I have never bought a goat at the auction. The goats that I upgraded and recorded I bought from locals with which I had great trust in. I saw the parents of the goats and knew what they were. These were backwoods local folks who had all Nubians for generations and had just not been interested in papers. I was convinced in the gut I knew what I was getting.
Now as far as that slick as a snake paper changing woman goes, I never purchased goats from her. She was actually a co-worker who became active in goats because of me. Whereas I started with nothing and built my herd from scratch, she had to "out do me" and instantly had her "grand herd" by spending mass quantities of money all at once by ordering goats from California and everywjhere else by plane, sight unseen. She got some pretty bad looking junk too and didn't even know it. She was very guilible and I think it must have been obvious. She could talk the talk but could not walk the walk. Many of her goats died form overfeeding. She blamed her child each time.
I have also been "burned" slightly by the Boer thing. I purchased what i thought were two LaMancha does (and a Reg. LaMancha buckling) to start my new dairy herd. The first doe is 100% LaMancha. Doe number two, although she looked primarily LaMancha and a bit Nubian (which still would have been okay to grade up because they are both dairy breeds), but come to find out, she was 1/4 Boer! I found this out after purchase, at first i bought them as milkers only with no intention of getting into goats so bloodlines didn't matter. Only a bit later did I get bit by the breeding bug and after talking to the dairy owner realize the second doe was Boer-blooded. So her youngin's are not destined for recording. Her doelings can go into the meat herd. She is a wonderful milker though. She is 1/2 LaMancha, 1/4 Nubian, 1/4 Boer. So since I already had a Nubian type doe and her 1/2 Boer doeling (correct in color) given to me by someone who "hated them", I went ahead and purchased a Reg, Fullblood Boer buckling from someone on this board! Two bucks and four does, a little wacky, I know. But I live so remote, and I like to have my own bucks, and I don't drive anymore, and I am one of those who LIKE bucks. And these two studly 4 month old fellows are growing up together as good buddies and hopefully will be able to remain friends and roomies. Ideally. Oh how I ramble.