Comments about good buyers and sellers is true -- because a truism. But your question deserves better; it has to do with the wider environment, and whether there is some advantage for buyers. I have had this same question, and I started looking in December.
Here is what I’ve seen, scanning both local stores, online trading sites (US Audiomart, HiFi Shark), and online stores.
There are deals out there — but, right now, the market is stronger than I thought it would be. While there is uncertainty about the economy, many who buy audio gear have a lot of disposable monies, and they’re shut inside; the audio makers I am in touch with report very good business. But I do think they’re concerned about the longer term. A conversation about price is not unreasonable. 20% discount is not unreasonable.
Where to look? The suggestion about brick/mortar stores is a good one (not sure who your local ones are, but they’re worth talking to); some of these brick/mortar stores also sell online — I’ve seen good deals at places like Echo Hifi, Saturday Audio Exchange, Gig Harbor audio, Audio Alternative, Paragon Sight and Sound. Also, The Music Room (online only), is an excellent, excellent and safe source — with a trial period for used gear. Many sweet deals there.
You asked about tube preamps. I’ve just bought my first one, and I got a good deal with my local shop — it’s a Quicksilver, so there’s not much markup on it to begin with. I got the line stage non-remote version, and I think it’s an excellent value for the money, sale or not. There are others I came close to buying — Erhard audio’s Ella (small maker, no discount) Cary Audio (bigger) had some excellent sales and Audio by Van Alstine’s sale page is really worth looking at. I see Rogue Audio on sale in many places.
There are other very well respected tube preamps which I have never seen on sale anywhere and I rarely see them on used sites: Herron, deHavilland, Sachs, Atmas-phere, Aric Audio, Erhard, Supratek, Modwright, Blue Circle, VAC. Among these, within my budget for a preamp (about $2k, max), if I had not gone with Quicksilver, I probably would have looked hard at Aric, Erhard, Supratek — and maybe deHavilland (a bit more, if I recall).
What about the online trading forums, such as Ebay, US Audio Mart, Audiogon? I saw some very good deals arise on these sites, including gear by Quicksilver, VAC, and Jolida/Black Ice. Here, the wider environment factor affecting buyers and sellers can become prominent, as people decide (based on their own economic situation) that their $4000 preamp is worth letting go of for $2000 cash.
While I’ve not owned a lot of gear, I’ve learned a lot by shopping around, bookmarking sites, visiting everyday, and taking notes over the past four months. I created a folder with bookmarks that go directly to the sale/clearance pages and I’d scan them, putting notes into a separate table and searching forums for experienced judgments.
Good luck!
