Is it worth buying a 2nd hand TT from auction ?
Hello,
Yes I have sold my cd player so I can buy a TT. Ive been hankering for a TT for years and I have all this old vinyl begging to be played. I have a Musical Fidelity B200 amp which apparently has quite a good phone stage. I only have £200 to spend out of my cd player earnings however.
So my question is, is it worth buying a TT second hand off that auction site ? Can I buy anything decent for £200 ? What sort of things should I consider when buying second hand ? Im a total newbie with TTs so I dont know where to start !
I know Rega TTs are worth searching for. There are two old vintage TTs on that auction site right now - a Goldring Lenco GL78 and a Micro Seiki MR-222.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Stephen
I have to be honest, Ive never heard of AR. Thanks for that will do a search for that now.
There's a certain Pro-ject RPM4 currently going for peanuts on there.
Buying s/h off auction sites is of course always a risk but it's unlikely you'll buy a dog unless the pictures show that it's obviously abused and knackered. Watch out for vague listings which say "not tested", "sold as seen": these could be genuine, but sometimes such excuses are used by unscrupulous sellers to get rid of junk without comebacks.
At the worst you might have to buy a new cartridge or stylus because one person's idea of "hardly used" can be another person's idea of "completely worn out". Same thing goes for belts on belt-drive models.
Ooh, so there is ! I missed that. Many thanks Big Chris for pointing it out. 
Buy from people who...
...have owned the item since new.
...provide good quality photos of the item.
...are honest enough to point out any marks/defects (and show photos of them) so you can decide if they matter.
...have kept the box and packaging and instructions, receipts, servicing documents, and other bits (set-up jigs, protractors, transit screws/clamps etc.) where applicable.
...have been regularly using the turntable up until the sale (don't want decks that have sat in a box for 25 years unless they have been serviced before the sale).
...have excellent feedback as a seller.
Buying s/h off auction sites is of course always a risk but it's unlikely you'll buy a dog unless the pictures show that it's obviously abused and knackered. Watch out for vague listings which say "not tested", "sold as seen": these could be genuine, but sometimes such excuses are used by unscrupulous sellers to get rid of junk without comebacks.
At the worst you might have to buy a new cartridge or stylus because one person's idea of "hardly used" can be another person's idea of "completely worn out". Same thing goes for belts on belt-drive models.
These are the things I was concerned about. Ive noticed a few bargains for sale, then noticed the vague description ala sold as seen and avoided it. Its all new to me as although Ive been into hifi for a long while, I havent owned a proper turntable - ever.
Grateful thanks Chebby. These are very good points and I will ask all those questions now before committing to a bid. You could be a lifesaver as I dont want to be lumbered with a major restoration project !
Buy from people who...
...have owned the item since new.
...provide good quality photos of the item.
...are honest enough to point out any marks/defects (and show photos of them) so you can decide if they matter.
...have kept the box and packaging and instructions, receipts, servicing documents, and other bits (set-up jigs, protractors, transit screws/clamps etc.) where applicable.
...have been regularly using the turntable up until the sale (don't want decks that have sat in a box for 25 years unless they have been serviced before the sale).
...have excellent feedback as a seller.
You will get loads of pleasure from a good turntable and you'll feel like you are re-discovering some of your music again.
One point I'd like to emphasise is that so few people know how to pack a turntable properly. Not that long ago I bought a Pioneer PL12D from a seller who simply taped the platter down using brown parcel tape without removing it from the deck. Of course when the turntable arrived the bearings were ruined, the deck was in pieces and it was un-salvageable. Turntables should ALWAYS be shipped with the platter and counterweight removed and packed safely. Chebby's advice about really checking a listing out is spot-on.
Not sure what part of the country you are in, but if you are anywhere in the Sout-East, there is an excellent shop in Hastings called Steve's Hi-Fi. He sells 2nd hand hi-fi including turntables. He won't ship t/tables but if you are close enough for a visit it would be worth your while I think. If you google the shop name you'll find it easily enough. I've bought stuff from him before and had no problems.
Also worth keeping an eye on Green Home Electronics and their associated site. Not much there at present, but sometimes he has the odd gem and from experience I can tell you he knows how to pack a turntable properly.
Makes to look for?
AR, Thorens, Dual, Systemdek, and Rega. The Lencos are capable of excellent results but the original arms are iffy and I wouldn't recommend one to a vinyl newbie. The cheaper Linn models like the Basik/Axis are nothing to shout about and, even if you could afford one, you have to be very careful with older LP12s. At the lower end of your budget Pioneer PL12D and Sansui SR-222 can be very good value.
What a great reply. Thanks. Ive finally realised all the qualities Ive ever looked for in a system equate to vinyl ! It took me 20 years to work that out ! 
What you say is exactly why Im so apprehensive about buying a TT 2nd hand online. Im hoepeless with technical stuff - Im a true cd player person who wants to just plug in and play. As I dont drive this limits my options, as always. I do have a Audio T locally who sells new TTs like the Rega P1 etc;
I will add a Sansui SR-222 to my list then as well as the Pioneer PL12D. What are my options with stylus upgrades with these ? Particularly the Sansui ?
Rather than a stylus upgrade you would be looking at a new cartridge for something like an SR-222 or PL12D and I wouldn't go too mad. Something like an Audio Technica AT95E should really be sufficient. If you really wanted to push the boat out then a Shure M97xE could work very well.
If you really just want to 'plug in and play' don't discount the Rega RP1. The standard version with the Ortofon OMB10 cartridge will get you started nicely and you'll always have the option to buy the Performance Pack (which includes a Rega Bias 2 cartridge) for £85 later on. It might actually suit you down to the ground and should be a pretty fool-proof way of getting into vinyl.
From experience (and possibly quite controversially) I'd suggest avoiding the budget Pro-ject decks. They are OK but nowhere near as well engineered as the Rega and I'd say many used decks will also beat the Pro-jects. You really need to go up to Xpression III level before Pro-ject come into their own.
Ha, that is what I meant, a new cartridge !
Total Newbie. Yeah I am seriously considering the RP1 as I can buy it locally and they might be kind enough to support me in installing future upgrades. Thanks again for your detailed and thoughtful reply. Maybe I will pop in to my local Audio T and ask questions about the Rega then.
Hi Stephen. Whilst the Lenco decks are built like tanks, the arm bearings for vertical motion tend to disintegrate and cause problems, they can also suffer from motor noise (hum) breakthrough as well. From a dealer viewpoint you cannot go wrong with a good condition Rega Planar 2 or 3. They are very simple designs and all spares and servicing requirements can still be catered for. The arms fitted to these decks would be R200 on early versions, an 'S' shaped arm with detachable headshell, or RB300 on later 1980's onward, a straight black arm with one piece cast tube/headshell and dial tracking weight adjustment. You should be able to find a Planar 2 for about £200 or less. A decent starter cartridge would be an Audio Technica AT-95E at about £35. Good luck.
Thanks Andrew. Having owned Rega kit previously, they are my preferred TT of choice. Due to my budget I have considered true vintage models like the Lenco, but it seems they arent for the newbie ! Almost all the Rega Planar TTs I see for sale are in great condition with plenty of images to support this, so clearly they were loved and should be in good condition. I have contacted a few people about a Planar 2 and await an answer. Lots of great valuable info from you Andrew, so thanks again.
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You'd be better off with Thorens or AR (Acoustic Research). There's a couple on there know I'd buy like a shot, were I still interested in turntables. Which, as I'm reminded, I'm not.