why can i buy them but not pick them up? why unlike other items u cant pick up but can move around do they show a name? i.e. shovel shows a name when i see one laying around and i can hit z and move it around....a whell rim shows no name but i can hit z and move it around

I've noticed the same thing.. can't pick up any of the shovels.
Where did you buy yours?

its because there different items....very confusing i dont get why they just didnt make them the same

i havent bought one yet...i keep forgetting...but i did see one inna shop for sale

Im pretty sure I got mine at the general store in goodsprings.

As a spoiler that hasn't been spoiled, I saw a grave in the Wasteland (above/around Goodspring) that required a shovel to uncover. I didn't have a shovel with me at the time, though.

there are quite a few graves that need shovels all around tha waste

You can find a shovel next to the third well near Goodsprings. That's the well that had a woman being attacked by geckos.

EDIT: It can be picked up.

nice thanks and i dont know how i missed it.....and an update about tha one i saw for sale....i have not seen another for sale yet and can not find tha one i did see for sale again

I never should have left my shovel at Novac. I've run across a bunch of graves/disturbed dirt I could dig up randomly out in the wastes, far from any fast-travel points, that I will probably not find again.

I bought a shovel in goodsprings general store after my first visit to the Graveyard. Kept it with me throughout the whole game so far, happily digging up graves
I found a gun called the laser RCW in a grave, it's basically a laser tommygun. Too bad I'm not an energy weapons guy, I still kept it though because it does rock.