The selling of Fake Stamps on Ebay

[galaxyofficecorp]

Is it possible for someone controlling Ebay, to maybe make a place, or another "listing category area", specifically made for known fake stamps and replicas?

I have noticed an increase in Ebay sellers that are now selling "Phantoms, Cinderellas, Reproductions, Replicas, Undisclosed Fakes, and other such items within Ebays' 19th century stamp category.

If I, as a buyer, wanted fake stamps, I would scan them myself and let my printer print them out by the sheetfull.

I am not shopping on Ebay to buy somebody else's computer scan cutouts of "19th century stamps for sale" on Ebay and then calling these creations "19th century phantoms and replicas".

And as I shop, all I see are fake replicas, and phantoms, and reproductions.

Ebay has let so many shady sellers sell "replicas" within the "19th century stamp catagory", that the Ebay auctions have flooded the market with fakes.

Replicas should be listed as just that, a category called "Stamp Replicas and Reproductions", and "known sellers of such material" will now have to list their stamps there.

Ebay has to create a more fair environment for the buyer, whom can only see a two dimensional picture of a paper stamp on the internet.

Thank You for you time.

[ray_scr_q5pc5pyuzz]

over a century has passed since philately fraud began being dealt with. NOW a big company like Ebay is doing it. Someday there may be murders of the fakers. The fakers do not deserve death but financial destitution would be fair. As collectors can not easily develop the expertise to detect a lot of fakes the fakers are well ahead. Anyone who creates a fake of a stamp worth over a thousand dollars should be given a full ten years in jail/prison

[stmpmn2]

AMEN !!!!!!!!

[bhachat]

I have been collecting for 40 years and have exhibited several of my collections. I have built up an excellent reputation with many international dealers and auction houses and I specialize in the classic rarer stamps and covers. I used to give a lot of expert advice on stamp forums but had to stop due to my wife's illness. I have a photographic memory and a large philatelic library (>6000 volumes including 2500+ international sales catalogues 1930-2000) and so I can identify nearly all stamps instantly and spot most fakes including fake cancellations easily. Most fakes sold on eBay are easily detected and the vast majority of sellers are honest.

I am however appalled by a particular seller on eBay who sells hundreds of fake items of extremely rare stamps saying that they are signed (as bait). Not only does this cheeky man sell fakes but he also waits a month or so and then sells the same identical fake he even contacts second and third bidders with offers claiming the first buyer has not paid. Looking at his completed items will find many identical items with identical photos and identical fake signature expertise marks.  Each item indeed starts at a ridiculously low price (which should warn off any experienced buyer) however once a few dozen "super-optimist" bidders have been hooked in by these low prices the price soon reaches levels that no longer act as a warning. In fact seeing dozens of bids encourages the buyers since they imagine everyone cannot be wrong. Since this seller uses private bidding then many of his bids could even be being made by his own stooges once a buyer is hooked. This crafty seller also offers a no questions asked money back service (obviously an attempt to cover his backside) but of course unfortunately most collectors do not authenticate their purchases and so 99 times out of 100 he will pocket the cash for worthless paper. This seller is making many thousands a month out of gullible collectors and is probably manufacturing these items himself. I see nobody else selling the same fakes. The worrying thing is some of his items are so rare that I have only seen a few photos of them in a lifetime (and none good enough quality to make some of these fakes) and some of the fakes are obviously being professionally made from genuine items (heaven knows where from!).  The faker however generally fails in the paper used, lack of watermark or poorly faked watermark or use of incorrect perforations. I have even been sorely tempted myself to buy an item (as a place holder) due to the almost impossibility of ever finding an example on sale anywhere ever at any price but I refuse to encourage fakers. If this guy sold his items as replicas and marked them as such I would not see no problem.

A seller like this seriously undermines any market for any genuine stamps of this rarity since even on the internet people will not find good images of some of his items for comparison and also nearly all dealers themselves will probably have never had a genuine one in their hands.  I have shown photos of some of these items to my dealer friends and they were often convinced these were genuine items till I showed them exactly what was wrong. Of course I will not give the name of this seller here but can provide it to  if eBay is genuinely interested in protecting buyers.

A few items he has sold are so rare (recorded as existing but no examples sold in decades) that if I had not seen him sell an identical item a month earlier, had not seen his other more obvious fake items or had not seen the same fake expertise marks he uses on other items he has sold I would have not have even suspected they were fake.  Such key philatelic  items are very likely to eventually end up being sold in major auctions for huge amounts since I do not see auction houses or experts finding any possible references to suspect they are fakes.

I have been told that eBay does not care about stamp or coin fakes and that any sale is good since it gets fees. Please prove them wrong.

Brian