E-Bay removed my belt buckle stating that because it was scrimshaw it could not be sold. Why

[creekcoyote]

would they remove this item when it was etched or scrimshawed on plastic?  I did not claim it was ivory, bone or any other banned substance.  Scrimshaw does not just apply to ivory, etc., does it?

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi, sorry to hear your item was removed. Ebay has strict guidelines on the listing of animal products. Here is the policy below that describes what must appear in the listing for non-ivory items. It may be you left important verbiage out of your description. You should be able to find why the item was removed after reviewing the policy.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/zoo-animals-wildlife-products-policy?...

[a*river*runs*through*it]

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@creekcoyote wrote:

would they remove this item when it was etched or scrimshawed on plastic?  I did not claim it was ivory, bone or any other banned substance.  Scrimshaw does not just apply to ivory, etc., does it?

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If it is etched on plastic, then it is NOT Scrimshaw.

Scrimshaw is the name given to scrollwork, engravings, and carvings done in bone or ivory. Typically it refers to the handiwork created by whalers made from the byproducts from harvesting them from marine mammals.

Even if you take the word Scrimshaw out of the description or title, if Ebay finds it again, you will be in hot water.

DO NOT RELIST IT.

[ohnojoey]

"Scrimshaw does not just apply to ivory, etc., does it?"

Yes.

Scrimshaw- "A carving (or engraving) on whalebone, whale ivory, walrus tusk, etc., "

"Fakeshaw- factory made objects usually polymers (plastics) and additives to create the illusion of ivory and bone that are intended to resemble scrimshaw. 

[Anonymous]

Actually not a clue after reading the prohibited items policy. I made no claims as to what material the buckle was made of except plastic and brass. I did not know what the material was. There are several faux ivories out there and knowing exactly which one it was is hard to figure out. It was a belt buckle done in 1982 and was an authorized copy of one originally produced by a well known artist. One just like it sold on here about a month ago. Plus there are tons of scrimshaw listings on here. Also, the term scrimshaw can be used on things other than bone or ivory. And since they left me with no copy of my listing to check, I don't know where I went wrong. But I won't re-list it here.

[a*river*runs*through*it]

"Also, the term scrimshaw can be used on things other than bone or ivory"

 Did you not read the definition in the above posts?

Just in case: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrimshaw

You must have used the word Scrimshaw in the listing.

It does not matter how many listings are still there...yours was reported and caught by Ebay.

[Anonymous]

There are tons of faux scrimshaw listings on here and I only got through the first 30 listings or so.    Everything else that I wrote in the description was right off the piece.   Maybe it was because I didn't indicate it was Faux scrimshaw in the title.  Well, whatever. 

[Anonymous]

Yes, I did read that.  But it is not totally correct as to dictionary definitions.  Scrimshaw can be etching on other materials than Ivory or Bone.  The original definition of the term was just on bone and ivory but over the years the definition has been expanded to include other materials.  I have always believed that scrimshaw was the actual etching in the material, not just the base material.  Apparently E-bay's and my definition, along with several dictionary definitions, are not the same.  And since this is E-bay's playground, will have to play by their rules. 

[castlemagicmemories]

You're not alone, this has been happened and been posted about before.

You're wise not to list it again.

[emerald40]

Was your item real or fake?

You do not seem to know?

So you are in a way lying by omission.  

You need to know what your item is and then state it in the listing.  Simply saying nothing obviously got thi item pulled because without a better description ebay determined (rightfully or not) it was real and removed it.

And you cannot dispute it because you are not sure either.

[m60driver]

In the less retentive sectors of society scrimshaw is used generically as a style of decoration and is no longer specific to ivory or bone.  Crikey, I was selling scrimshaw handle knives for decades using the term just as the major knife manufacturers were using it.  In the more retentive sectors of society, such as on Ebay, I suggest finding alternative wording such as "scrimshaw-style".

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi, based on your post i assumed it was faux, and therefore allowed under the terms of the policy, which reads:

"You can list certain animal and wildlife products on eBay such as faux or reproductions of animal products..."

The policy goes on to explain: 

"Restricted

• Bone from non-ivory–producing animals (such as bison, buffalo, and oxen) as long as the species is clearly stated in the listing description
• Cultured, man-made, or vegetable ivory as long as the listing description specifies what the item is made of..."

If it is indeed a man-made bone replica treated to look like scrimshaw, then it is allowed but with a certain restriction, which is that the material must be clearly labelled in the description. Since you said you did not define what the material was in your listing, eBay pulled it. That's my best guess as to what happened.

I agree with you that it is probably best not to relist it on eBay. 

[myboardid]

Just FYI - reproduction scrimshaw is not "etched", at least in the traditional way of hand-carving a design into it.  The design is created with a pre-programmed laser tool. 

I sell it in my retail store, clearly marked as reproduction. 

[18704d]

Did you describe your plastic scrimshaw as being Ivory colored?

?

Lynn

[baantiques]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Yes, I did read that.  But it is not totally correct as to dictionary definitions.  Scrimshaw can be etching on other materials than Ivory or Bone.  The original definition of the term was just on bone and ivory but over the years the definition has been expanded to include other materials.  I have always believed that scrimshaw was the actual etching in the material, not just the base material.  Apparently E-bay's and my definition, along with several dictionary definitions, are not the same.  And since this is E-bay's playground, will have to play by their rules. 

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The strict definition of scrimshaw as it was originally practiced by whalers and other seamen is an etching on teeth, tusks, or bone from marine mammals.

Like many terms that originally had a restrictive definition like that, the definition of scrimshaw has informally expanded to include the practice of carving on other materials - teeth, tusks, and bone of terrestrial mammals, and even on artificial materials like tusq.

The resin reproductions are also commonly referred to as scrimshaw.

I'm kind of an originalist and I like to stay with the original definition in this case, although I do have a piece that I refer to as scrimshaw although I make it clear it is a reproduction.