I found a good way to avoid stolen gear on eBay.
I come out and directly ask the seller "What's the serial number of ... I want to check and make sure it's not on the manufacturer's "hot sheets" before I bid.
You know something? Each time I did this and looked back the next day, the eBay listing had been canceled!!!
I've done this mostly with current Motorola ht's and current very high-end HP/Agilent test equipment.
And 9 out of ten it's either the seller's first auction or one of his first five or six.