What to watch for when buying vintage gear online?

[BillB]

I'm thinking of putting together a small simple bedroom system comprising of a vintage Marantz receiver (preferably with wood case), CD player, and a pair of Paradigm Atoms. Anything I should ask/check on before buying?

Bill

[Pyrrho]

Ideally, you would see and listen to equipment before buying it. So if you are buying from eBay (for example), you might want to see where the equipment is, and if it is close to you, you might want to ask to do that before bidding. It is also good to pick things up for yourself, as sometimes things can get damaged in shipping.

You will also want to be careful about payment methods, as some methods offer some protection against fraud (i.e., credit cards), while others do not (i.e., cash, checks, etc.).

Do they offer a guarantee that it will work when it arrives? Is there any kind of return policy?

Look closely at the pictures, as ask about scratches and other defects, some of which may not show up in pictures.

If you are buying on eBay, look at the ratings of the seller, and look at the actual comments, not just the overall rating.

Basically, when purchasing online, you are taking some risk. If that bothers you, consider only buying locally.