This reminds me of something that absolutely drives me crazy in retail stores. When I've taken the time to travel to the store and have either picked out my item and am ready to buy or have a question and the clerk answers the phone when I'm standing right in front of them, then they automatically lose my business. I'm a buyer at the location ready to pay, and who knows if/what potential is calling them. As the saying goes, a bird in hand is better than two in the bush.

Integrity goes both ways. You can't put the seller on the hook waiting or not knowing your full intentions/timeline and expect them to pass on someone who is willing to be at their house with cash in a matter of minutes/hours. You asking someone to send photos is not a verbal contract. I would suggest next time that maybe you be more deliberate in your approach if your intentions are indeed to buy the pin if certain qualifications are met.

BTW, I have both purchased and sold long distance. When selling, I gave the guy a deadline for yes or no since he seemed serious (24 hours), and required a modest deposit since he couldn't pick up the game for a couple of weeks. When buying, I did the opposite. I was up front with the seller, told them if/when they supplied answers to the few questions I had, then I would immediately let them know yes or no, and offered to pay a deposit when I confirmed I wanted the pin (the seller actually declined to take it). In both cases the transactions went flawlessly. In the case of when I was selling, I did have others make offers during the waiting period, but I let them know that I had a buyer and if for whatever reason he backed out I would alert those interested in the order they contacted me.

Also, cash transactions each time. However, I did have one buying experience where the seller preferred a personal check (full disclosure - he lived right across the street from me at the time, so he knew where to find me if anything went wrong).