Thursday, February 22, 2007

Rare Antique & Grandfather Clock Horologe/have belle

All things considered, this (item #300082217192) is a pretty cool item. But, it is entirely mislabelled and definitely falls out of the definition of "grandfather clock."

From the auction:

Rare Antique & Grandfather Clock Horologe/have belle

"Welcome to my ebay,now you can see a beautiful and wonderful artware,the item is very value.look at its figure,it is nobler and enthralling,it will give you the elegance and made you exalted.what magnetic item,please don't miss it,it will be a good present for you or for your friend,also it will give you more fortune and good luck. shipping cost;GBP 66.00. Insurance;GBP5.00."

At the risk of sounding culturally insensitive, originating from an eBayer in Shanghai, China, this is "Engrish" at its best. As it stands, there is no indication of the actual dimensions or weight of this object, and of course, it is nothing like an actual grandfather clock.

One can surmise that this is a direct result of the eBayer's limited grasp of the English language, although interpreting the eBayer's intentions just based on the description is a challenge at best.

Presumably, he/she meant "majestic" rather than "magnetic," given the fact that strong magnets are sufficient to stop an analog watch, but then, it might be intentional, as that stand-up clock has to stay in the statuette's hands somehow, right?

No comments: