Should I buy this?

[hmpf]

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=85751&item=4951925087&tc=photo

Pro: it's insanely cheap. Usually you pay around 700 euros minimum for this kind of thing. Plus, I've wanted one for years.

Contra: it's insanely cheap. There must be something wrong with it. (On the other hand, at that price, it almost doesn't matter, unless it's completely unusable.) Also, it will further the cluttering of my room, and it certainly won't make my next big move any easier.

Advice?

Comments

[ailanreanter.livejournal.com]

Maybe question the seller and buy it if the seller confirms that the condition of it is good?

Well, he claims it's good in his description,

[hmpf.livejournal.com]

and he has over a thousand positive customer feedback comments. The question is just what his (and by extension his customers') idea of 'good' is...

Then again... as I said, compared to the 700 euros this thing usually costs, the price is so laughable that even if it has some defects, it's still worth its money, unless it's completely unusable.

Arrrgh... I hate buying expensive stuff from people or companies I don't know... so far I got all my tools from companies eveyone at my school was using.

What's really frustrating is that I haven't kept in touch with anyone from school who's still working as a goldsmith. So, there's no one I could ask for a second opinion on this. I have to make the call on my own. Arrgh.

Re: Well, he claims it's good in his description,

[mjlaw.livejournal.com]

it looks kind of exciting. not that that's a help.

it's quite a long auction, so maybe he just pitched low for starters.

[ommadon.livejournal.com]

Buy it!!! After all who wouldn't want a huge blue thing with twisty bits in their room :)

[tiniago.livejournal.com]

WAS IST DAS? I see that it is... a machine of some sort. Possibly. No, I really have no idea. Buy it if it'll make you happy :).

[cdngirleh.livejournal.com]

The great thing about eBay is that if you don't like something you've purchased, you can just turn around and sell it there again. Throw in the seller rating like that, too, and I think you should go for it, especially if it's something you've been longing for.

From Scapekid

[(Anonymous)]

Yes. Buy it. Buy the strange blue thing that looks as though it could be used for torturing kittens with boiling oil. Look! It even has helpfully signed instructions about where to put the oil!

But in all seriousness, someone with a good seller rating is probably trustworthy. You know, as trustworthy as someone who tortures kittens in their spare time can be.

P.S. Didja get Red Dwarf yet? I'm paranoid about the postal system and if you didn't, I need to recopy and resend it.

*g*

[hmpf.livejournal.com]

Nah, that's actually the 'buy now' price. I've checked his website - he's got a company selling jeweller's and watchmaker's tools. You can actually buy the thing there for the same price.

Bwaaahahaha....

[hmpf.livejournal.com]

Best reply in this thread yet. *g*

Good argument for buying it, too. *bg*

It's a jeweller's rolling mill.

[hmpf.livejournal.com]

And it won't make me happy, exactly, but it *will* make my work easier. It's a pretty essential tool, you need it a lot, and so far, the only way for me to use one is to catch a train, go to my old school where I was trained as a goldsmith, and use theirs. That means a two hour trip, approximately, for a work step that actually only takes a few seconds to a few minutes.

I've decided to wait a bit, though. I've discovered this guy has a tool selling company, and he sells the mill at the same price there. I don't think that's likely to change dramatically in the near future, so I can probably afford to think it over for a little while longer. And read up on rolling mills a bit more, so I can judge this offer better.

True.

[hmpf.livejournal.com]

Hi, btw! Loooong time no see! How's the marriage going, and life in general? Want to acquire a few new fandoms? I've got a few new ones on offer. *eg*

Yes, I got the Red Dwarf.

[hmpf.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Did you already get the BSG?

I'm sorry I haven't e-mailed you yet, things are still a bit crazy here, even if I've rediscovered my motivation for studying. As you know, e-mail is usually the first thing I abandon when time is getting tight.

Are you in Cardiff around Christmas? Can I call you there? Do I still have your phone number? Questions, questions...

I phoned NatWest today, something about closing my account. It was so good to speak English again. Pathetic, isn't it?

;-)