At first I thought you were talking about sex toys, which I definitely wouldn’t buy used, but I don’t see an issue with buying used lights. I might risk a used webcam too, if I could snag it cheap enough. It would have to be worth the risk of it not working or not working for long after I bought it, though. (I would probably just buy the webcam new, honestly.)
At first, I bought everything new because I wanted to be able to return it under the warranty if something stopped working later on down the line. However, I have since bought used lights from another webcam model that was getting out of the business and I haven’t had any problems. I’d say you could safely buy used off eBay if there is a reasonable return policy attached.
I’ve never had any problems with buying anything from eBay. I think you should always look to eBay first. That is where I always find the best prices. It’s the best resource, especially if you are just starting out.
I do buy from eBay. The prices are reasonable for items, both new and used. I usually check prices for both. If the new costs just a little bit more, i will “splurge” and buy the new. However, I’ve never had any bad luck with anything that I’ve purchased used.