Oh, and iab: regarding asking for pictures, this is the last exchange I had when I did just that:

ME: Since the box is open, could you please add some photos of the contents to the auction? Failing that, is it possible that you could email photos of the parts to me? I'm interested in the BIN as-is, but would like to confirm parts, condition - all that stuff. Thank you.

Jeff

SELLER: I've got a 100% rating on 571 E-Bay transactions confirming my honesty & integrity. If that isn't good enough for you, I would prefer that you didn't bid on this item.

ME: My question had nothing to do with honesty and integrity - don't know why you took it that way. I'd like to see what I get for my 200 bucks, that's all. Personally, I don't know why a seller would take three pics of the box but not the contents, but whatever. I can't bid on something I know no details about, so as you wish - I won't.

A little assistance to your potential buyers might result in a sale - may very well have done so here. It's too bad you had to consider my request for more pictures to detail what I would get for my money as an affront to your honesty/integrity. Lighten up a little

SELLER: The point is, that if I say that a model is complete & unbuilt...IT"S COMPLETE & UNBUILT. I've got 571 people to back that up. Besides, you wouldn't know whether the kit was complete or not just by looking at a few photos. I have nothing more to say on this subject, but somehow I have the feeling you have to have the last word.

Nope, I had nothing more to say, so he ended up having the last word. Note how he feels that since he's got a 100% rating that means I should trust him sight-unseen? And it's obvious he truly believes this, too.

I prefer to avoid this kind of thing; fact is, some people get worked up about how they're perceived with barely the slightest provocation. In my experience, especially domestically for almost 4 years, I've found these sorts of people to be the most downright untrustworthy on the planet.

DD