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Thanks to several list members who responded to my question about buying a 
sextant on ebay, with helpful suggestions.

> My experience shows up the problems that can occur when you buy
> something as finicky as a sextant, sight unseen, at auction. Will I
> be tempted to try again? Probably, yes. What more can I do to avoid
> another disappointment? I have no idea. Perhaps others, with
> more experience of these matters, can offer suggestions.

Such as Fred Hebard who wrote-

"As Robert Gainer said.  The other thing to do is ask the seller to
email pictures to you.  Most people should have or have a friend with
a digital camera with enough resolution to show all the arc
divisions.  Of course you would need two pictures to avoid the index
arm obscuring.  Not everybody will have the skill to take a usable
picture, but...."

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Well, that ebay listing showed several photos, rather good ones. One showed 
the complete sextant with its arc, but the divisions of
a Vernier sextant are so fine (at one-sixth of a degree) that you couldn't 
expect them to show up on such a picture. And such
markings, on a highly reflective silver surface, are hard to photograph at the 
best of times. But there was a photo of a small part
of the arc, taken close up, which did indeed show the divisions of the arc 
rather clearly, and satisfied me that all was well.
Needless to say, the part of the arc that was pictured was NOT the section in 
which the divisions had been polished away! You live
and learn, I suppose...

So I'm still unsure what more I could have done to ensure I was getting a 
useful instrument. In many cases, a seller will plead
ignorance about the technical details, which could make matters worse. In my 
transaction, I was dealing with someone who was, or had
been, a professional navigator, and should have known better.

I am apprehensive, now, about further ebay transactions; but I  may get tempted again.

George,

================

contact George Huxtable at george@huxtable.u-net.com
or at +44 1865 820222 (from UK, 01865 820222)
or at 1 Sandy Lane, Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 5HX, UK.

   

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