[Nelson]

I'll throw in my 2 cents then let everyone bash me like they always do.

I bought my 514ce on ebay nearly 5 years ago. It's a 2002 and I bought it in late '03. Transaction was smooth and the guitar was exactly as it was described. Used. If you know what you are looking for, are patient enough to wait for the right guitar at the right price, and you understand that a used guitar is exactly that, you can get a fantastic deal on a fantastic guitar.

The more you look and shop round at various sites, or watch a series of auctions, the more information you have to make your decision. When I bought my 514ce off ebay, I watched auctions of Taylor guitars for over 3months. I knew exactly what each model of guitar I was interested in should go for and the types of conditions I could expect. I must have followed 200 or more auctions. I got to the point where I could practically predict the final price.

I believe there are several issues for many who don't trust ebay or any other online dealer. The biggest one is patience. People get the guitar fever "GAS" and run headlong into a a purchase like lemmings running off a cliff. They act like that is the only 814ce or D28 on the planet and if they don't buy it now it will be gone and they'lll never see another one again. For crying out loud, Taylor and Martin make 70,000 guitars a year each. There' will be another one. just sit and wait till the right one comes at the right price. It absolutely baffles me how much folks are willing to pay for a guitar that is basically a dime a dozen. I bought both my Taylors used and paid a little more than half retail for each one because I waited, I watched, and I paid cash.

Taylors and Martins are the most consistent guitars. There are literally thousands of them out there and 95% of them are awesome. I think folks get finicky about the guitar that plays "just right" or has the "perfect tone" as a means to justify a hasty and rushed purchase that they end up paying too much for.

Folks rush in and buy these guitars and then a month later they hate it and wish they'd never bought it. So what do they do, they sell it for a loss and rush in to buy another one. It's amazing how so many folks will spend more time fussing and fuming and obcessing over the purchase of a 1-2k guitar than over a 20k car.

Another issue is that people want a brand new guitar (perfect condition) at a used price. I read the posts here about what people expect and how they describe their used guitars. My opinion is that over half of them must not play their guitars or if they do, they mother them to the point of obscession. When I look at used guitars on ebay, I uderstand a very simple principle, it's used. I expect it not to be perfect.

That's my take on it. I don't think it's the online seller or the ebay seller that we should question as much as ourselves. Personally, when it comes to a purchase, I don't trust myself, so I take my time and wait. The times I've got suckered were the times I was impulsive and careless.