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E, DanielCorey, I had been thinking the entire reason for having a truly representative picture was to get away from subjective descriptions, whether written or stated in person/over the phone?
If I ring up person A and ask about the actual condition of an item, how many different questions do I have to invent to cover every possibility? Do I have to rely on just one person's opinion, or should I ask for a second to get on the phone? Eg. Person A calls it a 'medium' crease with light surface wear, Person B would call the exact same condition a 'heavy' crease and medium surface wear. Perhaps Person B also notes stains because of better background in looking for such flaws, while person A misses this entirely.
So after all these calls I bid, get the piece and it does not reflect their oral description.....should I have tape recorded the conversation so that there can be no dispute over words used??? What if they just flat out lie?
It gets ridiculous, which is why as has been said innumerable times on this forum, a successful auction description is one that posts large, clear pictures and leaves descriptors to an absolute minimum. And if you screw up the pictures, take another one or be prepared to accept the item back.
The words, whether written or spoken, just get in the way of making a good and clear decision as a buyer.
Daniel