The few bikes I bought with destroyed headsets usually had it far too tight or too loose. The ones that are adjusted well are usually in great shape even after the grease has dried and crusted. I really like the new Chris King threaded headsets though... but they're neither retro nor cheap... very not cheap. The base Velo Orange ones I wouldn't recommend... they seem more fragile than a Tange.

I'd be inclined to hunt for an older, or NOS Shimano 600 era headset on ePay. I love those things, great fit and finish and typically they have a low stack height you can solve with spacers easily.