I think H2O is a bargain hunter.
Typical price on Milab vm44-links is $2200 for an unmatched pair. Twalker's find of a pair for ~$1750 is a very good deal. If your budget can stretch to that, I'd definitely consider them. Milabs are excellent mics.
Also, it seems like DPAs are going for more than $2400 a pair used. I think there are 2 pairs in the yardsale for $2800. So even used, that might really be stretching the budget.
For a small stretch above your top end: The new DPA 2011C mics are only $1600 a pair new. These are undoubtedly very nice mics.
The overall trouble is: $1500 a pair for mics, including the option of used, opens up a whole slew of good options for excellent mics. The feedback you'll get will be a reflection of the individual tastes of those responding. At that price, you'll have enough options that you really should do your own listening and make your own judgements.
And then also decide what you want from mics: small total stealth mics; typical condensers you'd only use for open taping, large diaphragm vs small diaphragm condensers (which are different both in the size you'll be lugging around + the size of the stand to support the mics, and SD's and LD's have different typical sounds and different physics of reproducing sound), typical full-bodied mics vs active/remote capsule and cable varieties that are more low profile, smaller to carry around, quicker to set up; mics with only one capsule type vs multiple patterns of a LD mic or multiple capsules to use with a SD mic; if only one capsule type, do you want cardioid, hypercardioid, omni, or even perhaps fig8 or MS set-up mics; etc, etc.
At this point, given really only your budget, there are dozens and dozens of options to consider.