As a quilter, I use my straight stitch and zig zag stitch and occasionally a blanket stitch. I have 3 Pfaffs (because we have 2 houses) and have had good luck purchasing them off Ebay but, I knew what I was looking for. I don't have a lot in any of my machines. That said, I have great dealer support in my area and am looking at a low end Janome classroom machine and will probably buy that one new but would jump on a used one if I could find it.
I am all about going the used route but, it has its risks such as no warranty. My point is that I've had great luck buying used and have saved a lot of money. As/when my machines bite the dust, I'll go the used route again without hesitation.