i've had a few clunkers that looked good but turned out junk, tho many of them were sleepers, like my kard (ebay: old hunting knife) salawar yataghan (old rusty jungle machete) a couple of 'african' or 'unusual' knives that turned out to be indonesian, and a few more. the 80% surprise goodies well outweigh the 20% junkers, so when in doubt i will frequently bid (tho low). i have a gut feeling this one may be a 'decorator' but i am willing to be wrong.
every once in a while i get one like my flyssa which was instantly recognizable during my quick scan thru my search thumbnails, tho described incorrectly, or my presentation burmese dha that was listed as an 'egyptian sword' - i'm still surprised that the sharks here didn't get into a feeding frenzy on those two....ah, well - luck of the draw (or a little informed risk taking anyhoo). the nail biting angst as i waited for the countdown on those two was almost too much.
i'd like to swim in the deep water with the big boys but can't afford to be more than a minnow nibbling at the edges, and sometimes getting a good bite.
winning the lottery might help, y'all have any good numbers?