robinbarbour...
I just checked those 3.7's on eBay per your suggestion and would have to admit that the cosmetic imperfections wouldn't truly irk me any if I were in the market. I would bid lower because of them however.
There's a pair of 3.5's on here listed as "mint" with the photos showing a dimpled tweeter - hardly worthy of the mint claim and, at $750, a tad higher than what similar condition 3.5's go for. Because of their relatively small size - for Thiel - 3.5's seem to suffer more cabinet imperfections than 3.6 and above, which is understandable. A pair of Klipsch CF-3's that I bought 24 years ago sported a couple of living room paint spatters and a number of cabinet scratches from various furniture rearrangements and whatnot.
I am curious as hell as to how those 3.7's sound but, alas, without a chance to hear them in person...sheesh. Then again, I have yet had an opportunity to audition a Thiel prior to purchasing, and have yet to be disappointed. Lucky me!
Perhaps the most surprising thing about this thread is the fact that almost all of the participants have purchased Thiel used - and still sing high praises. I consider myself very fortunate to have discovered this thread, equally fortunate to have gotten sober advice from the likes of jafant, unsound, nkonor, and many others.
As jafant related in a previous post, I too, remember vividly when I hooked my 2.2's ( ! ) up and was amazed before I made it back to my chair. Then came the 2.3's, two pairs of 3.5's, and now the 3.6's. Unless a pair of 3.7's come up locally and the financial stars align for me, my 3.6's are, until then, my favorite. It just doesn't get better than this.
Cheers to Jim!