I didn't think about the eBay route. I'm surprised at how much new old stuff is on there.

Do the shifters "know" what gear they are in or is that determined by the derailleur? I've been getting different stories from different bike shops. One story is that a 10-speed shifter will shift the chain off the 9-speed cassette. The other story is that the shifter doesn't care how many cogs there are, but that it controls the distance the derailleur moves and so there is a spacing incompatibility between a mis-matched derailleur/shifter pair.

Also, some of the eBay front shifters are advertised as good for either 2 or 3 speed. My understanding is that the front shifter can be one or the other but cannot be both. Is that accurate?

Lastly, what is the frequency of Shimano knock-offs on eBay? I'd hate to end up with $200 worth of junk. The link canam73 posted shows 9 sets for sale.

Anyway, thanks for all the input.