Let's face it. Exercise equipment is expensive. Treadmills, elliptical trainers, weight-lifting machines, and exercise bikes can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Yet many people still feel that an exercise machine is the best way for them to get in shape, even if they can't quite afford the hefty price tags, so they think that perhaps a used machine is the best way to go.
In fact, buying used equipment can be an affordable way to get a high-quality machine. However, it can also be a chance for some unscrupulous seller to saddle you with a worn-out piece of junk. However, the result doesn't have to be left to chance. Armed with a little bit of knowledge, and prepared to do some research, you can turn the search for used equipment from a grab-bag game of chance to an opportunity to score a great deal.
There are two main sources of used exercise equipment. The first is from individual, non- commercial sellers. These are generally the people on eBay and in the newspaper classifieds who have finally decided that they're never really going to use that treadmill collecting dust in the garage, after all.
These are also the people who used their exercise bike every day, and are only selling this one to make room for the newer, shinier, latest version. In either case, some equipment will be like new, and some will be about as far from new as you get. About the only way to know for sure is to see the machine for yourself.