Pics with ads?

All of the above info is valid. However, just a hint of the other side of the coin. I've done all of the above in my ads and still have people email with questions already answered in the ad. Also, to me, pics are only useful if it is of the actual item. And last, pics of cables are almost completely usless. Personal info about items is great but to reiterate info that is available on the product website shouldn't be necessary. This is only MHO.

I've also seen some ads for obscure gear where I don't even know what the person is selling, except for the category it's listed under.

"Brand X, Model Z" Like new. $2500."

Most of the above excuses are NOT valid. If the ad says, "E-mail for pics", then the seller has pics. Post them in the ad and you won't have to be bothered answering requests for them. IT'S FREE!

To Mt10425, I disagree that, "pics of cables are almost completely usless," as I have recently sold 4 pair of self-made and/or self-terminated speaker cables, and wouldn't have considered asking someone to purchase them without letting the prospective buyers see pictures of the terminations and cables. I have also purchased several used Cardas cables, and realize the importance of whether they have the factory termination, and whether the lettering is visible, as it relates to the past usage of the cable and its potential value for future resale. With the ready availability of digital cameras, and the ease which Audiogon facilitates posting of photos, I would not buy anything of significant value without seeing pictures of the actual item.

Mitch, I said "almost". There are exceptions. To me the bottom line is that buying used gear on Audiogon is a Crapshoot. There is no guarantee that a picture provides any assurance of of any kind of performance. I find pics to be a matter of convienence for me, not necessity. If I really need to see what an item looks like, I have other options. Buying and selling on Audiogon is about trust and I believe most members to be trustworthy (again there are exceptions). Pictures are generally useful to the curious, but to the bulk of buyers who already are familiar with most of the items, not really necessary. Agian, IMHO.