Fake Garde pickelhaube on ebay Australia

Bungo

Bungo

Member
Poking around on ebay Australia this morning, I found the following listing for "M-1895 Prussian 1. Garde Dragoner Regiment. Queen Victoria Officer's Pickelhaube" - link: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/M-1895-Prussian-1-Garde-Dragoner-Regiment-Queen-Victoria-Officers-Pickelhaube-/321348453377?pt=AU_Militaria&hash=item4ad1dc4401&_uhb=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wow, a Garde officer with under 24 hours to go currently at only AU$87!!! Great photos, good patina, not a fake, looking good. But then I noticed it's a new seller, no feedback, and located in Thailand, not usually a world hub for turning up old pickelhaubes...

The listing description starts "Grenadier Military Antiques Is Offering This M-1895 Prussian 1. Garde Dragoner Regiment. Queen Victoria Officer's Pickelhaube...."

With a very little internet sleuthing, I found the exact same photos listed as a previously sold item by a USA based business called Grenadier Military Antiques:
http://web.iwebcenters.com/grenadiermilitaryantiques/item183660.ctlg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I contacted the business, and he very promptly told me that it is a fake auction, this is the third time a dodgy ebay seller has stolen his photos and description for a fake sale of this pickelhaube.

Just goes to show that if a bargain looks too good to be true, it probably is :(

Bungo
 
I looked at the helmet before reading the rest of your post, which I usually do in order to form an opinion first and see if it matches that of others here (who know more than I do!).
When I looked at this, I was only looking at the helmet not intending to bid and wondered, "What's he talking about? That looks like a great helmet!" Then, I read the rest of your post. Wow, good sleuthing on your part! WELL DONE!

Did you contact the ebay seller and inform him that he's not only a crook, but a moron (and probably what 'Arnold' refers to as a girly-man)? I mean, if one's going to insult somebody in Thailand, go for it. :wink:

:D Ron
 
It just sold for AU$220 - at least the crook didn't make $2000 on it.

Ebay of course didn't care that it was fake...

And yes, I did tell the seller that I thought he is a crook!
 
Gents,

This seller has been 'selling' all manner of amazing and rare helmets for the last few months. They generally sell for stunning prices - by that I mean cheap, cheap, cheap.... How he has not been called out for a fraud and kicked off eBay I would really like to know!

Regards

Steve
 
skelts1974 said:
Gents,

This seller has been 'selling' all manner of amazing and rare helmets for the last few months. They generally sell for stunning prices - by that I mean cheap, cheap, cheap.... How he has not been called out for a fraud and kicked off eBay I would really like to know!

Regards

Steve
Click to expand...

Well I reported him to ebay Australia and nothing seems to have happened. As long as they get their seller's fee and their cut of Paypal, they don't give a damn.
 
There's a new listing about to end. Another amazing find in Bangkok, Thailand, but a different seller name this time, again with zero feedback.

AU$88 and no bids. It seems like ebay buyers are staring to twig to this dodgy character.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Pickelhaube-Spike-Helmet-German-Garde-du-Corps-Helmet-/281298816390" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
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