I've made it a standard practice to not purchase anything on ebay over $200 if I can't talk to the seller. I even passed on a really nice Lonestar that was a fellow boogie boarder because he left a message on my phone that said he would prefer to communicate through email. If they are full of crap, I want to hear it in their voice.
Here is a good starting point:
How old are the tubes?
What brand or brands are they?
Were they installed by you?
Has the amp ever had any maintenance?
If so, by who?
Has the amp ever been dropped?
Has the amp ever been gigged?
How long have you had the amp?
What type of music have you played on the amp?
Does it come with a footswitch?
Does it come with a cover?
Does it come with a manual?
Do all functions of the amp work?
Have you tried the Loop?
Are there any scratchy pots or sliders?
Are there any broken or stiff pots or sliders?
Why are you selling it if it is such a great amp?
The last one you have to ask a bit gently or some people will get uptight.
Another good one to ask is What type of tones have you been getting out of the amp? This one is hard to describe, so you get a general picture of the person's personallity.
I've also asked people to play the thing for me over the phone if I thought they were full of ****.
Another really good thing to do, if buying from a distance, is ask for more pictures of angles that are not represented on the ebay auction or Craig's Listing.
Phyrexia took some seriously detailed pictures of the inside of the DC-10 that I got from him.
You don't want to piss the guy off if he is legit and the amp is in good shape. But....you do want to make sure that the amp is what you are looking for in terms of condition and playabillity.
If it has problems changing channels, or if the tubes are so old that the guy doesn't remember changing them, you have to assume that there will be a fair amount of maintenance involved and pay accordingly.
Another thing that you have to remember is that the amp is used. Have it in your near future budget to change the tubes. Even though the amp may have brand new tubes installed, you might not like the tone.
Hope this helps.
:lol: Now, if I could only remember all this **** when I buy a car! :lol: