For Research Warning: Verdun, Champagne, Argonnen and Somme Kreuze ==> Ebay

[Poulton Palmer]

Hi guys,

lately I have seen lots of these Kreuze on german ebay (see link below). This seller has got the four different types. Unfortunately for the buyers, these are fake imo. Last week I have seen one sold for about 140 euro, that is lots of money for such a fake piece.

I have seen fakes been sold last year, these were of a lower quality. That were obvious fakes. The ones which are sold this last weeks are of a much better quality, but still fakes which are recognisable.

http://www.ebay.de/i...50#ht_500wt_949

Greetings,

Poulton Palmer

[Hauptmann]

I hate to say it but fools and their money are soon parted. Lord only knows the information is out there if one only takes a little time to look, such as here on GMIC. Sad to say but I think alot more fake WW1 related items will be "coming out of the woodwork" the closer we get to the 100 year anniversary of the start of the war. Also sadly, far too many newbie or uninformed collectors will jump into the deep end of the pool and grab whatever they can and get totally and royally screwed as a consequence.

I guess there are still a ton of folks out there with more money than sense or brains. One good thing about being on such a tiny budget most of the time, it's made me really think long and hard about any purchase I make. This is not to say I've not made the occasional mistake... not too long ago I purchased what I felt sure was a good early screwback wound badge in silver... turned out to be a bad one. But I didn't put a ton into it so I've learned from the mistake and I move on. I simply can't imagine laying out hundreds of dollars for anything unless I've VERY sure it's good and worth at least what I'm paying for it if not more.

If folks simply took the time to use the tools available... references (even at the library where they can borrow or use them for free), the internet, fellow collectors, museums, etc., they would avoid the vast amount of utter garbage and junk out there and would become better collectors.

People tend to be lazy. They get money that's burning a hole in their pockets, they see what gleams like gold and they grab it like a magpie to stick it in their little notch in a tree. Later, they need money, think... Oooh! That shiny precious I bought a while ago... I'll sell that and not only get what I have in it I'll make money to boot as it's such a rare precious! Then they find it's absolute junk... fake, bad, awful and worth zip, zilch and nada! Depression moves in... along with anger that they got taken and turns them off to the hobby and those involved in dealing in same. All the while, it was their own fault since they didn't avail themselves of the information out there and jumped in where angels fear to tread.

Can't say it often enough... study, study, study and then study some more. For me it's an absolute hunger I've had since I was old enough to at least look at the pictures in books and then read. I would devour everything and anything libraries had to offer in my fields of interest. I still do. When I started out collecting there was no internet and references, though available were primitive by today's standards. There were auction catalogs which helped, especially in making valuations. We went to shows, shops, etc., and did the best we could. Who knows... maybe because we HAD to work harder to collect and enjoy the hobby we didn't have the opportunity to be quite as lazy in those days.

All we can do is continue to share our hard earned knowledge to all who are willing to listen and take heed. The rest are like those folks who don't listen to hurricane warnings... have hurricane parties and end up either having to be rescued at the risk of more lives or simply ending up being killed.

I've learned a major lesson in my life... most people don't want to be saved... won't listen and will always end the same way. Best one can do is save those who are willing to listen and take heed... the wheat and the chaff.

Dan :cheers:

[Hauptmann]

I'd like to add... that anything I see that either is or "should be" rare/scarce/hard to come by that suddenly shows up in droves either online or at shows, etc., raises all sorts of red flags and a resounding "Kirk to the bridge" in my head.

Dan :cheers:

[dond]

That seller, orehilas321 , is a well known seller of questionable items. He has several ebay handles.

[Poulton Palmer]

That seller, orehilas321 , is a well known seller of questionable items. He has several ebay handles.

Hi Don,

nonetheless, he has a 100% rating. Very tricky for starting collectors to divide the good sellers from the bad. I agree fully with Hauptmann his answer: study, study and study!

I have bought a few bad pieces myself in the last few years, but I see this as learning money (unfortunately).

poulton

[Valter]

I'd like to add... that anything I see that either is or "should be" rare/scarce/hard to come by that suddenly shows up in droves either online or at shows, etc., raises all sorts of red flags and a resounding "Kirk to the bridge" in my head.

Dan

That was my major concern with these nice looking crosses. The pictures provided are convincing, BUT: for several years, I've seen none of these, and then suddenly it appears one guy has all four (or 5??) of them , and he sells them out, and next week another butch... No way! Plus, I've read a warning about this orifice321 and his business "reputation". ;-)