If I might take a moment to expand my statement / question with some background information:
I have been smithing for 3.5 years.
My main focus is on houshold items such as s/j hooks, scrapers, pot/pan racks, and fireplace pokers.
I do often mix my craft with wood and make coat racks, clocks, and various other items.
I recently moved from the Nashville area to Arlington Tx, and left my anvil in Nashville.
Though the ancient crafts thrill me, I do use Gas, power equipement, and am by no means a purist.
I will attempt to post my anvil quandry that is milling about the void that is my mind and utilize my inadiquate blacksmithing vocabulary to express my ideas....
I am by far not stating that money is no object, but I do have $500 that i am willing to purchase an anvil with.
I have searched craigslist, newspapers, ebay, searchtempest, etc, and have found a few anvils that I have found interesting
but I have either been unable to make it in time, or found the anvil to be in worse condition that I care to mess with.
I know that "the oldies can be goodies" but I do not care to take the time or manpower to "rebuild" the surface of an anvil.
My old anvil was a little beat up, and yes it did serve it's purpose, but I did not like not having an edge, and having to work on 100 years of someone else's work. I like the idea of crisp edges and a clean work surface that i don't have to worry about a mark on my work that i didn't intend to put there.
I don't feel as though I need (or care to fight with) a 450lb anvil at this stage in my work, and feel as though a 120lb anvil would do just fine for the light work that I do, unless I am mistaken.
If I do have a very large piece of steel that I must hammer on, I do not use my anvil anyways, I have a section of railroad track that I can abuse to my heart's content.
If I am going to drop coin on a new anvi, I just want to make sure I get a good one.
I don't feel as though I have a need for a double horn.
I do not need all the horseshoe stuff (though alot of my work is remaking horseshoes into other items)
Mainly I want a good, solid, well made basic blacksmith anvil that will last me until I decide to expand my trade into something larger.