My first EK1

[Adam M]

I did waste £130, believe it or not it was priced at £150, I can't get my money back because i picked it up at the northern arms fair and it was only a one day event. But thanks for the advice Adrian, hopefully this is the only time this will happen and from now on i will post a picture of the item on here for people to authenticate before i buy.

Also could you please point out the giveaways on the cross so i am more aware what to look for in the future.

Thanks
Adam

[Adrian]

The best thing to look at when identifying Flock EK fakes is the shape of the '3' in 1939. It is very distinctive and unique, not found on any original TR EK. When you get to know this you can spot a Floch a mile off. Use the search button and search for 'Floch' and you will find many examples here as you're not the first and certainly won't be the last to get fooled by them.

You also need to have an idea of which manufacturers did or didn't make EKs. L/21 was not a maker who made these awards but as with everything, experience will help and when at these militaria fairs, caution should be exercised. Get in the habit of holding onto your money and not gambling on impulse buys if you're unsure.

[KMMorris]

Oh dear, another Arms fair casualty
Morris

[douglas2496]

I really sympathize, but this sort of thing is a necessary part of the learning process. We have all made mistakes. Its a good idea to make purchases from reputable dealers like Klaus Butschek.

[SailorTzipi]

Wow, that's a shame you can't return it

We all get burned at some point.