posted on February 24, 2002 01:46:57 PM new
the following is in its description:
It is in good condition but has stopped working (was working fine 2 years ago).
Consider me naive but if something has just stopped working, aren't the chances pretty high that 2 years ago it was working fine. So why is "was working yesterday but not today" not simply described as "not working"...DUH!
posted on February 24, 2002 08:11:47 PM new
If the person knew what they were selling, they might know if the item was simply in need of repair. There are many items that stop working and are perfectly fine: they might need a battery, the contacts need cleaning or a fuse needs replacement. It's really hard to determine what needs fixing if you can't see it firsthand. If the price is right and you know it can be fixed for a certain amount or less, it could be a good deal.
Buying on eBay involves a certain amount of risk as it is. Maybe one item out of hundred is going to be less than it should be. I figure that what I save overall is way ahead of the few duds.
posted on February 24, 2002 09:56:31 PM new
REAMOND: "Great shape for its age."
I collect Depression glass, the above statement is always a turn-off for me. I agree with you, there is no such thing as great shape for its age; an item is either in great shape, or it is NOT.
So many sellers on ebay would get a better price for their goods if they stated WHY an item is in "great, fine, very good, or mint" condtion. Many do not even answer email questions regarding condtion.
How about: "This item is in mint condtion because it has no chips, cracks, scratches, wear, repairs, or manufacturing defects."
posted on February 25, 2002 08:51:08 PM new
I deal in older paper goods like books and baseball cards, and if I saw paper that was shiny white, I would know it was not old. There is just no way to really fake good older paper. It ages gradually, especially world war II era books which were printed on special paper that is pretty dark by now. I have listed a number of 100 year old paper items with the description: Pages are in great shape for their age. I think this tells the buyer something usefull.
I am willing to listen to others and accept criticism if you think I am wrong.
posted on February 25, 2002 09:28:42 PM new
bugler1998
I disagree with you. The following statment is taken from http://www.rarebooks.org/bookcondition.htm
Books or paper, the same...
The IBCA discourages the practice of levating a book's condition from its actual physical appearance based on age. We realize that a given old book is in great shape for its age, but its physical condition is still just that, and description of condition should follow the AB Bookman's Weekly standards
given above.
posted on February 25, 2002 09:31:54 PM new
Therefore: you must grade an item [directly] related to its condition. NOT its perceived condition related to age...
posted on February 25, 2002 09:50:54 PM new
Morgantown: Thank you very much for the grading link. It is a goosd source. However, I am not sure I read this the same way you do. Perhaps I should make myself clear.
When referring to the pages as being in good shape for their age, I am only referring to the color of the paper itself on the pages. I absolutely agree with you regarding the binding and cover, but just have never seen 100 year old book paper that is as white as brand new book paper. Does it exist? If a book has been kept in a slip case for 100 years, will it remain white? How about a glass lawyers' bookcase? WEre the pages ever white when new?
I have dealt in old baseball cards for 25+ years. I am pretty confident that I can tell a forged card as long as it is 25 years old or older. This is due to the natural aging process of paper that can not be faked on decent shaped cards. The only way that forgeries get by the experts, as far as we know, is when a new front is placed/ laminated on an old card back from a lesser priced card. While that can usually be detected, there have been some pretty good fakes by people who have printing expertise.
posted on February 25, 2002 09:57:07 PM new
Bugler1998:
You seem to want to grade on "emotion." Just state what the actual condition is. "The pages are clean, crisp, and white." You could say, "this is uncommon considering age." But don't say "these pages are in excellent condtion for the age."
MTown
PS. all the above is just an opinion ya know!
[ edited by morgantown on Feb 25, 2002 10:00 PM ]
