6/10/2013

Misleading Ads on eBay

I'm going to start posting about the bullshit I find in auctions on eBay. I usually just send a polite letter to the seller but they rarely change their ad.
Today's garbage is an auction for a replacement Tiny Kitty body. The ad reads thus:

HTF! RARE!! 10" Tiny Kitty Articulated Body

You are bidding on a Rare, Hard to Find, REPLACEMENT BODY for your Tonner 10" Tiny Kitty doll.

This body is BRAND NEW from the factory and Never used.

Consider the cost of an articulated Tiny Kitty doll, and you will see that this is an Inexpensive way to update your Tiny Kitty doll and have an articulated body.  This New body has the highly sought after articulated elbows and wrists for unlimited posing possibilities! 

Not only are replacement bodies easy to find, they are not rare. Anyone can get them directly from the Tonner Store for $39. a piece. Last time I purchased a few it was buy 4 get one additional one free.  I informed the seller of this in a politely worded email.
Now, if this seller had discovered a Tonner body for TK whose knees did not splay out when she was seated, that would be rare because it doesn't exist. 
I previously blogged that I discussed the Tiny Kitty body with Robert last month in Orlando. The new Tiny Kitty's bodies will be the same as the last ones...unlady-like. I am really sad about that.  I  have a big collection of the gals and they look awful seated. 


A few more pictures in which the dolls would have looked nicer if their knees could come together.




If and when they get the body right, Tiny Kitty will become the fashion doll she was meant to be.

Tonner Company Store
14 Hurley Avenue
Kingston, NY 12401
845.339.2960
Store Hours
Wednesday - Saturday: 10am - 6:00pm EST
Closed Sunday, Monday, Tuesday
Contact Us!
Jennifer at the Tonner Company Store: jbeichert@tonnerdoll.com - or by phone 845-339-2960.

16 comments:

  1. I've found that HTF and "RARE" show up in ads constantly. Sometimes I actually laugh when I see it because the doll in question is anything but. I'm not sure why people do that because often if a person is seeking a specific doll they already know how rare (or not) the doll is.

    I know they may fool some people but I'm guessing that on average more are aware of a doll's availability than not when seeking something specific.

    The other one that irks me is "NRFB". "This doll is NRFB. She has had her hair taken down by me." Um... What part of never is so difficult to understand? You can sell a doll that has barely been used/played with without claiming they've never been removed from the box. Never means never. It means the doll is exactly as the doll came to you in the box.

    Things like "HTF", "RARE" and "NRFB" have totally lost their meaning when looking at sale ads.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How about NIB? My trust for a seller that misrepresents their products drops immediately after I see a misused description. Why can't they just be honest?

      Delete
  2. ha there are so many HTF items out there that at this point NOTHING is hard to find anymore!!
    I love the "popular" retailer-faux designer that is always running "store wide sales.....but on certain items only.....English is my second language but if the sale is STORE WIDE then it can NOT be on certain items only......also this person celebrated their 30 year anniversary a few years back...and not too long a go had another anniversary ...this time a few years shy of 30...so they found a way to go back in time!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. you could probably dremel out the groin and give her more of a closed stance....

    people posting things are rare when they are still available at retail goes on everywhere.....like the Syb Neurotica on ebay right now at more than Marl has her posted at.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sadly many of us paid more for Neurotica than Marl has her posted at now.
      Re: TK, I don't see myself dremel-ing 40 or more Tiny Kitty bodies anytime in my future.

      Delete
    2. no, i don't either, but sometimes you get obsessed with a doll and her lack of articulation.......and you remove her arm joins and put in new ones and then you spend years getting Valia to forgive you by buying her new clothes.....

      it's an addiction

      Delete
    3. I have an addiction for telling the truth on the W Club board every three or four months and getting deleted by the frightened moderators.

      Delete
  4. LOL! Similarly, I sometimes can't believe how much sellers think they're going to get away with charging for a doll, charging hundreds or thousands of dollars for dolls that the experienced collector would know are not that rare. IMHO, with all due respect, TK's legs don't bother me. Part of what I love about dolls is that they're just that--dolls, not humans. I personally don't want mine to be too lifelike, that's part of their charm! Although, now that I'm looking at your pix, Terri, the legs are bothering me...;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry. LOL.
      I hear you and I'm not sure I want my dolls to look human but as a photographer, I'd like to be able to pose my dolls in a more fashionable way.

      Delete
  5. Oh dear, poor TK needs to show a little more chastity! LoL

    ReplyDelete
  6. Too Funny! I actually saw several TKs at an local doll show yesterday and was very....very tempted.
    Not so much after seeing your pics here!
    As always love the blog.
    Will C.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I think the funniest are those who list the doll way cheap - cheaper than the offered dolls - and then you get to the shipping and handling... $155 for shipping & handling ?

    I thought perhaps it was my country's shipping charge, so I put in a US zipcode to calculate shipping - same. It was $112.

    It feels like they are trying anything to rip people off.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I searched all over the Tonner Store site and could not find TK. Could you provide a link? Pleeze? thanks, Susan f.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You have to call the store. The bodies are not listed.
      845.339.2960

      Delete
  9. Everyone who owns a Tiny Kitty should pose her standing up or from the side. Not too bad that way!

    ReplyDelete

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