I would say the best buy would be a 2-3 year old top of the line bow from a name brand that was usedand maintained well. I wouldn't suggest a Mathews just because they seem to hold their value better and they cost more in general.

If you take your time and look you can find great deals on used bows. I shot theasome of the new high end bows today anddidn't see any advantage over my 2 year old bow. In fact with the STS and whiskers my bow was quieter than the General,both of the Drenalins, the Bear and the Guardian that was at the range today. My bow is in very good shape and I might be able to get $400 to $500for my bow and it is in very good shape while a comparable new on would be $800 or so rigged up.

Buy a MATHEWS, you can't go wrong and they are worth every dollar.

If you don't need the bow right away, you can wait towards the end of a year or start of a new one and snatchup a BRAND NEW last years model for cheap. That is what I did with my Bear Truth bow. Bought it new for $380. Now they even sell for less than $300 on eBay. Find a qualitybow where they come out with a new model for the new year. The only bad thing is you have to wait to find a deal.