I agree with you. I usually don't consider an item unless it has what mentioned plus the country of origin (if it is an older version) and any apecial items like lighthing rod (& condition), signatures or known variations (paint, spelling, etc.). I'm sure there are some people selling that may not know some of this information,but I have found that unless it is something that I am really looking for without this type of info I'm not real interested. If I am interested I may take the time to email them, but normally not.

One thing that I have looked for a lot lately is pictures. People who take multiple pictures of the piece usually show me that they know the piece and it's value, and are interested in the real collector and giving them all information. A picture of the flag, the bottom, the latern room (& rod if present), and a picture of the whole piece really let me make up my mind quickly. I really like whole view pictures that have the piece in front of the box (sticker showing) and multiple views are also nice. Taking the time to give the info visually really helps me seperate the knowledgeable sellers from those just dumping extras on the market.

However, I must admit that things are getting better in some respects. I remember a few years ago we would get much more that was distracting than helpful. Things like music, a three page history of the lighthouse, and useless pieces of information seem to be less now than when I first started using ebay a long time ago. Also I am glad that there are actually more of the unique older pieces available that only used to be available from secondary dealers. I have seen Canadians, Hatteras mold I, and even the Split Rock MI pop up somewhat frequently as compared to years ago. However, this has also meant the demise of the secondary dealer who you could trust and depend on. But the best thing that I have found is that I have never been burned by a sale, although I did get one piece that streched the desctiption of "excellent condition" a long way. Bottom line for me is that if you look for good sellers who contain good information you get a good piece. The others that advertise with a song and dance with little useful info are no help and I just click the back button and go onto the next item. Actually I've gotten to the point that I can tell from many sellers name, or their page style who I don't want to deal with very quickly and avoid them completely.