BOGUS Disneyana Item on eBay... LOOK!

[flyinglizard]

Possibly one of the most infamous pieces of non-Disney Disneyana is currently on eBay. Check it out, # 1149697853. The seller probably thinks it is something really rare and worth a lot of money. Let the buyer beware: it's counterfeit, unauthorized and worthless.

Every once in a while, one of these will pop up. Take a look so you'll know to avoid paying money for one of these!

 

[Dar20]

Can you explain what this item actually is, then? I have an untrained eye, as well, and wouldn't know the difference.

Dar

 

[Regina]

Thank you. Once again your expert knowledge comes to the rescue.

I appreciate that you take the time to warn us when this sort of thing happens.

It's nice to know that someone is looking out for us.

 

[flyinglizard]

Dar20: The item is a thin, stamped piece of brass that was made in Asia. I don't know when they began showing up in the US. Usually, the seller (often at flea markets and swap meets) says that it is a rare piece that was from the door of City Hall when Disneyland first opened. (They must have known the Monorail was coming to Disneyland, huh?...)

Anyway, apparently, it was created to sell to Disneyana collectors. Even though it is unauthorized, and a fake, it is now somewhat collectible, simply because collectors of old Disneyland laugh about it. At least those who didn't buy one for a lot of money!

Reg: The word "expertise" means, "been around for a while"! I won't tell you how much I paid for mine!

I hope this info will help a Disneyana collector somewhere, sometime to avoid being scammed!

 

[JudithM]

Flying Lizard, I thought you meant you would tell us how long you'd "been around for a while!" I still have pins!

 

[lynxstch]

Someone must have thought it was real..for the auction ended with the person paying $71.00 + $4.50 for the pleasure of owning a fake item!!!..thanks for the heads up to all of us "new collectors" on what to watch out for on that E*** site!

 

[Humpbacks1962]

Either that or someone thought it would be a good catch for another auction post later on...

Thank you for the warning!


Wanda

 

[flyinglizard]

JudithM- Nope, I'm not telling that, but you know Sandy likes those Disney pins!

BridgetF- The on-line auctions are a small model of our society. There are good people, and there are bad ones. Fortunately, there are many more good than bad. In this particular example, the seller is a "car fan", not a Disney fan. I would guess he knows nothing about the item, just like the bidder. I knew this piece was bogus, and I shared that knowledge with the other members of this board. "Disney people" are like that...

 

[Humpbacks1962]

I agree with you, lizard.

As for posting messages to turn some away from bidding, I am not sure about how far that can go or how useful it could be, even. I have never been aware of such incidents and never read a post meant to be a fraudulent attempt to have less people bid on an item that someone wanted.

I often think that auctions are all about a winning strategy. Sometimes you luck out finding a gem, sometimes you get ripped off and sometimes you walk on cloud nine! Until there are more practical ways to find your holy grails, it is all part of the game.

Wanda

 

[ScroogesNephew]

Many thanks for the insight.

 

[flyinglizard]

WHO said opportunity only knocks once? Here's your chance to add a completely worthless, unauthorized, non-Disney piece of brass to your early Disneyland collection!

Geez, it's already up to $95.00! Check out eBay # 1156261869

Soon I will be offering the high bidder a bridge in New York City, that was used in Disneyland when it first opened! At least I was told that!

Notice that the seller defers expertise, and says that they were told that this was used on swinging doors at Disneyland...

IT WASN'T! It's a fraud! In 1955 this item was shell casings at a military base on Taiwan!

Just don't want any one on the board to spend a lot of money thinking they are getting something cool and old...

 

[firedust37]

It's up to $ 102.50 now ! Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Perdita&Pongo]

...and now it's at 162.50.

~Nancy~

 

[Humpbacks1962]

YIKES!
It is so easy to get ripped off in those sites!

Makes you wonder what is in the minds of collectors willing to pay that much if they aren't knowledgeable enough!


Wanda

 

[Regina]

Nothing more to say than "buyer beware."

 

[Cheshire Figment]

This closed on Tuesday, June 19 at 7:22pm (EDT) with a final price of $305.00. The person who bought it has an eBay rating of 6.

 

[disney13]

Since it states on eBay that the seller gives SATISFACTION GUARANTEED, perhaps someone should let the buyer know that it's a fake.

What do you think? Only because I wouldn't like it happening to me!!


Andy

 

[flyinglizard]

To contact a bidder while an auction is underway is an infraction of eBay rules.

To contact the buyer after the auction would serve no purpose that I can see, except to make him feel cheated. If education is the motive, I'm sure he will soon learn the lesson without our help! If he had the interest to read this Board, he'd have known already.

Two lessons that can be learned from this auction: Don't bid on stuff you know nothing about, unless money is unimportant to you. AND, don't believe everything you read!

The Romans had a saying: "Caveat Emptor", which really means, "There's a sucker born every minute- You just have to find him!"