itfciain
Grand Master
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2010
- Messages
- 7,907
Was having a look through Ebay last night and saw loads of auctions that would have confused a newbie collector or duped them into buying repro/fake items
First up you have the old "ultra rare" production error piece backed up with "A trader used the relevant batch number either side of the figure and it turns out a hand full of these mistakes were made" - what utter bullshit - as if this item would have hit the shelves looking like that
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Star-Wars-Figure-Princess-Leia-Boushh-4-LOM-ULTRA-RARE-ERROR-ON-FIGR-/271106460949?pt=UK_ToysGames_ActionFigures_ActionFigures_JN&hash=item3f1f344d15&nma=true&si=SW4Zb0MwBRznKqe3E2%2Bmk5ccZ5Y%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
Then you have the clever wording - "rifle is 100% genuine" - yes it is - but not for this rare figure, it is a 100% genuine IG88 rifle worth about £1.00
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Star-Wars-Jann-Tosh-Droids-With-Rifle-/121023458347?pt=UK_ToysGames_ActionFigures_ActionFigures_JN&hash=item1c2d8f6c2b&nma=true&si=SW4Zb0MwBRznKqe3E2%2Bmk5ccZ5Y%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
Next up are the reproduction weapons - again, a bit of clever wording "Some have repro weapons and cloaks - see photo to make choice" - how on earth can you look at the picture of the Lando General and tell that is a repro weapon - but I bet it is
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-STAR-WARS-ORIGINAL-FIGURES-MANY-TO-CHOOSE-FROM-D-/230881119049?pt=UK_ToysGames_ActionFigures_ActionFigures_JN&var=530100142263&hash=item35c1964b49
Next up you have the old 'I'm selling this for someone who is no longer with us' - which 9 times out of 10 you can read as 'I know that this lot is full of repro crap but if I plead ignorance then I think I'll get away with it'
One look at the weapons in this little lot and you can spot a large number of grey repro weapons
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-STARWARS-FIGURES-/130808720089?pt=UK_Collectables_SciFi_fantasyCollectables_EH&hash=item1e74ceaad9
Finally, you have this crap "A MINT C9.8 GRADE IMMACULATE RARE VINTAGE KENNER 1979 BLUE SNAGGLETOOTH" - guaranteed to have been touched up - and also packed with the wrong (and probably repro) weapon.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-1979-MINT-BLUE-SNAGGLETOOTH-ON-STARWARS-CUSTOM-DESIGNED-CARDBACK-L-KBID-/350649853474?pt=UK_ToysGames_ActionFigures_ActionFigures_JN&hash=item51a45c2622
Trouble with this guy's auctions is that people think, well OK I know that the card is repro but the figure looks good - thing is, if you are into reproducing these things then you are unlikely to be worried about touching up the figures and are very likely to include repro weapons. Or in this case, there is every chance that this is even a reproduction (Poon) figure
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-1977-STORMTROOPER-ON-12-BACK-STARWARS-JAPANESE-TAKARA-STUNNING-CARDBACK-/350642957709?pt=UK_ToysGames_ActionFigures_ActionFigures_JN&hash=item51a3f2ed8d
As a community we should be reporting all of these auctions and flaming those that put them up. There is no excuse for any of this and it only serves to destroy this hobby. I have recently bought a set from a long time collector on RS - 50% of the weapons for the Last 17 figures were reproduction yet he had bought them over 10 years ago in good faith.
We have all been through our loose collections and found that pesky repro weapon that somehow eluded us when we bought the figure. However, some of these new collectors are adding £100's of crap to their collections without knowing.
First up you have the old "ultra rare" production error piece backed up with "A trader used the relevant batch number either side of the figure and it turns out a hand full of these mistakes were made" - what utter bullshit - as if this item would have hit the shelves looking like that
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Star-Wars-Figure-Princess-Leia-Boushh-4-LOM-ULTRA-RARE-ERROR-ON-FIGR-/271106460949?pt=UK_ToysGames_ActionFigures_ActionFigures_JN&hash=item3f1f344d15&nma=true&si=SW4Zb0MwBRznKqe3E2%2Bmk5ccZ5Y%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
Then you have the clever wording - "rifle is 100% genuine" - yes it is - but not for this rare figure, it is a 100% genuine IG88 rifle worth about £1.00
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Star-Wars-Jann-Tosh-Droids-With-Rifle-/121023458347?pt=UK_ToysGames_ActionFigures_ActionFigures_JN&hash=item1c2d8f6c2b&nma=true&si=SW4Zb0MwBRznKqe3E2%2Bmk5ccZ5Y%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
Next up are the reproduction weapons - again, a bit of clever wording "Some have repro weapons and cloaks - see photo to make choice" - how on earth can you look at the picture of the Lando General and tell that is a repro weapon - but I bet it is
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-STAR-WARS-ORIGINAL-FIGURES-MANY-TO-CHOOSE-FROM-D-/230881119049?pt=UK_ToysGames_ActionFigures_ActionFigures_JN&var=530100142263&hash=item35c1964b49
Next up you have the old 'I'm selling this for someone who is no longer with us' - which 9 times out of 10 you can read as 'I know that this lot is full of repro crap but if I plead ignorance then I think I'll get away with it'
One look at the weapons in this little lot and you can spot a large number of grey repro weapons
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-STARWARS-FIGURES-/130808720089?pt=UK_Collectables_SciFi_fantasyCollectables_EH&hash=item1e74ceaad9
Finally, you have this crap "A MINT C9.8 GRADE IMMACULATE RARE VINTAGE KENNER 1979 BLUE SNAGGLETOOTH" - guaranteed to have been touched up - and also packed with the wrong (and probably repro) weapon.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-1979-MINT-BLUE-SNAGGLETOOTH-ON-STARWARS-CUSTOM-DESIGNED-CARDBACK-L-KBID-/350649853474?pt=UK_ToysGames_ActionFigures_ActionFigures_JN&hash=item51a45c2622
Trouble with this guy's auctions is that people think, well OK I know that the card is repro but the figure looks good - thing is, if you are into reproducing these things then you are unlikely to be worried about touching up the figures and are very likely to include repro weapons. Or in this case, there is every chance that this is even a reproduction (Poon) figure
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-1977-STORMTROOPER-ON-12-BACK-STARWARS-JAPANESE-TAKARA-STUNNING-CARDBACK-/350642957709?pt=UK_ToysGames_ActionFigures_ActionFigures_JN&hash=item51a3f2ed8d
As a community we should be reporting all of these auctions and flaming those that put them up. There is no excuse for any of this and it only serves to destroy this hobby. I have recently bought a set from a long time collector on RS - 50% of the weapons for the Last 17 figures were reproduction yet he had bought them over 10 years ago in good faith.
We have all been through our loose collections and found that pesky repro weapon that somehow eluded us when we bought the figure. However, some of these new collectors are adding £100's of crap to their collections without knowing.