Why are people bidding on this HSU group?

[NavyFCO]

I saw this auction on eBay, and while I don't collect Soviet stuff anymore, I thought it was curious so I added it to my watch list. It was at $300 USD when I first saw it, and I felt bad someone was getting taken for $300 on a really rudimentary fake group. As of this morning, it's gone to $1400! Someone's really getting taken for a ride...and this is a group of very bad fakes! 

Perhaps I'm missing something? Maybe someone can fill me on on what's here of value?

For reference, I've added images of the awards in the auction, as well as the document. First, the Gold Star is very poorly done and the serial numbers on it are HORRIBLE! I added the image of a 100% real GS from my collection (black background) awarded in the same serial number range and there's no comparison at all. Second, the For Valor medal had it's reverse poorly sandpapered to remove the previous serial number and had a new one added. They didn't even do a good job! Third, the document has horribly fake entries...these are poorly done, even compared to the fake HSU group I bought back in 1998 (yes, I got burned by a well-done bad one...and I learned a very valuable lesson, for certain! That didn't happen with my future HSU groups!)

As an aside, here are the documents that my group had. It had both the new order document awarded with the HSU title, and the veteran hand-wrote his additional awards in his WW2 order book. Quite interesting! (Yes, I wish I still owned this group, but I don't any longer...sigh...)

[BalkanCollector]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Soviet-Order-Medal-Lenin-Red-Banner-Two-Red-Stars-GPW-with-document-1949-/232019858136?hash=item36057612d8:g:7rIAAOSw0fhXjxIL

This also. Check out the other stuff from this seller, it's full of fakes.

The saddest part is that ebay actually recommended it under the militaria section.

[paul wood]

The faker's throw away line "I am not an expert" Oh dear dear me

Paul

 

[BalkanCollector]

I'm starting to think that seller is in a deal with ebay. Either that or ebay employees are uneducated on this matter considering the fact that it was recommended under militaria section.

[NavyFCO]

In the end, that group sold for $2,850! That alone should have clued someone in to the fact that it was fake...but at the same time, someone just got burned nearly $3k on a group worth less than the metal content of the fake awards...

As an aside, this is the HSU group I got burned on back in 1998. At that time, you can see they were much more advanced in making copies than this group on eBay! This group was built around his original HSU small document and photos of him and his family. The awards in the order book were completely bad...the Red Star and Lenin were both real, but not awarded to him, and the Gold Star was 100% fake (unfortunately, I can't find photos of it at the moment...) 

[NavyFCO]

Looking back on the documents, I should have known from the water damage to the order book, the thin, non-standard writing, and the erased signature, that the document was bad. However, I had only been collecting for six years by that time and fakes were not nearly as prolific as they are today. For me, this was the first time I had ever had a chance to hold a Gold Star, let alone add one to my collection...which in retrospect, is a VERY bad way to make a significant purchase like this!

 

Lessons you learn!!!

[USSR]

Here you find a review on the seller you were referring to and on other scammers.

https://sovietfakes.wordpress.com/2016/07/11/fakes-of-old-rock-n-rolla/

When you think $3000 for a fake group is bad, take a look at this one... :-( 

https://sovietfakes.wordpress.com/2016/06/19/fakes-of-sovietcollections/

Edited August 22, 2016 by USSR