If I might, I want to weigh in for just a minute. ABSOLUTELY, it is wrong to steal images. ABSOLUTELY, it is wrong to pretend to be selling one grade of goods when one is selling another. ABSOLUTELY, it is wrong to lie about delivery.

BUT, the other question is not so clear to me. Do we always get what we pay for? Is price an indicator of quality? I do not think so. There is a guy on eBay selling what he calls the world's worst kilt. He gets about $30 and he warns you up front that it is poorly made. Apparently, he got a pile of them and just wants to be rid of them. He may even be taking a loss. In his case, price indicates quality. I think it also indicates he was counting on something better. But elsewhere on XMarks, I have read about people paying a lot of money and getting junk. Price is only an indicator of price and if you pay it, of what you are willing to spend.

We have all seen examples of other factors influencing price, but demand and lack of competition do enter into the equation. So does snob appeal. And, of course, the cost of production comes in. If your goods are made by people who grew up comfortable and hold advanced degrees, they will cost more than those made by people who only expect to feed their families- and not very well at that. Whether the intangible difference is felt by the purchaser or not, I can't say. I don't know whether a "conflict diamond" shines any more or less brightly than an ethical diamond, whatever that might be.

So I leave alone the question of what is unseen. I believe we stick with what we know is true. The merchant who steals web images is a thief. The goods you hold in your hand are what they are. The ones on the web can be anything. Beware doesn't mean "run away". It means be careful. If you only need a sporran to give away as a door prize, or because your mother made you wear one, it can be made of actual cardboard, certainly of cardboard-like "leather". If you want a garment that you can give to your descendants after you have worn it a long time, then you ought to do a little homework.