Assistance with Id'ing Fake Photographs

[Bill T]

This photo/image was stolen from me after I posted it on the forum, and now is being sold on Ebay Germany. The original photo is in my collection.

As you can see....many sellers go to great lengths to make money! - Also, note the "Original" watermark, which is a decieving selling point. Sorry I do not have a reverse scan of this fake....but it is a "Gray Fake"

[Bill T]

POST-WAR or PRE-WAR PAPER

This next one is NOT a fake per say....but is actually just a post-war or pre-war print. I just don't know, as I have never encountered this paper before and cant give an accurate assumption. Something tells me that it is not a photo that is meant to deceive though.

- Has a "Pixelated" look on the image itself
- Postcard Size
- flimsy feel to the paper overall
- I think fascimile writing on reverse (this was most likely a multiple, copied from the original image)
- random Traces of UV glow possibly from contact with outside sources
- I have yet to find another like it, which makes me firmly believe it to be a legitimate photo (not a fake)

[Eric Zentner]

Great thread Bill many thanks.

Eric

[Dean]

Woah! They copied it off the forum?!! Did you watermark it?

[Bill T]

The "TELKO Fake"
(UV Negative!) - Postcard size


* BEWARE of these portraits!! - One of the best fakes I have ever seen

** Telko was a Swiss company founded in 1935. The scary thing about this, is that some people beieve that there are known originals on Telko Paper....but I have never seen one, nor could anyone provide one in past discussions!
My advice......STAY AWAY

- Usually SS,Fallschirmjager,and HJ Top-end portraits =expensive! (some famous images seen on this paper-fakes)
- VERY convincing reverse, with convincing maker logo
- Obverse all have the same low-saturation look to them, however they still hold great detail!
- If you see the Telko name, do not buy (strongly advised)

These are meant to fool and are good enough to catch even the experienced photo collectors!

[Paul D]

The market is dictating that the fakers work overtime , more people have moved into photo collecting as they believe that it is safe , but as the prices rise and demand increases so do the fakes !! The sexy Sturmgeschutz at Kharkov ones , he's even gone for a double his money on them !!

[don_kihotis7]

Wow awesome ss portraits. Indeed they don't look like fake.
Nice idea about starting this thread Bill.
It has the potential to get pinned in the Top 8 charts

[Kieffer]

Thanks for the answer and assistance about this two photos.
Really appreciated.

[Kieffer]

Another case for my fellow Sherlock Holmes board members.

I think there is something wrong with this picture but i don't know what.



Thank you.

Regards.

Nicolas

[Bill T]

The market is dictating that the fakers work overtime , more people have moved into photo collecting as they believe that it is safe , but as the prices rise and demand increases so do the fakes !! The sexy Sturmgeschutz at Kharkov ones , he's even gone for a double his money on them !!

yeah I know! Its sickening to think what these guys are making off these copies too. Its ridiculous. The only way to shove them out of business is to keep people aware of the fakes. But its like a revolving door.....there will always be newer collectors who are interested in photos, and people will buy a dozen or more fakes until they get the hang of it, so the fakers are here to stay unfortunately. But At least we can help keep the members of this forum from getting ripped off


CHRIS- I know, those Telko pics are dangerous for sure. There is never anything written on the reverse of them (dates, names, captions), always SS, FJ, and HJ portraits too. Just like alot of em do, they screwed up by trying to sell the same image like 5 times over a week period!