@helomech That really resonates with me. The dealer I'm considering has a hifi store and deals almost 50/50 between new and used sales. His feedback is plenty and at 100%. Still, it's definitely wise to verify exactly what you're describing and better yet to travel to the store to verify in person if possible. Like you're saying, I wouldn't be able to afford what I want new but could in the used market.
The other element is to verify his past sales. Are they high end items similar to what I'm considering? I can't tell you the number of times I went to verify a seller only to find the high rating was based on selling nickel/dime items. It's also good to see how cooperative they are in doing up front things like taking your calls, taking more photos, entertaining a visit to audition, etc.