h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well, 11 days later, my perfectionist buyer ( http://h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/F40352?thread=8284357 ) decided to order. And then sent a message saying the item must be exactly as shown on Amazon, including the colour. And that if there is any mould 'DO NOT dispatch'. And then sent another message to say the artwork should be pristine and that even a trace of mould cannot be tolerated. If I had the choice of not selling I would cancel the order but that would count against my seller rating. I have replied again that I cannot guarantee perfection, that no trace of mould is visible to me etc etc. That if he has any doubts about his order he should cancel it and that I'll delay postage till Saturday to give him time to do that. Normally it would have been posted midday tomorrow. All for a second hand CD for �4 that sells new at �12. This is the first sale on either Ebay or Amazon I've had that's been in any way a problem, but he's a doozy! We're talking classical music here, surely what matters is the sound quality? That, and the packaging, are the only things that haven't been asked about and perfection demanded. I've enjoyed selling on ebay/amazon, but this guy has rattled me. Selling started when I cleared my old house to move into S's. Two households into one won't go - not even if you dot and carry one or borrow ten. I hated throwing good stuff, or things I was fond of, out. Somethings suitable for charity shops went to them, some bits went to the local furniture recycling place but if I knew they were unlikely to sell in the shops, or would be sold for a tenth of their value, I put them on ebay. It was great. You know things are bought by people who want them. Like the beautiful wooden tenor recorder that was such a treasure when I was 14 that went to the back of beyond in Finland. I got an email from the buyer pleading for me to find another one to sell as her friend had seen hers and was desparate for one of her own. Or an unfinished embroidery of my gran's that I'd had for 25 years without finishing and knew I never would. If I kept it would just be stuck back in an attic. I could not throw it out - now I know someone out there who appreciates it has it. Or the sofa I really liked that didn't fit here and had to have the upholstery scrapped because I'd no paperwork to prove its fire resistance. Unbelievably Ebay found someone who wanted the frame. Her daughter and son-in-law came by one dark, rainy night in a rather small car and we strapped the sofa and matching chair frames rather precariously to its roof. Ebay and Amazon made clearing the house and de-cluttering so much easier. On reflection, more than, much more than, making up for the hassle of this current odd-bod. But he is an odd bod.

Perhaps he is a mould-intolerant bubble boy.

Could you formaldehyde-treat and vacuum-seal the whole ensemble before posting?

Ok so this makes me a bad person but I would feel compelled to put a bug sticky fingerprint on the case before sending it off.

We sold this wooden table we'd found on the street on ebay, mainly because it was an excellent table, ex pub I think, but taking up too much room. Went for 50£, which surprised me, but not as much as the fact that someone paid to have it couriered up to Scotland (we're down south).

A big sticky fingerprint, not a bug one, although I daresay that would work too.

Trout!

Had another message from my mould-averse perfectionist this morning. Short and sweet, said it was ok and to dispatch please. So I have, fingers crossed it meets his very high specs. Mould indeed. I've never come across mould on CDs.

I guess I'm partly peeved because I always make sure there are no fingerprints.

And Sol, the table off the street, fantastic. S had two old wooden crates in the attic. He was going to break them up for firewood. They were tongue and grooved! One was a sparkling muscatel crate, the other a Dublin Whisky crate. He is a philistine and a vandal. They both went to good homes via Ebay, for £10 and £15. The £15 one went to Ireland at a postage cost of £7.50. It was odd parcelling up old wooden crates in bubble wrap, cardboard and brown paper.

You could have put the bubble wrap, cardboard and brown paper inside the crate.

Yes, I was wondering if you were still in upsidedownland.

Have just remembered the empty sparkling muscatel went to a military base.

Has he given you feedback yet?

Yeah. Have you heard back from him?

You'd think someone so ready to press the send button might have said one way of the other by now but not a sausage. . Amazon send a reminder to leave feedback after a fortnight I think, so maybe there'll be a note yet to say a microscopic fungi spore was found or that the artwork was not quite the correct shade of cream.

I'm selling a car now. The Blue Bug is surplus to requirements. Blue Bug v 4wd Ford Ranger, Blue Bug lost. Anyway, the relevance of this is that last night I had a message asking if I was interested in a straight swap. The car for a scooter! But not just the scooter, included were new boots, armour plated gloves and an armour plated two piece waterproof suit. VVRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM !

Declined though, as am too wimpish for two wheels and too nesh to be roofless.

The Blue Bug is now running around two counties south of here under someone else's hands. Very nice part time mechanic whose wife won't let him keep chickens bought it to do up and sell on. It was a good deal on both sides even if £notes aren't as exciting as a scooter with accessories.

But Mr Perfection of the £4 CD sale has now been in contact, and as I always thought he would be, is disappointed. Not mildew though, he says there are two long sctratches I didn't mention. There were only the two 2mm marks outside the playing area that I described to him. I only sell to the UK and Europe, Mr Perfection is in Beijing, the address Amazon have for him presumably belongs to the friend who took the CD to China.

Refund offered but only covering UK postage. I'd have just refunded straight away if this hadn't felt like a set up to fail from the start.

Hmm, last year's journal says "There has been an issue with rendering this post, please contact the editors."

No idea what that's about. Odd word rendering. It's what you do to the outside of a house, covering up the bricks, and maybe following up with pebble-dashing. Or it's a process used in abatoirs, removing fat or something. It's not a word with pleasant connotations, whether that's to do with the sound of it - like tearing cloth - or the awareness of it being used in abatoirs, or the association with pebbledash, I don't know. The sounds of words do have an effect, a rose by the name of lugbollilogs would not smell as sweet.

Regarding Mr Perfection, he decided to keep the CD and the rest has been silence.

I no perfect?