[ In Digest 980626, "One Music Box for the Price of Two!",
 [ Ken Vinen wrote about a music box sold at an estate auction.

>    "Lot #812 - Antique "Stella" Music Box ...  ... complete with
>     crank and in excellent playing condition ... "
                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> There were at least eight teeth broken from the top comb.  ... ...


In the United States, we have a technical term for this kind of sale.
We call it "fraud".  When that box arrives, the buyer will have grounds
for a lawsuit.

Auctions can advertise "no warranty" and so forth, but they can't do a
come-on like that and then deliver junk.  And any reputable auction
house would promptly void the deal once these facts were pointed out to
them.  Actually, a reputable auction house likely would not have made
such claims in the first place once they'd seen the box.

I wish I had a dollar for every sight-unseen sale where it was claimed
that the box "played perfectly".  Nancy has one of my boxes that
"played perfectly" and I'm sure she can testify as to how perfect it
is.  Say, it's been two years, Nancy, how's that box coming along?  =)

Larry Smith