Ebay Rant

[T. Erdelyi]

Here's are links to four knives on E-Bay that claim, or should I say allude to the fact that they are from the 1933 Chicago Worlds Fair, one even outright says it is and you can plainly see what appears to be a stainless blade. I don't know of many, if any, blades that were stainless and popular back in the 30's.
knife 1
Of the four knives listed 2 are the same in handle color and design, 3 of the four are different in handle color and the apparent age of the scales.
knife 2

Prices range from $5 to $30, how is someone to know or believe what these people claim/allude to be fact?

I do not recommend buying or am I affiliated with these sellers I only use them as examples to point out the difficulty faced by uneducated buyers on the internet.
knife 3
I've been buying and selling things for most of my 44 years of life and even I can be taken, I guess my main gripe is that if you don't know what your selling, take good pictures with accurate descriptions, and say you don't know what you have. Don't make, or allude to, unsubstantiated claims in order to sell your knife.
knife 4
Internet auctions are wonderful places to collect older knives, if you know what your buying, start with brands that are well documented like Case, Buck, Queen,or Remington. These brands have thousands of published pages available decribing in detail patterns and pattern #s.

Now that I'm done ranting I'll get off my high horse and wait for the shrapnel.

 

[Keith Montgomery]

There were no 1933 World's Fair Mickey Mouse knives. Every one of those knives is a fake. There was a 1933 World's Fair 5 cent Coca-Cola knife.

 

[Thomas Linton]

I don't know from zip about Mickey Mouse knives, but I own a Swedish knife made on or before 1929, and it's stainless. Three of the four you reference are not stainless. The fourth? Could be polished.

I worry about eBay sellers who don't take PayPal or credit cards because paying by money order or check leaves you SOL if the seller doesn't deliver or doesn't deliver what he promises.

 

[T. Erdelyi]

There were no 1933 World's Fair Mickey Mouse knives. Every one of those knives is a fake. There was a 1933 World's Fair 5 cent Coca-Cola knife.

This is what I'm talking about, how discouraging it must be for new collectors who think they have a wonderful find.

Same goes for the Coca Cola knives there are so many repros being sold to unsuspecting, uneducated collectors and when you get into the counterfeits of the Remington's and Case knives, you have to either have enough money to have them authenticated or be Bernard Levine himself to make a bid.

But people do make bids and sellers do make intimations, true or not.

That's another reason places like this are a God send to new collectors, and people like you and some of the other regulars make the hobby of collecting a little safer by offering up your knowledge freely and without any strings attached.

Collecting is getting harder and harder, as the older knives disappear and the older collectors pass away so with them goes the knowledge base.

I hold out a lot of hope for our addiction/hobby, I believe so long as there is a sounding board for this information, people will seek it out, either to pass on what they know or to expand on their own knowledge base.

 

[gajinoz]

There were no 1933 World's Fair Mickey Mouse knives. Every one of those knives is a fake. There was a 1933 World's Fair 5 cent Coca-Cola knife.

I'm a very very long way from being at expert in this field but I noticed that such a thing appears to exist according to THIS WEBSITE.

I have no idea how accurate any of this is or if the knives on the ebay site are fakes or not.

 

[Keith Montgomery]

I'm a very very long way from being at expert in this field but I noticed that such a thing appears to exist according to THIS WEBSITE.

I have no idea how accurate any of this is or if the knives on the ebay site are fakes or not.

I remembered seeing these knives on eBay and that I had done a search to check on their authenticity . This is a link to the site I checked out.

http://www.coxsackie.com/reference/reproalerts.htm

 

[Cougar Allen]

Sticky: Immunize yourself against fakes

 

[MelancholyMutt]

I got a bridge to sell...

 

[Robert Hankins]

You can always report it to Ebay

 

[gajinoz]

Ahaaa, the thick plottens, looks like these fakes have been around for a while. I wonder if the seller knows they're fakes or was taken in too.

Very typical of Ebay not to care though.

 

[Keith Montgomery]

You can always report it to Ebay

I don't think they give a rat's patooty. This has been going on forever and they have done nothing. I can guaranty you that it has been reported to them in the past.

 

[gajinoz]

Blinker, I was unable to get this link :

http://community.webshots.com/user/roberthankins100

to work.

 

[Keith Montgomery]

Blinker, I was unable to get this link :

http://community.webshots.com/user/roberthankins100

to work.

It works for me. Maybe his site has something against Aussies.

[thread hijack]By the way Robert, when is your City Steel Knives website going to be up and running.[/thread hijack]

 

[knifedaddy84]

Ahaaa, the thick plottens, looks like these fakes have been around for a while. I wonder if the seller knows they're fakes or was taken in too. Very typical of Ebay not to care though.

Screw eBay, post this stuff on www.ebayersthatsuck.com

 

[Esav Benyamin]

I got a bridge to sell...

I'm looking for one in Brooklyn.

Caveat emptor -- let the buyer beware. I think it's great that information is out there, but people have to want to know the truth.

 

[lambertiana]

It's no use telling ebay that there are things wrong with an auction. I once informed them that an auction was taking place in which the items were most likely obtained through illegal or fraudulent means (pretty much a 100% chance), they just replied with a very flowery "go jump off the pier" response. They have no moral backbone, it is all about money.

 

[atlasfields]

I had eBay pull an auction of mine due to the automatic not having a longer then perscribed blade lenth.

I think eBay also has concerns that someone may report a fraudulant or suspicious auction and in reality it is another seller trying to knock out the competition.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

On the surface it might seem reasonable for Ebay to check into auctions, until you consider the *VAST* number of items selling. They also have very low surcharges, they make a profit by the volume.

If you want each item to be individually inspected, and then checked by someone like Bernard Levine, then you really have to pay someone a lot more money to put your item up for auction.

Even if Ebay offered a section for example which checked items, you would have to send you items in to be checked, then returned to you, (shipping costs + inspection fees).

There might be a market for this, but it would be a *LOT* smaller than Ebay.

-Cliff

 

[bama_lou]

Maybe they should put up another section called the 'Black list: WE STRONGLY ADVISE YOU NOT TO BUY FROM THESE MORONS.'

 

[rev_jch]

1st knife, USA tang stamp is off, looks suspicious (fake). I had a repro once that was just like this knife.

2nd fake

3rd most definitely fake

4th no question. Fake

yes, there was a 1933 world's fair mickey mouse knife, I have seen one. Those are fake.


As far as ebay, I am very careful about what i buy off there. Ive seen some pretty ridiculous fakes. Ive also seen some pretty ridiculous claims, mis-representations, etc.

The best advice I can say is research what you are looking at, or looking for. read as many knife collectiong books as youy can, and experience is the best teacher. Hopefully this does not cost you too much. Ive been collecting knives over 23 years, still learn new things every day. Being a knife maker also it gives you experience to tell when something has been repaired, altered, or counterfeited, etc.