odie
TOTW Team
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2006
- Messages
- 7,117
- Likes
- 9,856
Four pcs Spalted Maple, 6"x3", price is $35 total combined with shipping, or $8.75 each......from an auction on ebay.
For me, I always have no more than a photograph to judge what is being offered. Sometimes I get nice usable and interesting looking wood for my bowls.......sometimes, I'm very disappointed. Since return shipping is very costly, and pretty much means I'm stuck with what I get, I end up with some bowl blocks that I never would have purchased if I had the opportunity to inspect them prior to purchasing.
I've been burned a few times by purchasing bowl blocks that showed a photo, but with a disclaimer that the photo is only representative of what will be shipped....... There may be future circumstances where I still might do this, but normally these get passed over.
Sometimes I have no photos to go by, such as with Woodcraft and CSUSA. Purchasing bowl blocks sight unseen from them is a gamble, but for the most part, I've been very satisfied with what I get.
I've seen photos that I suspect might have been enhanced with photo software, but my untrained eye makes it difficult to know this for sure. I have no doubts this is going on, and I'd consider this to be dishonest. Other photos of wood look like they may have been sprayed with water (?) to enhance the color of the grain, but are actually much less impressive once the wood is in your hands. Whether or not this is ethical......I have some mixed opinion about that.
All in all, we all must hone our skills at making judgments of what we see in photos of raw wood being offered........the return policy except for shipping sounds good, but usually is a waste of time and money to try and use it.
I have not given my opinion of the Spalted Maple bowl blocks in the picture. At this point I'd rather hear the opinions of others before I give mine......so as not to influence the input......
ooc
For me, I always have no more than a photograph to judge what is being offered. Sometimes I get nice usable and interesting looking wood for my bowls.......sometimes, I'm very disappointed. Since return shipping is very costly, and pretty much means I'm stuck with what I get, I end up with some bowl blocks that I never would have purchased if I had the opportunity to inspect them prior to purchasing.
I've been burned a few times by purchasing bowl blocks that showed a photo, but with a disclaimer that the photo is only representative of what will be shipped....... There may be future circumstances where I still might do this, but normally these get passed over.
Sometimes I have no photos to go by, such as with Woodcraft and CSUSA. Purchasing bowl blocks sight unseen from them is a gamble, but for the most part, I've been very satisfied with what I get.
I've seen photos that I suspect might have been enhanced with photo software, but my untrained eye makes it difficult to know this for sure. I have no doubts this is going on, and I'd consider this to be dishonest. Other photos of wood look like they may have been sprayed with water (?) to enhance the color of the grain, but are actually much less impressive once the wood is in your hands. Whether or not this is ethical......I have some mixed opinion about that.
All in all, we all must hone our skills at making judgments of what we see in photos of raw wood being offered........the return policy except for shipping sounds good, but usually is a waste of time and money to try and use it.
I have not given my opinion of the Spalted Maple bowl blocks in the picture. At this point I'd rather hear the opinions of others before I give mine......so as not to influence the input......
ooc