Buying used or sight unseen speakers a bad idea?

I can mention one thing that has not been mentioned. There are knock offs of speakers recently that are being sold as new and authentic. This used to be a huge problem back in the late 70's / early 80's where people would sell them out of vans. Watch out right now for Harbeth knock offs. For more information visit their web site and read Alan Shaws information about it. Harbeth's are some of the most well reviewed and regarded speakers in the industry.

You might also find fake knock offs of Dynaudio, Sonus, Proac etc.

It is almost inevitable that you can't hear/audition speakers before buying them due to the continuing dirth of local good audio stores. The shows can help but require travel and audition under less than ideal circumstances. I have managed to buy just a few speakers that I didn't get a chance to hear but have bought some. Only a couple of those really dissappointed me.

I've purchased used speakers three times on this site. The first set was delivered freight across country and arrived without a problem. The second set I picked up, and they were just as described. The third set were shipped to me by a private courier and they arrived in excellent condition. They were like new, as described. Two sets were bought without an audition. I read a lot on these forums, and other sites, to make an informed decision.

Check their feedback to get a handle on whether you should purchase or not. Communication is the key. Ask a ton of questions if you feel you need to.

I haven't had any problems.

It's a risk but, as in my case, when you can buy a rare set of speakers, that would never show up locally, and were less than 10 years old, for a small fraction of the retail... it can be worth the risk.

Shipping is the problem. Just because they have cardboard boxes and styrofoam doesn't mean they're safe. If I were to ship large speakers again, I would spend the extra and crate them up. At least the edges.

Then again, I know people that are afraid to buy anything online if it isn't from Amazon.

Foam surrounds deteriorate with age. Rubber, not so much. Cabinets can get scratched and dented. Tweeters get blown from misuse. "Too old" is a fine line but be wary when the parts to repair them become obsolete. Of course, that's where the real deals are, especially when the manufacturer has gone out of business.