I certainly feel you Paul . I got burned 3 times on EBAY . I really don't like EBAY , it really is an idiots market there . The idea to bid and bid on something until you actually pay more than it's worth is ridiculous .
I don't use EBAY at all anymore . Most musicians are not rich , EBAY is just a place to get ripped off . All of these non musicians who have these synths and drummachines just sitting around and they put it up on EBAY to get as much as they can rather than put it in their local paper for a fair price .

The used music stores are drying up because of EBAY . Now , if I can't see it first , I WILL NOT BUY IT . Ebay is an idiots market , I was an idiot for a short while , no more .

Here in Georgia , the only big used music store left is Galaxy Music . I've known the owner for 15 years , it's comforting to go in there and buy or just to look around .

As far as analog synthesizers , yes I do have 77 of them bought over 20 years . Now I buy VA synthesizers . When I first started out , analog synthesizers were all you could get . That is not so any more .

VA synthesizers are superior to any analog synthesizer ever made . They have more features , they stay in tune , they all have MIDI , and they produce the synthetic sounds I desire .

Well , after all that , my advise is to stay off EBAY . Tell you're friends to stay off EBAY .