Commentary on Online Auctions

I have bought a lot of cameras and equipment on online auctions and I really do like the auction thing but I have just about had it with the sellers and their equipment descriptions and how they rate the items that are up for auction. I wish everyone would use a KEH type of rating for the equipment's condition and would describe the function of every major system on the camera such as the shutter, aperture, focus, viewfinder, batteries, exposure system, etc. A lot of the items I've received would be generously described as a KEH "Ugly".

Almost everything is described in glowing terms with the final disclaimer that the item is "as-is" due to being used. This gives the sellers a way out when you receive the item and find out it is a piece of junk. There are a few sellers with great reputations who stand behind their descriptions and will give you a refund if they make a mistake in the description. I now find myself looking for their auctions since I know they will give an accurate description (warts and all) and can be trusted. I don't mind buying something that needs work as long as I know it needs work and then I can bid accordingly.

I won't mention any names in my personal "Hall of Shame" but I will relate some of the worst experiences I've had:

I had a dichro head for a Nikkor enlarger but needed a base and column. Won a condenser Nikkor enlarger for only $10 and with the $30 shipping I thought I got a good deal. Only problem was that it had been in a fire. Yes, it was all covered with soot and most steel pieces on the unit were covered in rust. Parts were broken off. The bellows were useless. The aluminum parts (especially the column) were salvageable and I can always make another base. The seller never responded to my email and the item did only cost $10 but I feel there should be some truth in advertising. And I guess, after all, it was only in one fire.
Won a Chinon rangefinder that was described as good but when it arrived it looked like it had been dropped from the Empire State Building. Twice.
Bought a 135mm telephoto that you could not see through due to fungus growth. Worse case of lens fungus that I ever saw. Screws were all rusty and could not even be removed to attempt a cleaning. Seller did refund my $$ but not the shipping both ways. He described the lens as perfect but he never even held it up and looked through it. I guess I shouldn't have either.
Won several rangefinders from different sellers who described them as being like new but they were totally nonfunctional and had batteries that had probably been leaking since the 1960's. At the least a seller should check to see if the focus ring turns, if the shutter trips, if the lens looks clear, etc.
Other cameras were described as functional but they had parts stripped from the inside. I'm not even sure if the great looking camera in the picture was the one that I received. Talk about being a cheat! "Works great" - how could it? - parts were removed from the shutter!
A Kodak folder that was covered in rust, the struts were bent, and parts were broken and missing. A total basket case. No way this could have been the camera pictured or described.

Oh well, I could go on but you get the idea. I have learned some lessons in all this and do have a little fun when the items turn out to be OK.

Because of all the above

I have developed my own cheat sheet for deciphering auction descriptions of photo equipment:

Description		What It Really Means
Like New		Like, dude, it was new once, a very long time ago
Excellent		Only dropped in the ocean a few times but I did rinse it off with some skunky beer
Slightly Used		To drive tent stakes in the frozen tundra
Used		For target practice
Good		It has to be good for something, doesn't it?
Fair		Fairly sure this is a camera and lens
Poor		Dropped from a tall building and run over by a tractor trailer
Good for Parts Only		We've already stripped out all the useful parts
Collectible		We're glad you only collect cameras because you'll never be able to use it
A Little Ding in Body		See "Slightly Used" above
Some marks on lens		Wow, that 80 grit sandpaper sure got rid of that fingerprint on the lens
Needs Battery		To be pried out of battery compartment
Focus Stiff		You'll need a 3 foot pipe wrench to turn this focus ring
Aperture Sluggish		Slower than the proverbial molasses in January

Hope you enjoyed the descriptions and got a chuckle, but in all honesty, "let the buyer beware".

Home

Check our low prices on long distance and other services for home or business