Condition- What is acceptable???

[Rick]

Originally Posted by G. McCormack

It does seem to be a very personal matter.
So what do you do if you buy a piece online, only to receive it and discover some flaw, like a bend in the blade, where do you draw the line as to, "Well, its a few hundred years old, so I'm ok with the fact that its a little warped/nicked/damaged" and "Uh oh, the seller didnt disclose this, and I dont like pieces that aren't more or less in their original state, plus patina"?

Well, there's online as in 'ebay' and there's online as in 'reputable dealer'.
Granted there are some reputable dealers on ebay; but aside from them the place is a crapshoot.
Most reputable dealers will take returns provided the complaint is not ridiculous or unless their country has restrictions on the import of edged weapons.
The best defense is to ask lots of questions and request more detailed or close up pictures of features you are doubtful about.

Where one 'draws the line' is a completely subjective area; there are no hard and fast rules.