Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011, 1:30 a.m. — My last post mentioned my most recent eBay acquisition, a 1959 Vibroplex Original DeLuxe, that I successfully sniped for well worth the money.
The bug arrived in Monday’s mail, and I was delighted to see it waiting for me. But on my way up the hill to my house, something just didn’t feel right about the box; there seemed to be a lot of movement inside — and that’s not a good sign.
I brought the box to the shack and opened it up — and found a box full of wadded up plastic grocery bags!
ARRGGGHHH! Why do people sell on eBay and then cut corners when they ship something? A heavy item like a bug does not ride well in insufficient packing like … wadded plastic bags. The only comparable thing would have been wads of newsprint, I guess.
I carefully removed the bags, hoping I wouldn’t find my bug in pieces. Since it didn’t come with the weights or the finger and thumb pieces anyway, those are parts that cause damage (the weights) and get damaged (the plastic finger and thumb piece). The only damage that was left was to the jeweled pivot mounts that hold the keying lever. So far those look undamaged. It appears that despite my fears, I dodged another bullet and received a bug without damage despite the inadequate packing. I’m not going to complain, but after being lucky twice I have the feeling the next time won’t be so lucky.
For a while I was sending sellers instructions on packing bugs; this was good information, but insulting to other sellers who knew damn well how to property pack a key, thank you. After getting some snippy replies from my requests (what happened to the customer being right once in a while? Sheesh!) I stopped the practice. I guess the next damaged key I get will prompt the practice’s return.
The key is SN 207,823, from 1959. I’ll have photos later … I have a bunch to add to the album, but I finally have batteries and time to shoot more photos. Check back for more in a few days.
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