Buying a knife with AI description
How many people who enjoy buying knives are tired of sellers using AI for their descriptions? I feel the majority of buyers already know about the knives' manufacturing, etc. What I want to know is the condition of the actual knife being sold. Snap, wobble, etc. It gets very annoying seeing basically the same description over and over for knives. I usually skip buying from a seller who gives an AI description of the item being sold. Does anyone else feel this way?
4 comments
knifeaholic
·1 year agoYes; this annoys me greatly.
I am a full-time eBay seller, and all I sell are vintage knives, mainly pocket knives and a few fixed blades.
I also buy a lot of my inventory on eBay, as well as pocket knives for my own collection.
In my listings, I go out of my way to painstakingly write my description for each knife - very time consuming - including some history or interesting thing about it.
As you indcate, some of the most important things can't be determned from photos - blade snap, blade wobble, closed length - fine cracks in the handle - and if the knife is "mint" looking, has it been cleaned/buffed?
The AI descriptions are rerally no better than NO description, which is what a lot of sellers do and have done before teh AI was available - descriptions like - "Old knife, condition is used - see photos".
roccotacodad54
·1 year agoThe lack of accurate descriptions is the main reason I don't buy folding knives online unless they are new.
As far as fixed blade I agree that I usually already know the information I need to make the purchase. Alot of times the seller doesn't know what they are selling. Case in point...I just purchased an old 100 years+ 3 piece carving set in great condition with warthog tusk handles and sterling ferrules-pommels (completely legal to sell-buy). The seller had them listed as "Looks to be horn or bone handle material".
My gain their loss for not bothering to find out. Their listing didn't use AI but if it had I still would have purchased. I've never seen a set like this from that maker and it's probably a one off custom order.
When there's an AI description sometimes I'll consider it a heads up that the seller doesn't know what they have and may warrant more research on my part if I don't know either. I've scored a couple of nice old daggers that way after some quick research before someone else got them for a bargain.
Just my thoughts that AI descriptions can be used to a buyers advantage sometimes......................
kensgiftshop
·1 year agoThe AI descriptions are good for brand new items, but not used items.
I see them for used items and they don't tell you anything about the condition of the items.
gator08041971
·1 year ago@thestribman
Yep. Annoying.
I have a knife listing active myself at the moment. You won't see any silly Ai on mine.
Getting ready to start listing some of my collection, so I totally understand the frustration. Some of these I bought over the last few years while collecting. Its scary how some get listed, even before Ai was involved.