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I think Ed meant to say "I'd take it OVER the Ebay Bluebird any day.
Whoa there Bob. Nothing like that at all. This is why you have a group of friends that you trust for advice and use the PM function, email, or phonecall for. Putting what you're interested in on blast is the quickest way to lose a deal in my book--oh wait that's what happened. That said it's no one else's fault if you drop that kind of coin and get burned so a little (lot) of self-education can save you a lot of money and heartache down the road.
I think for this particular prospective buyer, he really wanted a group forum input before he committed, and if he got "sniped" so be it, it wasn't meant to be. We don't ALL have a "small club of experts" to PM like you seem to have, BUT not need.. We don't all have your knowledge and bank account Shawn. Putting it out there globally within the Cabe, it helps us all on knowing the procedure of buying off the Cabe, or elsewhere. LEARN, Help one another. You'll feel better about a purchase and your forum/Cabe site. No buyer remorse. You feel supported in your decision.
If you show keen interest on the Cabe or any site, you may get the "auction" mentality where another buyer will just want to beat another interested party. Sometimes a "Dog in the manger" if you know your fables. Or.... as you suggest, a person's attention ( this Robin has been up for quite some time) may be drawn to a bike/part he/she wasn't aware of. Big deal. Life goes on.
Getting "burned" as you say should never happen to anyone. Yes, it is not always the buyers fault. ( or sellers if they are not aware or lazy). Some people don't take the time ( or hourly expense?) to describe an item accurately, therefore sending an item that is not represented in whole honestly. That's when the" burn" happens. Sad.
( AGAIN)...Usually a new Cabe member has not set up a group of seasoned collectors, so as far as PM'ing people, it's not feasible. Even new Cabers may not be well versed in the message "system", I'm still learning myself. We are all not as keen and user friendly with computers or have the time or access to information as you do. I hear you are an expert in many areas. That's admirable, but not the norm for many of us.
That's where we count on or Cabe Brothers and Sisters to help us. Go for the Schwinn. For what it's worth, I think the Robin is more unique, but there is always another. Respectfully.... Bob
My post was not about me or my bank account so I'm not sure why you keep going there. Obviously BH has been on here a while and isn't a newb. His bank account or credit line seems to be pretty healthy if he's in the market for these sorts of things. He also has access to the same folks I, or you do through PM so I'm not sure where your perception comes from. I answer email and phone calls daily from people I have never met and freely offer my advice as do many others I know. Again, it was simply advice to be taken or discarded it makes no difference to me. I won't even go into the "Getting Burned" comments you make because its obvious that you think everyone should either perform a thorough inspection of every item or just not sell. BTW let me know when you find another Robin that nice. I know of at least a few Rangers as nice as the one shown. This is where a little knowledge or at least knowing who to reach out to can help you make a good decision. Building a collection whether you have a couple hundred or many thousands to spend should be about satisfying yourself not the masses.