Find Of The Day, or, Ooops! I'm An Idiot!

misterlowercase · Nov 28, 2014

Moments ago I logged into ebay and an amazing vision blasted my brains.
I saw an old unopened cutter top of Bulwark Flake with a BIN price!

:P

Yowza!
I gave a quick look and saw the untouched top and immediately bought the damn thing!
Then after the payment was finalized went back to look at the listing again,

and it made me weep!

:crying:
LOL

Stupid stupid stuuupid me,

I had failed to look at the very last photo where the bottom had massive rust pinholes and most surely the baccy will be total mummydust.

As I said, my brain was blasted,

damn.
I feel like a total dolt.

ugh.
ANTIQUE SEALED BULWARK CUT PLUG TOBACCO / GREAT PAPER LABEL TAX STAMP

ugh.
This was a bitter pill.

Remember kids,

look before you leap!
*

woodsroad · Nov 28, 2014

Troy, if the tin is rusted through, then it is no longer sealed, thus it is not as described.

jmatt · Nov 28, 2014

Unfortunately for the OP, from the description I read and the pictures the seller posted, the only way this tobacco doesn't match the description is if there's actually any preserved tobacco in that tin.

It'll make a nice decoration though....

woodsroad · Nov 28, 2014

From the item description:

"items are considered AS-IS but I do provide a return policy if you are not satisfied with your purchase. Returns must be returned within 14 days of receipt and exactly as sold. Refunds will be based on total amount paid minus shipping - shipping charges are non-refundable."
Either way, under eBay's new policies, just about everything is returnable, regardless of what the seller might think or say. Just start an online return and a prepaid return shipping label will be provided for you to print.

pitchfork · Nov 28, 2014

woodsroad is right. You can probably return it one way or another, but for that price it makes a really cool decoration.

teufelhund · Nov 28, 2014

That's a bummer. At least it looks really cool. Hopefully you didn't pay too much.

woodsroad · Nov 28, 2014

EDIT TO CORRECT MY BLUNDER:
I'm looking at the bottom of the tin now, and I'm convinced that it's compromised:

pitchfork · Nov 28, 2014

On the other hand, if you look too long before you leap, you'll miss out. I remember a while back a 19th-c. gold plated BBB (spigot mount and capped rim) that I was about to buy and then someone else hit the BIN button -- while the seller was writing me back to answer my one, tiny question about hallmarks. I was bummed alright.

mikestanley · Nov 28, 2014

Pardon my opinion here but, the OP made a rash decision without doing his homework, which was right under his nose. Unless you actually smoke tobacco AND know that aged tobacco has value above that of fresh, what did the seller do that was wrong? Too many photos of his item? Probably nothing is the truth. The way I read Mrlowercase's post, I don't think he blames anyone but himself...been there, done that. I have a cutter tin of Imperial fine cut Virginia sitting in my mail at work because I did the same thing, didn't read enough because someone else might be reading it ahead of me and "steal" the find from me! BTW, I am the proud owner of a cutter top tin of cigarette tobacco. Like Mrlowercase, the fault lays with me, not the seller, hence the bitter pill.
Now, I recently bought an old tin from a man who is a doctor of pipes (no names please). The tin label was clearly scotch taped back on the tin. No worry to me as I want the tobacco. Sadly, under the replaced label were large rust holes. This fellow knows full well (IMHO) that his omission of the holes is a subterfuge. It wasn't worth my time to send it back but in this case, I do blame the seller, and have made my last purchase from him as a result.
My 2 cents.
Mike S.

dottiewarden · Nov 28, 2014

I'm still not convinced it's a total wash, as I came across some cigar leaf that had been left to dry out for 25 years, and with a little remoistening it smokes incredibly well and tastes fabulous. The tobacco was originally dark brown but over the years it paled to a yellowish green, rather dead looking. I feel priveleged to have some stashed away for rare occasions.

woodsroad · Nov 28, 2014

To answer your question, Mike, mlc only postulated that something might be wrong. The tin is sold as "sealed". If it is not sealed, for whatever reason, then the description is incorrect.
Looking at the photos, I don't see any reason why the tin would not still be sealed. Irregardless of all this, the seller will accept returns for any reason, so your moral indignation can be saved for another day.

torque · Nov 28, 2014

Looking at the photos, I don't see any reason why the tin would not still be sealed.

I think you are looking at the can of scotch snuff and not the tin he actually bought. Scroll down a bit.

mikestanley · Nov 28, 2014

No indignation at all. IMHO, eBay's attempt to protect us from ourselves presents us with the real problem. " The contents of the tins are not for consumption" and all that crap we have to include in our descriptions of sealed tobacco tins makes the condition of the tobacco within irrelevant as it isn't to be smoked. Anyone who buys sealed tins on eBay has probably rushed to judgement a time or two and I read the post as a warning of doing just that. Rust under an affixed label, rust inside that hasn't shown itself on the outside, these are just hazards we must bare. Intentionally hidden signs of rust are wrong, and are the fault of the seller. And I agree, that tin bottom looks like it might be ok. There is probably rust inside but who knows?
Mike S.

woodsroad · Nov 28, 2014

Torque, you are right and I'm wrong. I fixed my post. That tin is rusted through. Still, the seller takes returns for any reason, so...
Mike, you point is taken. Still, when a tin is sold as "sealed", that is part of the description.

ssjones · Nov 28, 2014

I'm with Woodsroad, the rust of on the bottom of the tin doesn't look that severe to my untrained eye. I'll hope for the best.

xrundog · Nov 28, 2014

I am occasionally too quick to pull the trigger on ebay. Every now and then I buy a pipe with a flaw that was plain to see but I missed for some reason. When it's my own damn fault I pay the bill, say thank you very much, and then try and figure out how to best salvage the situation.
Hey, maybe the holes don't go all the way through. You can only hope. Good luck!

torque · Nov 28, 2014

Torque, you are right

I did the same as you at first and clicked on the wrong listing. I would normally expect that thumbnail to lead to the original listing, odd that this one leads to a different one.

warren · Nov 28, 2014

Set the tin in front of your computer monitor as a constant reminder of what you did and could do again.

mikestanley · Nov 28, 2014

"Bought a 1970s tin of MB Va#1 at the CORPS show. Asked Per Jensen about it since he was there, says the tine weren't vacuum sealed...tobacco is OK though."
I am currently working on a 7(?) 0z. tin of that. The tobacco was as fresh as a current tin but, a couple of shades darker. Fantastic stuff indeed.
Mike S.

jmatt · Nov 28, 2014

How is he even selling that stuff without all of the ebay "disclaimers" without getting his auctions deleted by ebay right away?

Find Of The Day, or, Ooops! I'm An Idiot!

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