clueless

I know, I shake my head every time I see this. Another that irks me is when a seller stacks cars on other cars or locomotives etc. I think, you want me to buy this, after you've done this to them? 

while i'm ranting, here is one i often see for Marx.
the too-lazy-to-even-take-it-out-of-the-box photo...

and, yes, this is usually the only photo for the auction.

Yes, the old standard, too-lazy-to-even-take-it-out-of-the-box- or -what are you not wanting me to see, kind of auction. Another is show every angle possible, except for the one I want to see, for instance, F units, lets not show a head on view of the front. lol

When I see that ,its a red flag to steer clear of the seller. If they don't know how to connect the engine and tender they certainly can't be trusted regarding a description of its condition.

overlandflyer posted:

charging both a buyer's and seller's fee, wouldn't you think auction houses could hire people with enough knowledge to at least get the simple stuff right?

Reversed tenders are the least of it.  I've even seen tenders advertised as "cabooses."  Obviously, the people selling those trains aren't always prople who know anything at all about them.

 

Diverging Clear posted:

Another is show every angle possible, except for the one I want to see, for instance, F units, lets not show a head on view of the front.

Or, in the case of Lionel or Marx, they don't show a view of the bottom of a locomotive.  Seeing the amount of wear on wheels, rollers or pickup skates is an important indicator of how much a locomotive has been run.

The plus side of that is that seller MAY not think his Scout set is a State set and have it priced out in the Twilight Zone. Marx made the #999 with two types of drivers, spoked, and Baldwin. If the auction photos don't show clear photo of drivers, l ride on.  Remember, the out-of-the-attic auction from an unknowledgeable seller may be a gold strike.

Back in October I posted to forum a link to an ebay auction in which the seller referred to the water scoop beneath the tender as 'Tender with cowcatcher'!!  Yepper....for real.   

Of course it should have read 'Tender with hamburger catcher'.......right?     Poor cow.  H___ of a way to depart the here-and-now.

Of course, someone must have given the seller a 'DiNozzo' shortly after the auction was posted.  The title was amended, but not the hysterical historical record.  

I agree with some of the above comments regarding seller knowledge...or lack thereof...re trains auctions.  

Caveat emptor, indeed.

Diverging Clear posted:

I know, I shake my head every time I see this. Another that irks me is when a seller stacks cars on other cars or locomotives etc. I think, you want me to buy this, after you've done this to them? 

Or laying on a garage floor or super rough cement porch steps, on their sides. I've seen it, no joke.