I don't know that I put much stock in the rating system because sellers are able to 'rate' a purchasor. I've heard a number of stories on retailatory ratings.
Definitely valid, but sellers with hundreds or thousands of positive ratings still paint a good enough picture in my book. I tend to steer clear of anyone whose feedback shows that they've had the same complaint multiple times... (i.e. non-responsive, item not as described, etc.). If buyers leave that kind of feedback more than once, especially knowing that they'll likely earn a negative feedback themselves from the seller, it's an indication to look elsewhere.
E-bay commentary over, back to audio talk.
PS: I'm surprised no one here has volunteered to sell you some of their own older equipment. This seems like the kind of crowd who has 2-3 old receivers around the house without a defined purpose... (or, if everyone is like me, we don't have a purpose for them now, but know that sooner or later we'll buy enough speakers to need another receiver!)
