Help eBay Sellers properly identify their Victors?

[1923VictorFan]

I know there is a thread here about the ugliest Crap-o-Phones but I'm curious how many of you actually attempt to help the seller by politely providing the information neededn to correctly identify their machines. If you did help them...how many times did you end-up regreting it?
I spend a lot of time on eBay and see lots of listings for incorrectly identified Victor machines. When I see them I usually e-mail the sellers and politely give them the info needed to "update" their listings. I would say that 75% of the time they are grateful and respond with a nice Thank You. It's the other 25% that I find so interesting.
Some people, regardless how nice you are, simply cannot handle being politely informed that they might increase the likelihood of selling their machine if they correct their unintended errors. I go to great lengths to make sure I am not making them look or feel stupid. I tell them not to worry. "It's a common mistake."
I'm curious what you guys do. Do you attempt to help the sellers out OR do you just ignore the incorrect listing and move on?

[barnettrp21122]

If it's a rare machine incorrectly listed as a common one I'd do nothing but hunker down and bid, hoping few others would notice it!
In my experience few sellers appreciate emails telling them their "rare" machine is actually very common. Sellers are happy to post updates if any information supplied increases sale potential, but rarely change them if the opposite occurs.
As a potential buyer for nice machines that could be better described, I'm annoyed by people who wish to help the seller, supplying further information that could be gathered these days by any seller who wishes to do his/her own research. Would you email a seller saying he should enhance his description if you were intent on bidding yourself?
In the end, any listing with lots of clear detailed pictures and more than a single sentence of description will usually go for its fair current market value, high or low, IMO.
Board members calling attention to active Ebay listings (unless you're the seller) is another peeve of mine, but I'll save that for another thread!
Bob

[bbphonoguy]

I gave up doing it. Anyone smart enough to make a listing on ebay is smart enough to research their product themselves. I just remember the few sellers who insisted that their item was rare and valuable because their grandpa told them it was.

One seller was very polite and grateful when I told that correctly indentifying her item (in this case, a book) would generate more interest in her auction. She thanked me, but stated that to change the description would be unfair to the people who had already bid. I was pleasantly stunned, and wish now that I had put her on my "saved sellers" list.

[1923VictorFan]

Thanks Bob & bbphonoguy for both of your 100% spot on opinions. You are correct that it would only take a few minutes on the internet to find out what they have. If the seller doesn't care enough to find out what he is listing there is no reason for me, a potential buyer, to do his job for him. Who knows, maybe one day one of these "lazy" sellers will sell me a priceless item for a few dollars. You made convincing arguments for NOT doing for the sellers what they should do for themselves....at least until they start paying me a commission!

[Zeppy]

I rarely do, but have on occassion. The most recent was an instance where some had listed a franken-phone as an original Victor horned machine. I sent an email, an ID'ed most of the pieces. The seller was quite appreciative, askes questions about the various parts, and posted updates to the listing. I suppose he could afford to be gracious because the parts were worth at least what he put into it, so despite not having the windfall he hoped for, he wouldn't lose money.

I've often debated contacting the seller trying to sell the $2k beat up VV-50 for the past 2 years. I know at least one person on this site did send him an email. I'd think that after 2 years of re-listing the same machine for the same obscene prices, he must have received countless emails. I wonder how he reacts.

[Retrograde]

If it's a rare machine incorrectly listed as a common one I'd do nothing but hunker down and bid, hoping few others would notice it!
In my experience few sellers appreciate emails telling them their "rare" machine is actually very common. Sellers are happy to post updates if any information supplied increases sale potential, but rarely change them if the opposite occurs.
As a potential buyer for nice machines that could be better described, I'm annoyed by people who wish to help the seller, supplying further information that could be gathered these days by any seller who wishes to do his/her own research. Would you email a seller saying he should enhance his description if you were intent on bidding yourself?
In the end, any listing with lots of clear detailed pictures and more than a single sentence of description will usually go for its fair current market value, high or low, IMO.
Board members calling attention to active Ebay listings (unless you're the seller) is another peeve of mine, but I'll save that for another thread!
Bob

I think you just read my mind!

[AZ*]

I agree with Bob and Retro. So you've spotted a brass Orthophonic reproducer on ebay that few have noticed, and it seems to be attracting little interest. Then some phono "know it all" who has no intention of bidding decides to wise up the seller, who then adds that info to his listing. Now the cat is out of the bag, and the price zooms out of sight. It's interfering with the auction. Not as bad as shill bidding perhaps, but since it affects the outcome and can increase the final price, I don't like it.

Good grief!

[phonogfp]

I agree as well that an auction is not the venue to be a "do-gooder" or show off your knowledge. An auction should be between the seller and the bidder. One might be doing the seller a good turn, but inevitably this results in higher prices for our phonographic brethren - perhaps someone you know!

Worse yet are the fools who contact a seller after the auction to inform them that they sold the item for a fraction of what it's worth. This happened to me once with eBay, and the duly consummated deal nearly fell through after I had sent the check. Some helpful collector (and I know who it was) felt compelled to be a show off... It was not helpful for anyone. Everything worked out, but I still occasionally see this collector being "helpful" on eBay, having his comments and explanations of what's being sold posted on the auction page. Good old Mr. Helpful.

On the other hand, I've been in the position several times when people have offered me merchandise for far less than what it's worth. In my head, I'll split the difference with them. If it's a $600 machine and they offer it for $400, I'll say something cute like, "I couldn't possibly pay $400, but I'll pay $500!" Then everybody's happy. But an auction is different: it's competitive, and involves multiple people. To wade into the fray when you have have no interest in bidding is simply being a busybody. Whew - that feels better!

George P.

[TinfoilPhono]

What bothers me far more is when someone persuades a seller to close an auction and sell something privately. This almost always happens when a seller is not aware of the value of his item, and he or she inevitably ends up being screwed. And the rest of us are suddenly out in the cold. I've seen an awful lot of things I really wanted to bid for -- and was prepared to bid substantially -- suddenly evaporate.

I'm always amused when I see such questions incorporated into the auction description. I saw one recently for a non-phonographic auction; someone contacted the seller and said "I'll pay you $400 to close the auction now and sell it to me directly." The seller politely declined, and then added it to the listing for all to see. The final selling price was over $1200.

[gramophone78]

Well, I'm on board with this "know it all" or "do gooders" as being nothing but fools. I had a Ebay issue with one myself. Interestingly, when the seller ask the "know it all" "why don't you buy it??". His remark was he did not collect such things......That is a real fool!!!! IMHO. Lucky for me (like George) I was able to complete the deal. It is a same in any hobby to get one or two people that just have to see "their" name in lights. It is even more shameful when they really know less then they think or use others hard work as their own. By far the worst is when they change history to suit their own self promotion.....
As I wrote.......every hobby has them......