Guitar

This message has been edited. Last edited by: panhdlce,

What if the guitar was bought from Gruhn originally? The shot of someone holding the neck isn't a Gruhn shot. The seller has over 100 transactions with a 100% positive feedback rating. I don't see any red flags here that couldn't be verified easily.

Gary

Only an idiot would buy a Martin anyways....I kid.

I'm no authority on guitars or on e-bay business.

Just want to note that stolen credentials and photos are not uncommon on e-bay in connection with pre-war Gibson banjos. In those situations, you have 30,000 members of the Banjo Hangout inspecting the teeniest details and comparing with other records and photos, so the fraudulent banjo postings are generally publicized quickly.

You think Collings guitar owners are geeks? Post a fake 1937 Gibson banjo photo on e-bay, and within 24 hours, someone is going to mention that the mill marks from the underside of the flange are going the wrong direction for the 8536-2 lot number in August 1937 because Fred Jones was on vacation that month and was replaced by a left handed . . .

quote:

Originally posted by Alex Z:
I'm no authority on guitars or on e-bay business.

You think Collings guitar owners are geeks? Post a fake 1937 Gibson banjo photo on e-bay, and within 24 hours, someone is going to mention that the mill marks from the underside of the flange are going the wrong direction for the 8536-2 lot number in August 1937 because Fred Jones was on vacation that month and was replaced by a left handed . . .

I just spilled my beer, that is hysterical. Thanks for the laugh.

Good sleuthing, Pan! I withdraw my above remarks... :-)

And the auction has been pulled, evidently.

Gary

Then the seller should have stated that the photos were "borrowed" from Gruhns and that actual photos were forthcoming.

No excuse not to explain the reasoning behind not using photos of the actual instrument for sale.

So the photos on eBay were of a "different" guitar then?

I believe that only photos of the actual instrument for sale should be provided. No exceptions. If it's a set of wrenches, who cares. But used guitars? No, no exceptions.

quote:

Originally posted by panhdlce:
I would think if have over 100 transactions that you would have access to a digital camera and photo the ACTUAL guitar you have for sale, not a photo of someone else's guitar

I agree with that, Pan. Another thought I've had is that this could be a case where someone has stolen the ID of an honest Ebayer and is trying to do a "hoo-doo" auction in their name. This has happened a buncha times before and often the innocent Ebayer with a good reputation doesn't even know it until after the fact.

Y'all be careful out there!

Gary

quote:

Originally posted by panhdlce:
I would think if have over 100 transactions that you would have access to a digital camera and photo the ACTUAL guitar you have for sale, not a photo of someone else's guitar

I think it's unwise to make any kind of assumptions along these lines, based upon information which is so inconclusive.

Fact is we don't know why the seller posted these particular pictures. Nothing I've read here brands him guilty of fraud or strips him of his right to sell that guitar.

- Pictures of a guitar that is currently for sale at Gruhn.
- Description letter-for-letter from a guitar on the Elderly site.
- No apparent e-bay activity for the previous 11 months.

No, no assumptions or conclusions about the actual seller can be made, one way or another.

However, I've seen enough of these types of warning signals, that if I were interested in this model of guitar, I'd avoid this e-bay posting. Even if a legitimate seller exists and the guitar exists, one does not know what else might get mixed up during the completion of a transaction.