I am a collector and seller of Murano art glass who has lately been finding more and more sellers listing their glass items as Murano when a trained eye (and sometimes even an untrained eye!) can tell that this isn't true.
As a buyer, this really irks me (actually irk is really not a strong enough word but I'm keeping this family friendly) because--
1. The seller thinks I am so stupid or gullible that I will believe whatever they write
2. They're too lazy to do research to find out what they've got so they list it as whatever happens to be selling well on EBay and
3. They are out-and-out lying to make a sale so they obviously have no respect for me or any of their other potential customers.
While I understand the drive to make a profitable sale (I am a seller after all), it just isn't possible every time. Sometimes that great garage/estate sale find turns out to be truly unidentifiable and you have to make a stab in the dark when trying to figure out where to list your little treasure and what to call it. This is where the dividing line between a shady seller and one with lots of satisfied customers happens.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, ADMIT IT! List your mystery glass in the Italian or Bohemian or Scandinavian or whatever category you thnk it may be, but then tell your potential buyers that you don't know for sure. If you give a complete description of your item and have a decent picture (focus please!), that's all we ask. The spirit of the bargain/buried treasure hunter is alive in most of us and many buyers will bid because an item catches their eye and they HOPE it turns out to be priceless. Other, more knowledgable ones, may make the identification you've been seeking and either bid or contact you to let you know what you've got.
Either way, you're making sales and you're not lying to the customers. You've respected their intelligence and that respect goes a long way toward getting you the repeat business and profits that brought you to EBay to begin with. Now, get out there and sell something!!!
Guide created: 08/26/06 (updated 11/23/09)
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