Know what's under the hood before you purchase a Lionel Postwar F-3

 Good advice, and it doesn't end with just F3s.  I follow the major auction sites on a fairly regular basis, and some of the overly generous descriptions are unbelievable!  Just looking at the pictures posted, one can tell that the items are vastly over-rated.  Terms like mint and like-new have become commonplace for, in my estimation, absolute junk.  I guess the only way to not get burned is to verify the seller's return policy and make sure they have a really good reputation via feedback or contacting people who have already dealt with the sellers.  Be extremely wary of terms like "estate sale", "selling for a friend or relative", "no way to test this item", or my favorite peeve, "I know nothing about trains" (yeah, you know nothing about trains, except that they command big bucks for almost anything with the name Lionel on it).

OK, I'm done ranting and raving, I'll climb down from my soap-box.