Synths and stuff are damn expensive. So buying second hand is really a good idea to get some great gear or to get your hands on some old gear that’s currently out of production. Don’t get too exited though. Prices aren’t ‘low’ on the second hand market. Since the internet is available for everyone it’s very rare to see ‘cheap’ second hand prices. Most items on the second hand market are prices reasonably as people can look up the current value of something fast. But nevertheless, if you keep your eyes open you still can get a good deal, some people might need money fast, and some people still don’t know what they’re selling.

So how you buy second hand and don’t get screwed in the process. First of all you need to try to estimate the current value and the future value. Google is great for that, you’ll even find information on the most esoteric pieces of gear, but it’s hard to put a figure on it. The internet is global, the second hard market mostly isn’t so prices are relative. And it’s even harder to estimate future value, although, with decent gear, prices don’t change much over they years. This fact is very interesting since you can buy second hand gear, and if it doesn’t suit your needs, sell it off for little to no loss, or if you did a good deal, at a profit. In the mean time you had the joy of using it.

Of course, to do at good deal, the item you are willing to buy should be in good condition. This is a pretty difficult thing to be sure of. If at all possible you should try to get the item of the seller personally. That way you can test the unit before handing over the cash. However, you probably don’t have anything more then a few minutes to make up your mind. It powers up, everything seems to work, and that’s it. If you’re lucky you might be able to put some audio through it, or play with it. There are some things you can look at in a few minutes that tell you a great deal.

One of the most important things are the screws. If some gear has been opened up there are always marks of the screwdriver on them. You only open up gear if something is amiss. Most people don’t know how to repair this kind of electronics, so unless the seller can come up with a believable story about the repair you shouldn’t buy gear that’s been opened up in any way. If the seller is any good he will probably notify you of the past repair.

You can also try to value the seller by looking at their other gear. The unit you’re buying will be cleaned and sparkling, the rest of their gear won’t have received the ‘selling’ treatment probably. It will tell you a great deal on how your seller actually maintains his gear. The selection of gear the seller has is also a good indicator as to how legit he is. If he’s selling a great synth and doesn’t have anything left, there is something simply not right. You shouldn’t be set off by a smoker or some dust. Whilst it will indeed affect the gear, a bit of cleaning can solve most problems.

You also need to make sure it works ok, although you probably knew that. Digital gear is quite simple in this respect as it either works or doesn’t most of the time. Analog gear needs a bit more attention, especially because most of these things are pretty old anyway. So you should look up beforehand how things are put together. If you buy an analog polysynth, you should check if ALL voice boards are working as they should. You should always check connectors and all buttons/pots/sliders, etc.. they shouldn’t cause any crackling or odd noises (unless that’s their intent off course ;) )

in short. Try to buy locally and be wary of anything that’s a bit off. Prepare yourself to be disappointed as well from time to time if you do take risks by buying something that’s not in top condition. I’ve been able to get synths for very little because they were in a terrible condition, but still worked fine with some minor repairs I could do myself.