http://www.ebay.com/itm/MILES-DAVIS-Kind-of-blue-CL-1355-6-eye-PROMO-/182775478377?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=%252BctdhaFhbd8d%252BEb2XOZoh9rLz2k%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

Mark, I am hesitant to share, but to put it lightly, I add a mark somewhere that no one would probably notice or think to look for, and when I get a record back, I make sure it is still there. i have only ever had three records returned, and in my opinion, two of those returns were completely unwarranted, though the third fellow had a fair point and i did miss something. but one of those first two returns lacked the mark, and i called him on it. ebay claimed he was banned, though i have no way to verify this.

have you heard about how spies in old movies would use their saliva to put a hair on a door frame and also the door, so that if opened, they would know, but their method wouldn’t be detected? it’s like that, but less weird.

but still. predatory sellers i think are a far bigger pox. i think the worst part is that most sellers probably don’t even fully realize they are doing it.

Trust and pictures go a long way…

i don’t really mind, because i buy records to play, rather than look at, but it always bothers me in the back of my mind. i worry a lot. it’s a compulsion. i always worry that i would have to sell off a lot of my collection to pay for some horrible medical bills for myself or a loved one, and then the “plays NM looks shitty” records would not be worth much. but that’s a sad and weird though, i suppose.

and as much as we complain, ebay comes through for us pretty often. i recently grabbed an NM/NM (audio AND visual) copy of a record that easily is a $50 record for about $8 because the seller spelled the name wrong. haha.