The new ebay money maker

[William1]

These two fakes are very obvious to the experienced collector, but sadly there are lots of inexperienced and trusting collectors still finding their way, who believe ebay feedback actually means something and don't know how to do their research. What's obvious to us is extremely difficult to prove in court, so that these hyenas and certain well-known others will continue to scavenge until their prey wise up, which is especially difficult when the fakers seed their stock with occasional quality items. Still it can't be pleasant to be constantly wondering if you got away with it. One day they will upset the wrong person and I wouldn't want to be around when that happens.

[tinlid]

Mods...'not sure what's happened above....I certainly didnt type that lot twice!!! :-)

I read it twice.

[William1]

I read Composite's post after I'd finished typing out mine above. I don't disagree with any of those points, but if the items in question were genuine they'd find their defenders even here, and I'm not talking about the kind of sock puppet accounts we've seen.

I take careful note of other people's opinions but in the end I make my own decisions regardless of what any "Mr Big" might say. After a while it becomes possible to recognise the styles of individual fakers, who never seem to get the artificial aging of their pieces quite right. Personally I have no doubt whatsoever that the two items above are fakes and that would be my opinion even if I didn't know who was selling them. But then I've had decades of handling the real thing and fakes alike. Sadly there is no easy way for beginners who either have to work through a minefield or just give up.

It's true that once thrown mud tends to stick and sometimes that might happen unjustly, but if enough seemingly-credible people criticise a seller and nobody sticks up for him, then either it's a conspiracy (unlikely) or you've got to conclude that that's where the balance of probability lies. I sincerely hope that somewhere, new collectors who have saved up their hard-won cash for "something really good" are reading this forum and avoiding the sort of purchase that would put them off for life.

[Composite]

Thanks William1.

....it's interesting...the more I look at one of them the more I'm intrigued.

All, why do "we" think the MkII is "wrong"....or is it just miss-labelled ie NOT an RAMC item?

[William1]

Carefully aged thick gloop that I've seen time and again is what gives it away for me. And I'm automatically suspicious of whatever certain sellers have on offer. But that's just my opinion.

[tinlid]

Not only on ebay you will find fakes,this ones a good fake, but none the less still a fake.
They are creeping in to everywhere, and getting better.

[SMP]

Hey Aaron, that is not your normal e-bay fare. What makes it a fake IYO ?

[SMP]

Another e-bay winner

[tinlid]

It's painted dark brown inside and out, so late war 1943,(only seen an flash on early helmets) or more likely refurbished post war. Decals are done in a way which of all the five or six I've seen, are not right. Don't want to mention here why,because they'll start doing it, but you know.

[SMP]

It's painted dark brown inside and out, so late war 1943,(only seen an flash on early helmets) or more likely refurbished post war. Decals are done in a way which of all the five or six I've seen, are not right. Don't want to mention here why,because they'll start doing it, but you know.

All from a single source ?