Many collectors of vintage equipment shop on eBay because it is the best marketplace for finding rare vintage electronics. Whether it is tube or solid state there is a lot of wonderful sounding equipment under the title vintage. Most expensive vintage electronics date from 1960 and later. Before that year there were very few high end vintage electronics worth collecting. Treasured names are McIntosh, Fisher, HH Scott and Harmon Kardon. Later entrants into the field were Audio Research and Mark Levinson. In the speaker world the best names are JBL, Altec Lansing, Electro Voice and Jensen. Later entrants into the field are Linn, McIntosh and Magneplanar/Magnepan. Of course this is not a comprehensive list, but most of these brands will hold their value for years to come while you enjoy listening to them. Unfortunately there are also a few scam sellers who want to prey upon vintage electronics and speakers collectors. If you are looking for good vintage pieces (even from the 1990's) you will encounter them. Here is how to protect yourself and avoid these scam sellers. 1. Never communicate with a seller directly. Always use eBay to send a question about the equipment you want to buy. 2. Never buy vintage electronics unless the seller posts a picture of the unit and the serial number. All high end equipment has a serial number and most factory help lines will confirm that the equipment is not stolen. 3. Never pay for high end electronics directly, use PayPal. The quickest way to lose money besides a slot machine in Las Vegas is to send a money order or a cashiers check to a high end electronics seller. If the seller does not accept PayPal it is because the equipment is probably stolen, does not work correctly or will not match up to the description posted by the seller. 4. Try to establish a relationship between yourself and the seller. High end sellers know a lot about the equipment they are selling and will communicate freely with you and answer your questions promptly. If the seller claims they don't know much about the equipment avoid them like the flu. They may be victims of a scam themselves and they are passing bad equipment on to you. 5. Look up high end equipment you are buying using google. You can verify that the unit is authentic, what critics thought of the unit when it was first sold and what makes the unit something worth having. All true high end equipment is listed and reviewed on Google. Many high end manufacturers maintain websites which have information going back many years. Often they are a good source for information. 6. Never buy high end equipment from another country. Most equipment which was sold in other countries will not operate on USA 120 Volt electrical supply. 7. If you see high end equipment with no reserve or a very low reserve shop elsewhere. It is usually a scam. If it also lists a seller who resides in a foreign country it is almost certainly a scam. If the seller asks you to contact them directly it is 100% a scam. 8. Remember that vintage equipment may need some work to restore it to perfect cosmetic condition. Be careful not to buy equipment that is badly scratched or missing important pieces. The value of a vintage piece is proportional to how well kept it is. Vintage tube equipment is expensive to retube and often certain brands of tubes may not be availible, even on eBay. Don't let a scammer tell you that a piece of equipment probably will work if you just replace a tube or a fuse. You will end up spending hundreds of dollars repairing equipment which may never sound right even after the repairs. The best high end people sell good equipment which works correctly when they sell it to you. 9. Never believe any story about equipment. Just used by a little old lady is a tip off that a car is a dog and it is just as true for high end equipment. Sellers who are legitimate know how many hours are on the equipment, where the blemishes are and exactly what is wrong with the equipment. They also give you that information right away so you can make an informed judgement. 10. Last point. Never fall for the story that something is incredibly rare. Most high end equipment was produced in the thousands of units and because it was expensive most of the units are still around. If you think you are paying too much or compromising on condition you are right! Wait a few weeks and the unit you want will come up for sale on eBay at the right price!