Larry Myers said: "short answer- someone got ripped off"
I don't see how anybody got ripped off. The description was honest, the pictures clear, showed a set of Mafac brakes that had never been mounted but had kicked around the shop since they were new.
I know the seller, and while he asks top dollar and more, I have never seen him knowingly mis-represent an item.
Nobody forced that buyer to bid that much. That's the wonderful thing about eBay. When something sells, it means that there was a buyer willing to pay the closing price. If the buyer does not claim he was ripped off, where does a third party have any right to say "somebody got ripped off?"
Earle Young, Madison, Wisc. Offering expert wheelbuilding services for classic and modern bicycles