Before I joined this site, I perused Shiny and concluded the restorations were too brutal for my taste. Barely readable nomenclature does not make for a good antique of any sort. Luckily, I've never had a bad deal on Ebay. Whether it is my familiarity with photography, taste in used pipes, or blind luck, I've never had a bad deal. I have a couple preferred vendors and am not shy about cleaning or minor restoration. Finally, I'm just never in the market for a new or like new pipe, so this particular issue does not come up. I buy dirty, ugly, and abused pipes and give them a slightly better home.