How to choose a cartridge you can't hear on your system?

+1000 on Clearthinks post.
Chakster, if you enjoy an old cartridge that is more than likely destroying your vinyl, so be it. Cartridges are a wear item, plain and simple. Like Clearthinks stated, just one play can easily damage the groove if the cartridge is badly worn.
I am in the market for a new cartridge, I will not even consider anything that is not brand new...regardless of the price, or the seller’s reputation. The age and condition of the stylus and how it was treated is a huge factor, even barely used cartridges can be badly damaged by misuse and incorrect set-up. A vintage cartridge..dried up and with a worn stylus is just asking for trouble. Unless that is you have a small LP collection of little value and like to play DJ, then who cares-- LOL. All IMHO.

chakster tried many cartridges, both vintage and modern. Why do you argue with him before doing the same? This reminds me the thread regarding power cords. Go ahead and try. Before you do it your so-called opinion is just that, it's not an opinion yet. To put it another way - you have no necessary experience to qualify for the opinion.
But, as I mentioned before, to buy vintage cartridges you have to be an expert or have an expert friend or a professional. And yes, you may lose some money, but you may save more by making the right choice. In any case, to even consider $5k cartridge you also got to have a phono stage of two/three times the cost and absolutely reference level tomearm cable. Not to mention table/arm. Cartridge is not the most important element, most people have no idea of how a great MM can play, they just jump to $2k or more modern MC and plan on getting $5k one real soon. That's not audiophile approach.

inna:"chakster tried many cartridges, both vintage and modern. Why do you argue with him before doing the same? This reminds me the thread regarding power cords. Go ahead and try"

Maybe you should check your facts inna before espousing your fervent beliefs I have tried many many so-called vintage cartridges the difference is that I bought them new when they were new and still have a handful of them around I know what they sounded like then and I know what they sound like now most old cartridges are worn and dried out and if you bought used you don't know what you have. You say "you have no necessary experience to qualify for the opinion" and you do not know what you are talking about your just another of the religious believers in this group I'm so sorry to shatter your belief system.

Oh boy, such a wondeful arrogance that you can shatter anyone's belief. I don't belong to any camp when it comes to this. I am a tape man, I think that vinyl is inferior medium, regardless of what cartridge you use.

I don't know if @ddk is around. David has a flock of wonderful, rare old cartridges, some exotic, some simply older iterations of the well-worn Ortofon SPU. I don't know whether he does anything to refresh them--but suspect he wouldn't be doing anything that would damage his records or compromise performance.