The expression "let the buyer beware" certainly describes a lot
of situations concerning Internet sales.  Sometimes the seller is
genuinely ignorant, and sometimes they well know what they are doing.

With Edison phonograph wax phonograph cylinders, I have had problems
with two different sellers.  Records advertised to be in excellent
condition have arrived in unplayable condition.  The last episode was
a $20 dollar purchase and the record had a huge damage spot that was
_not_ visible in the photo but it was significant enough to potentially
ruin the stylus on the phono if played.  Even an untrained eye would
have spotted the serious flaw.

For those of you who collect these, you know that especially the wax
records are very touchy in terms of condition.  Spots, smudges, etc.,
on the playing surface can render the record as junk in terms of
playability.  In the last case, it was not worth paying a five dollar
return shipping fee so I just ate the record but the flaw was extremely
obvious even to someone who did not know records.  In my opinion, the
seller should have not only returned the selling price and the shipping
but he should have paid the return shipping.

You cannot judge these records by the condition of the boxes.  You need
to see pictures and close-ups.  When the pictures are very poor or don't
exist, I will not bid on these.  With records, it is amazing what some
people call "excellent" or "good" condition.  It is the equivalent of
an unrestored player piano and the owner says that "it did work but it
just has a small hole in the bellows."

Some sellers are honest and some are not.  Many times, they can be
"deliberately" stupid or evasive in their descriptions.  A lack of good
detailed photos can be a giveaway that something is not quite right.
As illegal as it is, I know specifically of one Internet seller who has
four friends who deliberately bid up his merchandise.  He tells each what
to bid and how much.  I will not buy from this person.  The end buyer
of his merchandise, almost without fail, raises his own bid several
times.  He just sold an expensive phonograph on eBay and it was done
with these creative bids and the buyer raised his own bid well over
$1000 in terms of what it really should have sold for.

Player pianos, music boxes, piano rolls and automatic musical
instruments of all kinds fall into these traps.  The seller may be less
than knowledgeable about what they are selling or they may be pulling
a scam.  They may not know what one really does sound like that is
fully restored correctly so the tired, partially working instrument
sounds just fine to them.  This is a classic case with player and
reproducing grand pianos.  What is good or excellent to that seller
may need an entire rebuild in reality.

Let the buyer beware.  The best advice that I can give anyone buying
merchandise on eBay is to be sure to really know your stuff.  Demand
and expect good pictures and accurate answers from the seller.  If it
appears to be too good of a deal, usually there is a reason.  The new
collector is usually the one who can get taken the worst by someone who
is dishonest.

Randy Hammond