I've also purchased a few items on Auctiontime.   If you call ahead of time most dealers will take personal check.  I haven't had a situation where they wouldn't but I always CALL FIRST.  If it's a bigger ticket item I will usually go look at if first and talk to the sales guy in charge of the listing anyways so I have never had an issue.

I have only bought one piece of equipment without looking at it.  It was a Brent 672 grain cart with scales.  I paid $6500 for it.  When it got trucked here the bow rods were bent, the driveline was rough and the PTO shaft was the wrong one (540 that didn't even fit the implement side).  The pictures were taken in such a way the bow rods didn't show being bent.  The driveline is understandable for a used cart and an easy fix (it's used, not perfect).  The PTO shaft annoyed me and the dealer said that's what it got traded in with.  It was cheap enough to buy a different one anyways and the bow rods I was able to straighten.  All in all, still a good buy and I would have still bid what I did even knowing it's faults.  The dealer response was the annoying one on the PTO shaft but that's what you get for buying stuff sight unseen.  I make it a point if it's anything more complicated than a cart to go look at in person.  You just really don't know until you are there.  There's just too much stuff that can't/isn't shown in pictures.