used vs. new
I gave up on used ham equipment via CL and ham radio forums. Too many out of touch with current market pricing and what they wanted for used equipment as well as the scammers.
As one knowledgeable person told me, 2 meter and 2m/440 equipment has dropped in price as the market has been flooded over the past few years. Obviously, higher end mobile equipment still holds value.
Example, basic yaesu FT1900 rebox for $125 with warranty, vs. $100 for used no warranty, forget used.
Others, the stories did not add up, or nobody would budge on prices.
I ended up with a new radio with a separation kit for the price of a used one.