Do you buy new, used or new or used gear?

Yep, about 50/50 on my side.

Used pre amp.  New amp.  Used table and arm.  New cartridges.  New speakers and subs.  New phono stage and equalizer.  All cables and interconnects new.

All used for me and very rarely had

an issue with anything the past 30 years or so.

The only exception was my most recent purchase of

the SOTA Eclipse package for my turntable. Had to buy that

new. 

With few exceptions, if there is a used option, I will always seek that out first (especially speakers). I have bought many thousands of dollars' worth of used hi-fi over the years, which is either active in my three-system rotation, lying fallow for the time being (a sore spot with my wife), or has been resold for the same or more than I paid for it (I have only ever once sold something for less than I paid, and that was only tens of dollars). If a piece of gear interests me and is an exceptional value, I will buy it on principle, whether I need it or not. This has turned out to be a self-funding way to stay engaged in the hobby, where the thrill of the hunt, and sometimes bagging an elephant, is a hugely underrated. Enjoy!

I buy new speakers, vinyl playback hardware, and CD/SACD players -- devices with mechanical components.  My electronics are mainly bought used tho not really old.

One policy I've adopted is to only buy older pre/pro's for my AV system because their steady flow of new features (that I don't want or need) dictate rapid depreciation in the used market.