Jay, Marc, & Pentaxor: I purchased the lens here:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/photographic-equipment-sale/95957-sale-pe...00mm-more.html
With all Paypal fees, and the "economical" (translation from the Italian @ Google) shipping, it totals out to about 280 US dollars. Certainly not a steal, and I knew this. But, what sold me was the description key in his ad which has the M85 2 as a "2b"--in other words:
2: Indistinguishable from new / Come nuovo, senza imballi
B: As new, no manufacturer’s warranty / Perfetto, ma senza garanzia
I have no problem paying $280 dollars for this lens in that kind of shape. This is what sold me--can anyone see if I missed interpreted his key? The reason I ask is this. I got home from work and looked at an e-mail he sent which has two shots of the lens. There is enough detail in the shots for me to see the lens is in no way meeting up to the description above: it has brassing and paint chips in significant quantities. That in itself is not a problem for me, but I'm pretty sure I can buy this lens elsewhere, closer to home, in that shape for a decent amount less.
As fate would have it, unexplainably, through Paypal, my credit card returned my payment. So, I need to resubmit a payment. So, now I am having second thoughts, and will e-mail him before sleeping tonight to see if he has an explanation for the discrepancy between what I am reading and what I am seeing.
I understand the Helios alternative well--I have been contemplating another 85mm for some time, but I really do not like the m42 setup out in the field. Also, as Marc points out, the small size and light weight of the M 85 is very attractive to my hiking needs. And Jay's point that the Helios really is not a replacement is, I think, on the money. So, I will buy an M85, I'm just no longer sure if it will be this one.