As you know, words and phrases sometimes have double meanings. It depends on who's talking, and what they're talking about.
It often happens that eBay listings contain double meanings. Most of them are the overused adjectives and phrases, and easily recognized. Still, not everyone knows about these second meanings. So, for those who may not be up on the latest online auction doublespeak, here's a guide.
Statement: From an Estate Meaning: I'm not saying this is old, but I want you to think this is old.
Statement: I have no batteries to test it. Meaning: I'm too cheap to buy batteries.
Statement: It looks complete, but I don't know if any parts are missing. Meaning: Several parts are missing, but I don't want to say so. This way, I cover my butt.
Statement: RARE!!! Meaning: I haven't bothered to look, or I'd have seen that there are 20 more of these up for sale at a tenth of my opening bid.
Statement: Really hard to find Meaning: There are only three of these up for auction right now.
Statement: Vintage Meaning: I'm not sure what this means, but everyone else is using it, so I will, too!
Michael A. Banks is the author of The eBay Survival Guide: How to Make Money and Avoid Losing Your Shirt (No Starch Press, 2005. ISBN: 1-59327-063-1). He has written 39 books and more than 3,000 magazine articles and short stories. A full-time freelance writer and editor since 1983, Banks has written for most major computer magazines, and has served as a Contributing Editor for such publications as Windows Magazine, Computer Shopper, Connect Magazine, and others. He began writing about computing for Popular Computing in 1981. In addition to writing for the computer press, Banks has contributed to a diverse range of magazines, including Writer's Digest, Science Digest, Analog Science Fiction, Cavalier, Grit, Visual Merchandising, Starlog, Modern People, Good Housekeeping, and many other special- and general-interest publications. His work has been reprinted in Japan and South America, and he has written features and columns for magazines in Japan and England. His latest book is How to Become a Full-Time Freelance Writer, published by The Writer Books. http://michaelabanks.com
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