Dumbass eBay record sellers

Two highlights i spotted recently:

(1) "Record is mint. It's also cracked"

(2) One seller has many 1960s photos listed for about $4 apiece, doesn't say anywhere if originals or not. When i checked his feedback, many people complained that they received reprints.
His response was: "For $4, it must be obvious that they are not originals. Try finding an original photo for that price!"
Wow, a whole new level of ass-ness.
 
captainsalty said:
Two highlights i spotted recently:

(1) "Record is mint. It's also cracked"

(2) One seller has many 1960s photos listed for about $4 apiece, doesn't say anywhere if originals or not. When i checked his feedback, many people complained that they received reprints.
His response was: "For $4, it must be obvious that they are not originals. Try finding an original photo for that price!"
Wow, a whole new level of ass-ness.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but I agree with the seller as you should give some kind of description of the playing surface(Mint no scratches, etc or Good condition with lots of scratches/scuffs along with the fact that the record is cracked. I think everyone would rather have a mint cracked 45 than a beat up one.
 
If the record is cracked, how can the overall condition be called mint? That's what the description here implies. It's too short and lacking the details about the crack (where it is, how big it is, if it affects play, etc.).
What he could have said is something like if the record didn't have a crack, it would be mint.
 
I would say he's grading the surface. He should have said it plays Mint. Some cracks will fall into place and hard to notice and play w/out any problems. Yes, he should have said more about the overall condition and how it sounded when played. I've sold cracked 45s before and stated that the 45 played w/out problems and the buyer was very happy with it. I think I also put a mp3 too.
 
chas_kit said:
"Mint or Higher" !
Click to expand...

I'd like to know who actually deemed any of these grading companies the experts.
A few years ago, I was checking over a few baseball cards I still had for value with the intent of selling them. I was searching through the Bay and noting grading and pricing. I saw a lot of PSA graded cards, noting their numbers vs the photos and what I observed in them. A card that's a 9 or 10 is supposed to have a perfectly centered picture (all borders of the picture are the same width and perfectly parallel with all the edges).
It's amazing how many PSA grades of 8 and above were way off center and crooked. Some even had creases.

Using my remembrance of how cards were graded and my years of grading LP covers & pic sleeves, I found my grades lower than many of the "official" grades. on the ones I was seeing.
When I retired 10 years ago, instead of selling records to keep busy, maybe I should have started my own grading company.
 
vinyl01 said:
I would say he's grading the surface. He should have said it plays Mint. Some cracks will fall into place and hard to notice and play w/out any problems. Yes, he should have said more about the overall condition and how it sounded when played. I've sold cracked 45s before and stated that the 45 played w/out problems and the buyer was very happy with it. I think I also put a mp3 too.
Click to expand...

Maybe he didn't say it plays mint because it didn't.
A crack could fall into place, but it's still there. And how does one know the crack won't become bigger with improper (or even proper handling)?
It sounds like this seller just wanted to shove it up there with minimal effort, like so many of today's express sellers (as I like to call them).
They don't want to take the time and effort like you described you did. They're just hoping for quick sales and then worry later if the buyer complains.

I've bought records with cracks where I can't find them nicer, but also paid a commensurate price.
One question for Captain Salty on this listing is what the seller's price or opening bid was in relation to copies of the record have gone for in whatever conditions.
 
I sold the BOSS a NEXT STEP (Rivers of Hate) 45 years ago that had a short tight crack that couldn't be heard for $200. Deal of a lifetime? I didn't care, I hate cracks.
 
sorry, i can't even remember which record or auction that was. it seemed a bit shady to me and he was obviously hiding the fact that it was cracked in his lengthy description, which made me chuckle.

i think both viewpoints have their legitimation. i guess i'd side with the opinion that a cracked record can't be mint.

as a side note, totally unrelated to this one, but in recent times i've bought quite some records that were off center but no mention about this in the description. drives me nuts. you open the record, amazed by the pristine condition. but then. that label.. looks a bit odd... can it be?? NOOOO! :yup:

or, worse, visual gradings gone wrong. just yesterday i got an IGL which looks vg++ but it plays so bad you can't even listen to it.
 
Frantic said:
I sold the BOSS a NEXT STEP (Rivers of Hate) 45 years ago that had a short tight crack that couldn't be heard for $200. Deal of a lifetime? I didn't care, I hate cracks.
Click to expand...

Ouch! for us who didn't get that opportunity.
That's exactly what I meant by a commensurate price.
Of course, I 'm happy that I got my cracked copy of Mood "In the Amber Fields" for $5. Tight crack in the trail in and first couple of seconds, couple of barely audible clicks.
 
Heitkotter77 said:
Ouch! for us who didn't get that opportunity.
That's exactly what I meant by a commensurate price.
Of course, I 'm happy that I got my cracked copy of Mood "In the Amber Fields" for $5. Tight crack in the trail in and first couple of seconds, couple of barely audible clicks.
Click to expand...

I tracked those guys (two of them anyway) and got promised copies that never materialized. That was back in the 90s so probably not a thing now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
Living without the Past
Replies
7
Views
529
masterbeat64
M
Rythmn Boy
Record finds of 2023
2
Replies
20
Views
1K
KipBrown
KipBrown
bosshoss
New definition of "scuff"
Replies
12
Views
679
bosshoss
bosshoss
captainsalty
(not another ebay thread)
2
Replies
36
Views
2K
undertheclock
U
bosshoss
Hooray for honest 45 grading
Replies
4
Views
607
sanjuro73
sanjuro73