Sure. But we are then talking about $5000 and not $50000. And today, you can buy them for $500. How many do you think are interested in paying ten times the cost to get a newly manufactured thing than to get one in good second hand condition? Right. We are talking about a small group of rich religiously fanatic analog-buffs.
You are prepared to pay $3000 to get a new four-track. Can you really not see how incredibly unusual that is? For that amount of money you can build a complete 8-analog studio second hand. Or, you can buy like a Yamaha AW4416, and get a complete *portable* digital studio and have money over for a bunch of mics.
And yet, that is the only analog multi-track that is available today. That's where the (incredibly limited) market exists today. The semi-pro market has gone digital, becuase it gives them better sound for the money.
The car is useful?
So, no, you don't see how unusual you are. You really think that the main desire of everybody is to have an analog four-track, and you think Tascam have stopped manufacturing them out of pure evilness, or only to tick you off...
Eh? Since when was $400 used anything an issue? You are talking about $4000 NEW tascam 38s.