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I have mostly positive experience with some of those sellers.
I mean all those I had to deal with.
Some e-bay sellers of SNO are actually Indian not Russian. There is a
place in India where they dismantle old ships.
Many SNO and Freibergers come from
that place.

I can tell an Indian seller from a Russian/Ukrainian one because I speak
Russian. Russian/Ukrainian sellers usually can read and write in English,
but not very well.

The worst thing about those Russian/Ukrainian sellers is delivery.
It is long, expensive and sometimes the things are damaged.
All sellers I dealt with were very co-operative in replacement/repair
of damaged items.

Look at the e-bay reputation, and choose those who have good feedback and
many sales. These people know how to mail things properly from Russia.

Look for an SNO with 2 telescopes and maximally complete set.
I can tell you what exactly should be in the set, but it is never 100%
complete,
usually screwdrivers are missing, which is not important.

There are two specialized tools in the set and you need them.
Spare horizon mirror is a standard and very desirable thing.
"Astronomical (inverting) telescope" is a VERY desirable thing.
I know some people who say they don't like them,
but you can always sell one. Once you try it, you will never part with it:-)

The box of SNO-T is poorly made and unreliable. The inner parts
that fix the sextanbt can be easily broken in transportation.
Tell the seller to fill the space in the box with some foam/plastic/paper.

There is also one Dutch seller of SNO. I know him personally, he is a good
guy and also an autorized freiberger dealer. He is not selling on e-bay,
but has his own Internet shop.
His prices are a little bit higher than e-bay.

Unlike some Russian/Ukrainian sellers his English is perfect.

Alex.

> Dear Celestials,
> I'm looking to buy a SNO-T. They appear regularly on ebay from Russian
> sellers, in Odessa or Kaliningrad. Any experience with those sellers,
> suggestions for buying, or alternative routes? Thanks, Eric.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
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