Message from the grinch:

IM(not-so)HO, banjos are reasnobly safe to by by brand name; all parts are removable, and you can usually set one up to pretty much match any other of the same make and model. This isn't true of things like guitars and mandolins and fiddles. I've encountered surprisingly good and depressingly bad examples of just about any brand name you can mention. Wood varies.

True, I just bought a guitar from E-Bay. The situation wan't what it might appear--I had tried that particular instrument out and liked it.