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TLR Everyone who comes here or has ever posted a pic of a model they've painted is a damn Renoir and I love you all.

I wish I could find my camera so I could show you the condition of these "well painted" models I just picked up. The very first thing I did was mix up a bath of solvents to strip them all. I got a deal on the models and expected to give them some TLC, but I laughed when I went back to the auction and saw "WELL PAINTED" in the description.

As a painter, I value my work, rarely sealing a model until I feel it is DONE (or at least isn't going to get any more paint for a long while). I have done a couple commissions, I've posted some pics, and I've gotten some really good praise as well as critique of my work. I value both, because praise reminds me that I'm not that bad at painting stupid little dudes, and critique reminds me that there are a million ways to improve. I love this community because it gives both so freely and has always made me feel great about painting no matter what skill level I possess.

I have never felt comfortable saying "pro" or "well" painted when it comes to my stuff, even though it's pretty good (I would say I'm a 4.75 on CMON). So it's really weird for me to see so many listings on ebay or whatever which boast "professional" quality and expect people to not be able to tell the difference. Does the term usually drive up the price for these auctions? There are quite a few notable exceptions (that ninja dude and blue table come to mind), but it seems like "well painted" is just a keyword to snag a buyer. Have any of you bought "well painted" models only to strip them the second you get them? I am by no means saying I'm better than you as a painter or a person. I just know I see some really awesome stuff here on dakka and on CMON, and even the average paintjob (and sometimes basecoats!) is better than some of the work I've seen pretending to be professional.

So ummm, high fives all around gang.

but it seems like "well painted" is just a keyword to snag a buyer.

Unless it is a listing from an established painter with a good reputation, that's exactly what it means. This topic has come up a few times before and every time it has, the consensus has been that when it comes to eBay listings, "pro painted" means next to nothing.

My advise: if you are buying miniatures from eBay or some place similar, don't go in with the intent of purchasing top-quality work unless it is from a well known painter. If and when I purchase something from eBay, I buy models that aren't painted or the cheapest (significantly less than MSRP) painted models with the intent of stripping them as soon as I receive them in the mail.

I bought a used metal Sammael on his bike listed as "pro painted" and immediately stripped it. It was like $30 bucks so I was getting it just for the model anyway. Whether or not someone says it's "pro" is entirely up to your own sensibilities.

"Well painted" or "pro painted" are terms with no inherent value (like "clutch" or "elite" when it comes to sports) that sellers throw in their description in the errant belief it makes them more valuable.

Ideally, people would simply list it as "fully/partial painted" depending on it's state of completeness and simply leave it up the consumer to judge how "pro" it's done.

I certainly wasn't buying it for the paint job. I mostly just wonder if it actually affects the sale price.

'Pro' means professional which can mean that you've sold a painted model before. It should also mean that you've told the tax man about it though!

Yeah, after browsing ebay for a while, I wasn't sure whether some of these guys just think very highly of their painting skills or they were trying to scam people.

Example:

The auction says "Professionally painted" in the description and the guy wants $50 with shipping for these five scouts. I'm not one to harp on peoples painting skills but these are paint-by-numbers tabletop quality at best. There's little to no shading and the bare minimum for basing.

Agreed - there's even mould lines on the melta gun & I'd want the barrels to be drilled out for that price!

I mostly pay attention to cost/bids and photos (or "objective" description) rather than the caption... I find it more... rewarding (as in: 15 pagk, 5 tdagk and 1 tda librarian for about 25 bucks)... The pro-but-actually-low-tabletop quality at absurd costs may wait peacefully and for a long, long time...