For those of you who dabble in straight razors and purchase them from time to time on eBay, I have written some guides that may help you out a little. They are found HERE. Don't forget to vote. Nobody blows up your computer or emails you if you do...
An excellent article, Bill. Thanks. Luckily, I've been very fortunate with my straight razor purchases on eBay. Every one has arrived in the condition described by the seller. The ones that were said to be shave-ready were just that, and the ones that were said to have minor rust tended to be in better condition than I expected. Of course, it helped reading many a post that listed which razors and sellers to stay away from...