Why are "low hours" a consideration?

And the dog is a lot cleaner than some of the unsavoury characters my kids bring into the house from time to time.
Markphd

LOL! I certainly can relate to that.

03-10-09: Cyclonicman
Wouldn't you rather buy a car with 25,000 miles on it vs 150,000 miles?

Obviously the answer to this question is yes, assuming you are willing to pay for it (the one with 150,000 miles will obviously cost much less). The difference is that the mileage on a car can be proven due to the odometer. 'Low hours' on any audio gear is simply an opinion, not a fact. There is nothing to prove it.

Cheers,
John

Cyclonicman, you have been very fortunate. I would say most of those that I've dealt with on AudiogoN have integrity, but not all. As Bill notes following your post, everyone selling a used phono cartridge has only used it for a few LP's. ;D

I'm aware that an odometer can be tampered with, but it is an illegal offense. There's nothing illegal about mis-guessing the hours on used tubes, phono cartridges, etc.

One can only hope to deal with someone of integrity. Most have great intentions, but their actual memory may be a bit foggy. I'm not insinuating that their is actual fraud, though I have been involved in one deal where this was the case. I just think that many 'guess' at the hour rating, and do so in a way that will help their sale.

Cheers,
John