I much prefer the thought of a short barrel shotgun for uninvited guests.