I would not buy an item without any picture at all except in the most exceptional of circumstances. (Complete desperation for a rare French CD, for instance!)
I don't require picture gallery in most cases, though... but I am deeply, deeply wary of items with poor quality photos that don't show the detail, or stock photos.
If I'm looking at an antique item, such as a writing slope, where it's important to see the detail, various angles, the "secret drawers", the slope unfolded, etc., I would expect a number of photos to show those details. If the description warrants it but there aren't enough photos, I would message the seller to ask for a few more pictures - as long as I were seriously interested and prepared to buy if the item were as described. I don't believe in asking for further photos if I'm not seriously interested and in a position to buy/bid as long as the item lives up to the description.