fakes
 

Re the selling of fakes on the forum I agree with Simon even if stated as such should not be sold I have noticed the seller has withdrawn the Wiltshire regiment item Most of these items can be found in the junk boxes at fairs in the £1.00-£2.00 price range Many years ago I was a member of M H S when one well known member started selling his fake items hence the formation of Crown Imperial of which I was an early member After 45 years of collecting and a very large ref library I still get caught If people did not sell fakes and other did not purchase them,the fakers would be out of business This must be good for the hobby
David

I'm in two minds on the subject. You might want a copy badge for comparison?
Or something that is wholly out of reach in its original form due to rarity?

Then again I would not like to see masses of them on here.

Too late now, they are already on here.

Yes I know. I've seen the sales thread that sparked this one. It's not a new phenomenon either - they have been offered on here in the past.

I suppose, by denying someone the opportunity of buying an already existing copy on here, you could drive the purchaser elsewhere - ebay for instance- to buy a copy from an undesirable that solicits the manufacture of the things in the first place, thereby increasing the numbers of copies in existence?

The law of unintended consequences.

If its a legitimate and known collector of ours is there harm in them selling them to obtain an example of something else?, I do agree we shouldn't have newly made tonnes of copies being sold.

Tom

Should the time come when the collector who buys these so-called "gap fillers" gets his hands on the genuine article, what does he do with the duds?. Does he take a hammer to them and destroy them or does he move them on?. It's got to the point in the hobby where it's knee-deep in this junk and allowing it to be sold on here is just sheer hypocrisy in my opinion. I thought the whole point of this forum was to assist the collector and guide them through what is now a minefield. Allowing the gullible to be preyed on is surely not what this forum is about.

E bay would seem to me to be the place to dispose of non genuine items leaving the Forum to be the place where ( genuine ) items can be confidently bought.

It is interesting that some lots in the forthcoming DNW auction catalogue are described as reproductions. Having said that a couple of dealers I have spoken to recently were complaining of the difficulty of finding new stock , including none genuine badges , at prices that would allow them to still sell on at a small profit.

P.B.

Like most people, I have bought a number of fakes in error. Having paid hard earned money, I felt cheated and now I have no hesitation on using a sledgehammer to remove the fakes from circulation. There are too many dealers willing to pass off fakes as the real thing and by following advice so kindly offered by members of this forum I now feel more confident when purchasing badges. Many people have noted that finding fakes that they bought as genuine made them feel like giving the hobby up.......had it not been for the advice given so freely by the members here, I could so easily have been one of them. I am very reassured by the honesty that has been expressed in the forum in respect of the issue of selling fakes / reproductions and how the arguments have been expressed in a dignified manner.

I personally think that only Genuine badge's should be sold on this Forum.
Andy

An interesting thought and bearing in mind the issue of 'proving' a badge is not genuine, well I would suggest there is no need for moderator policing of such things - just don't buy them and there will be no incentive to list them.:D

If any badge is being sold as genuine when they are not then that is a different matter but in this case they are listed as fake.

So now it's "The British and Commonwealth Military Badge Forum and Fake Badge Market".

Personally, I was a bit disappointed to see these badges listed. I think the arguments that it's better collectors buy them here than on eBay, or that if people don't buy them there will be no incentive, are basically circular arguments leading back to the question at hand: should fakes/copies be sold om the BBF, even if marked as such? I can understand a collector buying a gap filler in lieu of a very hard to find badge, but eBay seems a sensible place to go for that. I was in two minds about this, but reading a comment on one of these badges that "at £10 I'll take the chance" decided me. One shouldn't have to "take a chance" on the forum.And peddling copies alongside good genuine badges takes something away from the forums integrity, I think. No offence intended, just my 2 cents worth.

Cheers

Colin

Alan,

These are very valid and sensible comments which I thank you for.

Regards,

FMT600

Hard one this.

From time to time we all get a few fakes. Personally I'm a bit of a chancer and bid on things I'm not sure about, if they turn out genuine all well and good, if not I bite the bullet, save them up and sell them on ebay for peanuts, listed clearly as to what they are in my opinion and maybe recover a few quid, sometimes surprisingly more than expected.

Selling on here is a different kettle of fish and the sales section really ought to be considered a bit of a privilege with no fees, paypal gift, etc. A lot of the posts discuss the validity of badges and personally I feel when it comes to selling via the classifieds then members should be offered genuine badges only, chiefly to set a good example of what this forum is all about.

No criticism of the ad which sparked this off though, the seller wasn't 100% sure. Just my thoughts of a way forward.