I called a guy about a sign he had posted on Ebay. He told me the sign was at his
store, The Rusty Spring in Kentucky, if I wanted to come and get it. Since the
pictures on ebay only showed one side of the sign clearly. I specifically
asked the guy what the condition of the other side was. Figuring he wouldn't tell me
a lie knowing I was gonna come see it in person, I didn't demand to see a better
picture and took him on his word. He assured me that it was equal to the side
shown. The side shown was an 8. He explained to me that the pictures were like
that because the sign and its frame were to large/heavy for him to move on his own.
Which seemed understandable to me and I wasn't all that worried about him hiding
anything from me. He described the sign as almost a nine. That it had a couple
minor chips in the porcelain. I agreed to come down and buy the sign if he would
hold it for me until Saturday when I could make the nearly 3 hour drive from
Louisville to Russel Springs. When I arrived yesterday at the store/resteraunt it
was filled with reproduction oil and gas signs. For every two real signs, there were
15 fakes or reproductions. Fake soda pop signs and coolers. A fake novelty gas
pump and fake coke machines. Almost nothing real at all in the entire store. I think
the burgers were even made of soy(I didn't really eat a burger). It was a huge let
down. When I asked the guy if they had any signs that weren't repros he said they
had an entire warehouse full. Which seemed odd. Why would you have an entire
warehouse full of originals. Yet, your retail store was stocked with reproduction
after reproduction? The guy finally pulls out the sign I came to buy and it was
authentic. One side was an eight like I expected it to be. The other side was
a six at best. It had been painted and someone had tried to remove the paint. They
had done an extremelly poor/lazy job. It was so bad there was paint flaking and
chipping off everywere. Across an entire 60"x48" sign. When I said to the guy that
the sign had paint all over it. He responded by telling me that he had never really
looked at it before. As I rubbed my hand on the sign and chips of paint were falling
all over the floor. I said, "what do you mean you didn't look at it before!" I was
extremely irritated, so I pressed him on that answer by asking him why he had lied
to me when he told me on the phone both sides were equal. He told me that he
didn't lie. That he had just never noticed the paint. I then reminded him that when
we spoke on the phone that he described the signs condition to me. So, if he hadn't
looked at it he either lied to me on the phone. Or he was lying now by saying he
didn't notice the paint. He didn't respond. The sign was so obviously painted, that
saying you didn't notice it had been painted when you looked at it. Would have
been like trying to contend you bought a car and didnt notice it was really a ten
speed bicycle. He was giving the def, dumb, and blind routine knowing he was
busted. Luckily for me, the sign had only been painted on one side. It was
repurposed. Not a touch up job to hide damage. So, I felt I could get the paint off
and it would be fine. Which, I ultimately did. Luckily, the penalty I paid for doing
business with the Rusty Spring was the condition of the sign I bought was a little off
and I ended up spending a couple hours removing paint.
Before everyone responds and tells me how they always make people show them
pictures first. Trust me, I understand and normally do to. I never in a million years
would have thought someone would describe a sign as this guy did and then it be in
the condition it was. Knowing I was gonna see it when I came to pick it up. People
never cease to amaze me. My rant/ slash story telling is over. Thanks for listening
and beware of Ol Rusty Spring from Russel Spring KY.
