ebay ahhhh!!!

[KThunder]

look at this ebay auction.

beautious isnt it? except for the fact that that ausome card is sitting on a carpet. wallowing in static electricity. ive bought computer stuff that was pictured sitting on wooden floors before. this isnt healthy.

why? of all the things to put it on a rug is probably the worst.

[KThunder]

esd damage is cummulative and unpredictable in complex setups. the card could work fine for days or years or be unstable, or completely unusable
thats why they make esd bags. and techs use ground straps etc. when i worked at IBM we had ground straps, esd boots grounded work tables and tools and ionizer boxes.
if you ever pick up a card off your floor that hasnt been stepped on or even touched and it doesnt work youll know. well conductor oxide or esd damage.

[KThunder]

using a vise to hold it up for the camera would probably make for a decent pic also. (thats kind of an extreme example of my point)