I am frankly shocked at people's responses. I am in this hobby to listen to music, not to trade gear. I have bought all of mine used, mostly from brick and mortar stores (a few pieces off the local equivalent of ebay) and I think I have built a respectable system for what happens to have been a substantial discount to retail price. However, if trafficking in used audio equipment were to become illegal, while I would likely not have the same equipment, even it meant "paying full retail", I'd build myself a decent system - though I would probably choose to do so by buying direct from manufacturers (and a number of people who have said "no" on this thread have previously recommended (at least in my admittedly hazy recollection) components sourced direct from the mfr). If I was a complete newbie, I'd probably go to a bricks 'n mortar shop to listen first, and pay the mark-up to learn.
I think I could do quite well for myself buying new at full asked price, partly because buying direct from the mfr cuts out at least one level of "middle man". I might buy Oris horn speakers (or if "stuck with" box speakers, maybe some Coincidents), a Berning amp, perhaps a Supratek or Bottlehead preamp & phono, maybe a Teres or Galibier turntable (packaged with arm). For a CD player, at this point, I would probably set up a music server connected to a directly purchased I2S-capable DAC (or I'd build my own from a kit). There are any number of choices to buy rack and cables direct as well.
