I recommend a dealer and this happens!
I thought you gentleman might of been interested in this tale and also there is lesson for some of the newer collectors.
I have a friend who has been for many years,interested in german militaria.
Now,with his house paid off and other bills gone,he has decided to take up the hobby.
He asked me what my suggestion would be for a starting piece.I suggested an ek2,as they are a defining ww2 german piece.
I recommended a highly popular dealer.Ek,s are a bread and butter piece of this dealer and i really did think to buy an ek2 from him wouldnt be a problem.
My friend found on the recommended dealers weekly update,an ek2 described as "mint".My friend put the order in and received it sometime later.
When he received it,he came over to my house so i could check it out.
When i saw it,i was initially impressed,and was quite happy that my suggestion of this dealer had worked out ok.
A close look though,quickly dispelled any thoughts of "mint".
The first thing i noticed,was a vast amount of black paint overspray on the top of the beading.I have been an airbrush enthusiast for years and this stood out straight away.
Yes,you guessed it,there was a thick layer of black paint all the way around the inside edge of the beading.
Next was the obvious crusty old paint on the centre,standing out underneath the freshly painted core.
Oh,yes.there were blobs of paint on the frame as well.
And,yes,the paint smelt new.
The frame looked like it had been polished just before it was put in the posting envelope.This just made the center look even more suspicious.How does a cross that requires the centre to be painted,have such a pristine,new looking frame.
You would expect the frame to have some tarnish.It was ovious at closer inspection the frame had been polished,sometime in the very recent past.There was the slightest hint of polish residue in the corners,
Guess what, with no surprise, the cross has now started to dull that my friend has had it a few weeks.
Funny,how something that old could remain pristine for years and then suddenly take on ageiing characteristics a few weeks after my friend gets it.
My point is this,a dealer no matter how good his reputation,is only as good as the items he sells.
This cross obviously wasnt mint when the dealer received it.It was brought upto that condition by the dealers painting and polishing.an obvious attempt to make a less saleable item more attractive.Very underhanded and i wonder how many collectors get stung by this type of activity.
The dealer at no point has attempted to explain this obvious "makeover".
But i would wonder how you would defend it?
It is just plain deception.
I have a friend who has been for many years,interested in german militaria.
Now,with his house paid off and other bills gone,he has decided to take up the hobby.
He asked me what my suggestion would be for a starting piece.I suggested an ek2,as they are a defining ww2 german piece.
I recommended a highly popular dealer.Ek,s are a bread and butter piece of this dealer and i really did think to buy an ek2 from him wouldnt be a problem.
My friend found on the recommended dealers weekly update,an ek2 described as "mint".My friend put the order in and received it sometime later.
When he received it,he came over to my house so i could check it out.
When i saw it,i was initially impressed,and was quite happy that my suggestion of this dealer had worked out ok.
A close look though,quickly dispelled any thoughts of "mint".
The first thing i noticed,was a vast amount of black paint overspray on the top of the beading.I have been an airbrush enthusiast for years and this stood out straight away.
Yes,you guessed it,there was a thick layer of black paint all the way around the inside edge of the beading.
Next was the obvious crusty old paint on the centre,standing out underneath the freshly painted core.
Oh,yes.there were blobs of paint on the frame as well.
And,yes,the paint smelt new.
The frame looked like it had been polished just before it was put in the posting envelope.This just made the center look even more suspicious.How does a cross that requires the centre to be painted,have such a pristine,new looking frame.
You would expect the frame to have some tarnish.It was ovious at closer inspection the frame had been polished,sometime in the very recent past.There was the slightest hint of polish residue in the corners,
Guess what, with no surprise, the cross has now started to dull that my friend has had it a few weeks.
Funny,how something that old could remain pristine for years and then suddenly take on ageiing characteristics a few weeks after my friend gets it.
My point is this,a dealer no matter how good his reputation,is only as good as the items he sells.
This cross obviously wasnt mint when the dealer received it.It was brought upto that condition by the dealers painting and polishing.an obvious attempt to make a less saleable item more attractive.Very underhanded and i wonder how many collectors get stung by this type of activity.
The dealer at no point has attempted to explain this obvious "makeover".
But i would wonder how you would defend it?
It is just plain deception.
. Is the dealer going to give his money back or allow him to exchange it for another? If not, I guess it is better to get pinched on a low end item (cost wise) like an EK2 instead on a high end piece like a DKiG or a RK.
)
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