The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I think this poor chap needs a refresher course in customer services...

Dear mrjingjing4147,

bull shite

- cratetechpacking

Reply in your email program or through My Messages
Respond Now


From: mrjingjing4147
To: cratetechpacking
Subject: Re: mrjingjing4147 has sent a question about item #300455014433, ending on 21-Aug-10 18:40:51 BST - Original Early gramophone - Very Nice & GWO
Sent Date: 18-Aug-10 09:32:51 BST



Dear cratetechpacking,

Thank you for that charming reply. I was actually thinking of purchasing this machine and decided to offer it to the experts on this forum:

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... f=2&t=4515

Your machine is fake - they know their stuff...

- mrjingjing4147



From: cratetechpacking
To: mrjingjing4147
Subject: Re: mrjingjing4147 has sent a question about item #300455014433, ending on 21-Aug-10 18:40:51 BST - Original Early gramophone - Very Nice & GWO
Sent Date: 17-Aug-10 19:36:44 BST



Dear mrjingjing4147,

bull [crap]

- cratetechpacking

Certainly an articulate fellow isn't he!

His verbal communication skills are only exceeded by the excellent quality of his pictures.

the excellent quality of his pictures

In reality, Bruce, his pictures are par excellence. You see, you have to get into the minds of these con artistes to fully appreciate just how perfectly realized those pictures are. If you think about it, they show NOTHING, which is EXACTLY what this vendor wants you to see!

Steve wrote:

the excellent quality of his pictures

In reality, Bruce, his pictures are par excellence. You see, you have to get into the minds of these con artistes to fully appreciate just how perfectly realized those pictures are. If you think about it, they show NOTHING, which is EXACTLY what this vendor wants you to see!

Yea Steve, you are right on the pictures. They are DESIGNED to hide, not to show. With these types it's always the same. When you ask them for better pictures or better description, there's always a reason why they are unable to provide.

Yes, there's a real "art" to making the photos appear comprehensive, but in actuality just barely hiding what you don't want the customer to see. For example...

Awhile back, I purchased a Graphophone Type "QB" on eBay. (For those who don't know or care, the "QB" was a first-generation "Q" on a simple wooden base in a pasteboard box, covered in black imitation leather and with a gold stencil on the front reading "The Graphophone." They were available only in 1900-1901 and nowadays they're rather hard to find. Well the description said the case was "untouched" and the photos showed a pretty good looking machine. When I received it, I was surprised (and duly impressed) to discover that the photo showing part of the mechanism and just under ½ of the reproducer just HAPPENED to not include that cracked diaphragm. And apparently "untouched" didn't take into account the sloppy repair to the box with Elmer's glue... And the broken leather handle with the duct tape on it? That didn't show either. The guy was a real artist. Fortunately, I had been suspicious enough to ask about the handle's condition, and in all fairness, the seller came clean on that before the sale. Nothing else, though. And it was lucky I asked him to separate the machine from the flimsy pasteboard box, because he had already packed it with the machine inside! Again, in all fairness, the seller unpacked it and re-packed to my directions. I was able to fix everything and I'm pleased to finally own a "QB", but I was lucky that everything hidden in the photos was repairable. Buying phonographs on the Internet is not for the faint of heart!

George P.