This pic is very altered right?

jsvand5 · March 25, 2009

Was just looking around on ebay and found someone selling "Black Sea Man". Is that what they really look like?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Black-Sea-Man-To...3A1%7C294%3A50

recruiterg · March 25, 2009

i think it is a bad picture, but i would assume that is it. the colors in the photo are funky.

**nctomatoman** · March 25, 2009

It is an ugly tomato but the colors are far more muted in the real thing - the interior is a very dark red with greenish overtones that are more subtle than that pic!

**carolyn137** · March 25, 2009

I thought I recognized the picture ASAP and I was right.

It's the same picture that's in the SSE Public catalog, which is protected by copyright and the same funky colors are also shown in the SSE photo.

And while Black Sea Man is not a fave of mine it sure as heck doesn't look like those pictures.

I know pictures in my book were protected by copyright and were still lifted to many different sites and I remember Aaron Whaley at SSE e-mailing me about one place in Canada that had lifted pictures from both the SSE public catalog/website as well as my book.

He was sending out warning letters from an attorney and I don't know if I should notify him about this one or not. Probably not I'm thinking.

Thawley · March 26, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I know pictures in my book were protected by copyright and were still lifted to many different sites and I remember Aaron Whaley at SSE e-mailing me about one place in Canada that had lifted pictures from both the SSE public catalog/website as well as my book.

He was sending out warning letters from an attorney and I don't know if I should notify him about this one or not. Probably not I'm thinking.

I'm a commercial photographer and I know I always appreciate it when someone points that stuff out to me. I rarely do anything past a nasty email (I hate dealing with attorneys more than getting ripped off by someone with no budget...) but it's nice to have the information to decide what to do about it.

In my experience, most folks lifting images are simply ignorant that they are breaking the law or taking bread from someone's table.

brokenbar · March 26, 2009

The listing was by "Seedmart" which is also "Hirt's Garden" and they have really negative reviews all over the net but not terrible on Ebay. They always "poach" photos from all over the place. I also have grown Black Sea Man and whatever is in that picture, that's not it. It is really awful and deceptive when sellers use these "doctored" photos, especially when it's a first time grower buying the seeds. One can only imagine their dissapointment when the item they grow fruits and looks nothing like the photos. It is particularily bad on EBay because many seed sellers "poach" the photo for their item from others on Ebay so the same unreliable photo gets used again and again.

**carolyn137** · March 26, 2009

Ja M, it is it. From time to time SSE has had really bad problems with colors of some of their pictures.

And SSE members will know what I mean when just a few years ago the pictures almost glowed in the dark and you couldn't tell if a variety was pink or red.

Craig, surely you remember that b'c I think it was Giant Syrian from Charlotte Mullens that you were complaining about specifically, but the new photo is much better.

I'll be the first to say it, well, maybe the third or fourth,

but that SSE picture is bad, bad, bad, from a techy/printing point of view but I don't doubt one bit that the photo is from some artfully arranged Black Seaman Slices.

Well I remember when the photographer was taking pictures of the varieties in my book that before every shot of a variety he calibrated whatever it was he was calibrating as to color.

**tomatoaddict** · March 26, 2009

Quote:

The listing was by "Seedmart" which is also "Hirt's Garden" and they have really negative reviews all over the net but not terrible on Ebay.

Why am I not surprised that it's Hirt's? That nursery is about 5 miles from my house. If you go in there at anytime they are working full time filling e-bay orders. That's the only way they survive. Plus, they price gouge horribly.
I have tried several times when I am in there to find out who supplies their seeds for ebay. They do not grow these tomatoes themselves and I can see from some of the varieties that it is someone with a bit of background on them. I can never get an answer.
The only reason I go in there at all is to buy Tomato Tone. It's about the only place I can find it around here.

brokenbar · March 26, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomatoaddict

Why am I not surprised that it's Hirt's? That nursery is about 5 miles from my house. If you go in there at anytime they are working full time filling e-bay orders. That's the only way they survive. Plus, they price gouge horribly.
I have tried several times when I am in there to find out who supplies their seeds for ebay. They do not grow these tomatoes themselves and I can see from some of the varieties that it is someone with a bit of background on them. I can never get an answer.
The only reason I go in there at all is to buy Tomato Tone. It's about the only place I can find it around here.

I heard they buy some seeds from other sellers and then re-sell them as "rare" "special" all of the over-the-top descriptions. It really must be tough for first-time gardeners...they have no idea who and what to believe and one wonders how many hundreds of dollars they spend with no results to speak of? I do buy seeds on Ebay occasionally (I have one pumpkin gal I have bought from for like 10 years as I am too lazy and too busy to save anything but tomato seeds, and I have had great germination and no "surprises".) That said, I have also bought seeds that either had no germination at all or were something entirely different then what they were preported to be.. AND OF COURSE, the ones that suck are always the seeds you bought late so it's too late to start over! I have bought from Dave on this forum from many years (on EBay) I just think you have to be careful, read feedback (Hard to leave feedback 6 months later when nothing sprouts or is the wrong thing!) and never buy a bunch or pay very much for your first experience with that seller. Occasionaly, someone will have a variety I have not found anywhere else and as usual, I can't resist!

