Ebay fraud alert

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Radu Transylvanicus

Is really ,,Made in China,, synonimous with disaster in every E-bay transaction ? Should we absolutely refrain from buying such or just a simple ,,caveat emptor,, ... aside from being politically incorect can someone tell me something on this matter ?

Good question, Radu. Unfortunately, several factors conspire against even the most sophisticated antique collector that wants to purchase Chinese items through eBay (or even non-Chinese items from Chinese sellers). Ebay is a notoriously difficult forum to make informed decisions regarding antiques. Accordingly, caveat emptor should be the mantra of anyone looking to buy there, regardless of where the seller is located.

Also, particularly with regard to swords and antique items, many, many Chinese sellers have built an apparantly deserved reputation for peddling fakes on line via "private" auctions with exhorbitant shipping prices. Scott Rodell, a moderator on SFI and international Kung Fu instructor/dealer in antique Chinese arms wrote an article about his visit to one of the many factories in mainland China pumping out fake antiques. Thus, the fraud is well documented.

Finally, as others have pointed out, it is a rare genuine Chinese antique that will be sold from mainland China due to strict laws prohibiting it.

Yes, I'm sure there are legitimate Chinese vendors on eBay. However, this is likely a case of many bad apples spoiling the bunch. I've purchased a few swords from the Chinese eBay sellers, and all have been garbage. On the other hand, the few items I've purchased from Chinese sellers located outside of Mainland China have been the genuine article.

I just don't buy from sellers located in China, as the odds are clearly against me.

Best regards,
Andrew