antique swords on ebay

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Mar 4, 2002
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I am new to ebay, and was checking out some antique swords on there today, and was somewhat shocked to see a large number of WW2 era Japanese Katanas (among others) being sold from China -- evidently with very few bidders.

Now, I'm quite ignorant when it comes to the value of these things -- but shouldn't an antique sword in reasonable condition typically go for more than, say, the el-cheapo movie prop reproduction pieces of junk ($50 dollar range)?

Is it possible that the lack of bidding is due to a well-known Chinese scam or something? (it doesn't instill me with great confidence to see descriptions like "It will is very high collect the value!" and my personal favorite "I believe such a kind of sword will help you scatter the spook and bring you the good luck and health.")

Just what the heck is going on?
 
99.9% of the swords sold on Ebay from China are fakes. There are one or two reputable Chinese sellers. RRcervantes and Seven Star Trading company are ok (they may be the same person, I forget). Before I would buy a Japanese sword on Ebay, I would have to be an expert. I'm not. :)

If you are wanting a modern Chinese reproduction of Japanese swords like those made by Hanwei (Paul Chen) you can find some decent values on Ebay. Look for established dealers that have good feedback, and the risk is lessened.

I have found some good values on Ebay in khukuris, Indian and Philippine weapons, but it's always "buyer beware". It is tremendous fun to look for the values that are out there.

Steve
 
This guy is an armchair anthropoligist and archaeologist, and is very knowledgeable about ancient weapons. He was trying to sell a Phillipine knife on eBay and said he got disenchanted with eBay, too many stupid emails, and the high listing fees. I told him I was going to buy a Cold Steel Moro Barong, and he told me that I should just buy an original Barong, the prices are about the same. If I were just buying a cheap original, or a reproduction, I would go with eBay. For the good stuff, however, I would go with a good broker, like sevenstars. This guy recommended that company to me, he said he has gotten some great pieces from them, and is now waiting on a nice piece.
 
There seems to be a seller from Hong Kong on eBay that has many different names. "Samurai Shop" was the name he used to post the paticular katana that I bought. After it arrived, I noticed the same style of photography and item description ("sharp and sturdy blade") was used by sellers in Hong Kong. All the blades appear to come from the same forge, and the furniture (particularly the saya) look very similar. My katana is folded, and the fittings are not bad, but I suspect that they are not "antique," as the seller claims. My main problem was that the ha was very dull, and couldn't cut butter, and there is no hamon. When I complained, he suggested I use sandpaper (no kidding!) to get an edge. For $210.00, I'm not too upset. I'm using it now in my weekly Iai class, and since I'm a beginner, it's not a bad sword for introductory training, but I won't try to cut with it. Beware of "antique" katanas on eBay from Hong Kong!
 
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