Thawley · March 26, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomatoaddict

The only reason I go in there at all is to buy Tomato Tone.

Had to google that. Sounded like some kind of garden tanning lotion...

Polar_Lace · March 26, 2009

Tomato Tone thread at Tomatoville

~* Robin

Thawley · March 26, 2009

Thanks Robin. That's a good read. Gotta love Feldon getting to the bottom of something. Musta been Mike Wallace in another life...

pooklette · March 27, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolyn137

And SSE members will know what I mean when just a few years ago the pictures almost glowed in the dark and you couldn't tell if a variety was pink or red.

I remember that. Those were some wacky photos!

(I also recognized that Black Sea Man/SSE photo on ebay immediately. The moment I clicked the link, I thought, "Hey, wait a minute...")

FlipTX · March 28, 2009

I grew Black Sea Man last year hoping they would turn out to be that hideous, but they didn't. Replace the neon pink in the photo with burgundy-red and the green/black with a green-tinged brown.

vermiit · March 28, 2009

I have to say, it compromises SSE integrity in my mind with doctored photos like that. They also make all their black tomatoes midnight black

Show me the real thing!

March 25, 2009	#1
jsvand5 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: FL Posts: 47	This pic is very altered right? Was just looking around on ebay and found someone selling "Black Sea Man". Is that what they really look like? http://cgi.ebay.com/Black-Sea-Man-To...3A1%7C294%3A50

March 25, 2009	#3
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	It is an ugly tomato but the colors are far more muted in the real thing - the interior is a very dark red with greenish overtones that are more subtle than that pic! __________________ Craig

March 25, 2009	#4
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	I thought I recognized the picture ASAP and I was right. It's the same picture that's in the SSE Public catalog, which is protected by copyright and the same funky colors are also shown in the SSE photo. And while Black Sea Man is not a fave of mine it sure as heck doesn't look like those pictures. I know pictures in my book were protected by copyright and were still lifted to many different sites and I remember Aaron Whaley at SSE e-mailing me about one place in Canada that had lifted pictures from both the SSE public catalog/website as well as my book. He was sending out warning letters from an attorney and I don't know if I should notify him about this one or not. Probably not I'm thinking. __________________ Carolyn

March 26, 2009	#6
brokenbar Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Of The Border Posts: 1,169	The listing was by "Seedmart" which is also "Hirt's Garden" and they have really negative reviews all over the net but not terrible on Ebay. They always "poach" photos from all over the place. I also have grown Black Sea Man and whatever is in that picture, that's not it. It is really awful and deceptive when sellers use these "doctored" photos, especially when it's a first time grower buying the seeds. One can only imagine their dissapointment when the item they grow fruits and looks nothing like the photos. It is particularily bad on EBay because many seed sellers "poach" the photo for their item from others on Ebay so the same unreliable photo gets used again and again. __________________ "If I'm not getting dirty, I'm not having a good time."

March 26, 2009	#7
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Ja M, it is it. From time to time SSE has had really bad problems with colors of some of their pictures. And SSE members will know what I mean when just a few years ago the pictures almost glowed in the dark and you couldn't tell if a variety was pink or red. Craig, surely you remember that b'c I think it was Giant Syrian from Charlotte Mullens that you were complaining about specifically, but the new photo is much better. I'll be the first to say it, well, maybe the third or fourth, but that SSE picture is bad, bad, bad, from a techy/printing point of view but I don't doubt one bit that the photo is from some artfully arranged Black Seaman Slices. Well I remember when the photographer was taking pictures of the varieties in my book that before every shot of a variety he calibrated whatever it was he was calibrating as to color. __________________ Carolyn

March 25, 2009	#2
recruiterg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Edina, MN (Zone 4) Posts: 945	i think it is a bad picture, but i would assume that is it. the colors in the photo are funky.

March 26, 2009	#11
Polar_Lace Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Z8b, Texas Posts: 657	Tomato Tone thread at Tomatoville ~* Robin __________________ It's not how many seeds you sow. Nor how many plants you transplant. It's about how many of them can survive your treatment of them.

March 26, 2009	#12
Thawley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: SoCal - Zone 10 Posts: 106	Thanks Robin. That's a good read. Gotta love Feldon getting to the bottom of something. Musta been Mike Wallace in another life...

March 28, 2009	#14
FlipTX Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 271	I grew Black Sea Man last year hoping they would turn out to be that hideous, but they didn't. Replace the neon pink in the photo with burgundy-red and the green/black with a green-tinged brown.

March 28, 2009	#15
vermiit Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: z 14, California Posts: 137	I have to say, it compromises SSE integrity in my mind with doctored photos like that. They also make all their black tomatoes midnight black Show me the real thing!