The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

What really made me smile about the missing/broken winding handle saga was that any competent model engineer could have MADE one in a couple of hours!
Not to authentic HMV pattern of course, but good enough to test the motor. A length of steel bar tapped with the correct thread on one end, followed by a couple of right angle bends in the appropriate places and the job is done!

Much has already been said about the ethics in this case. All I will add is that a seller should always question the motives of anyone who either asks for the listing to be ended early or asks for a "Buy It Now" price when one has not originally been set. If in doubt, issue a polite refusal and publish it in the listing for everyone else to see.

Surely, for those with such nimble fingers, it'd be much quicker to "lift" one from elsewhere.

Or is that a little "below the belt"?

a seller should always question the motives of anyone who either asks for the listing to be ended early or asks for a "Buy It Now" price when one has not originally been set

I agree. On the extremely rare occasion that I deal with eBay I never accept offers unless I add the option to my listing. Put simply, if anyone is that keen to purchase an item that they beg for an offer at the outset, then in all probability they will bid at least the same amount if you let an auction run. If not, they are probably time-wasters anyway. Whatever happens you can rarely lose out by allowing the auction to continue. In a lot of instances you will get a lot more money by not accepting offers as more people can participate.

The main motive for offers might appear to be when a potential buyer is fearful of being beaten if he has to participate in the auction with others. All you are doing is permitting one "bidder" to get a chance without competition. Then it becomes a battle of wits: is the offer fair and sufficiently considerate to the seller to reflect the true value of the item or is it a gamble that the buyer has over-extended his offer or misjudged the market and you, the seller, should accept quickly! In my opinion it is rarely the latter scenario.