Pick an amp and see what it actually sells for on eBay, with shipping, condition and seller rating side by side. Prices are pulled live, so what you see is what sellers are really asking this minute, not shop retail.
Live from eBayValves are consumables, and that is the hidden cost. A tube amp's valves wear out the way tyres do, and a full retube runs roughly $80 to $200 depending on the amp, plus a bias adjustment on most power sections. So ask when it was last retubed and whether the seller knows. An amp advertised as sounding thin, dull or farty is usually describing worn power valves rather than a fault, which is good news if you price the retube in and bad news if you did not.
Speakers and transformers are where the money is. A reconed or replaced speaker is not automatically bad, but it should be disclosed and it changes the tone from stock. A failed output transformer is the one to fear: it is the single most expensive repair on most amps and often costs more than the amp is worth. Any mention of loud hum, burning smell or the amp cutting out under load is worth walking away from unless the price already assumes a repair.
Ask about the noises, not just whether it works. Crackle when you turn a knob is usually a dirty pot and cheap to fix. Hiss that changes with the gain control points at a preamp valve. A rattle on reverb-heavy notes is often just the reverb tank springs, which is harmless. Hum that stays constant regardless of settings is the one that tends to be a filter cap, which means a service.
Weight and shipping. Combos are heavy and valves are fragile, so a tube amp shipped with the valves still seated is a real risk. Favour sellers who remove and pack them separately, or buy locally. Check the corners, handle and tolex too: rough cosmetic damage usually means the inside got the same treatment.
Live eBay listings, which is where most used amps change hands. Pick a model and it fetches the current lowest-priced listings in real time, with shipping added in, so the number is what you would actually pay.
Roughly $80 to $200 for a typical combo, depending on how many power valves it takes and whether it needs biasing afterwards. Worth pricing in on any amp being sold as dull or weak sounding, because that is often worn valves rather than a fault, and it is the cheapest problem an amp can have.
Not by itself, and a good recone can be excellent. It does mean the amp is no longer stock, which matters for collectible models and matters much less for a gigging amp. What matters more is whether the seller disclosed it, because an undisclosed recone suggests other things went unmentioned too.
Amps hold value unusually well because the classic models barely change, so used typically runs 25-40% below new and vintage models can appreciate. The table shows the cheapest listing next to the typical asking price so you can judge a particular listing.
A daily snapshot of the lowest genuine eBay price for every model we track, and how good that price is right now versus its usual level, updated automatically. Prices last refreshed 6 August 2026. Tap a model above for the full live list.
"Off retail" compares today's used price with what the model cost new. For models still on sale that is the current price; for discontinued ones it is the launch price, so it shows how far the model has depreciated rather than a discount you could get on a new one.
| Model | Cheapest now | Off retail | This week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackstar HT-20 | $300 | 60% off | new |
| Fender Twin Reverb | $750 | 56% off | new |
| Fender Blues Junior | $360 | 52% off | new |
| Boss Katana 100 | $200 | 50% off | new |
| Vox AC15 | $539 | 46% off | new |
| Marshall Origin 20 | $390 | 35% off | new |
| Fender Hot Rod Deluxe | $340 | – | new |
| Orange Rocker 15 | $390 | – | new |
| Roland JC-120 | $525 | – | new |
| Marshall DSL40 | $575 | – | new |