Bad feeling...

ariel · 3rd August 2007, 08:37 PM

I sincerely hope all was kosher with this listing. If the seller got affronted, I apologize profusely and sincerely for the misunderstanding.

Having said that, I am still intrigued why would anyone put a $5,000 sword on e-bay using only 2 dinky pics from the auction house catalogue? Wasn't this sword in the seller's possession? Couldn't he make more pics to entice high-end customers? I must be very ignorant about sale techniques...

Michael Blalock · 3rd August 2007, 10:09 PM

Something is odd with this seller items.

Just ended: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=280137210834

This Sabean Bronze Votive Plaque has the exact same description, to the millimeter, as one from the real Barakat Gallery in LA, with a picture of a different plaque.

http://www.barakatgallery.com/Store/...emID/10241.htm

TVV · 3rd August 2007, 10:20 PM

Nothing wrong with flipping an item, but I personally would deffinitely ask the seller for some detailed pictures before I bid a significant amount of money on this shamshir. This is a good advice for almost all sellers on eBay, I guess, but in this case it will also provide me with a proof that the seller does have the item in question in his possession.
I also do not quite understand why the bidding needed to be private, since eBay automatically hides IDs when a bid exceeds $200, which I am sure is far less than what a shamshir like this one could fetch. Finally, the seller found it necessary to change his ID recently, which certainly does not help gaining my trust. I agree with Ariel the whole auction, ended earlier, leaves a bit of a bad taste. Maybe I am just paranoid.

katana · 3rd August 2007, 10:26 PM

My concern would be the payment options, in this case cheque or Money order/Cashiers check . Neither method gives you any insurance AFAIK (in the case of fraud etc.) and I would imagine legal action would be difficult when buyer and seller are in differing countries. Also there would be the cost of taking such action which would have to be personally funded.

Dajak · 4th August 2007, 06:30 AM

In Germany fraud is high punished when they catch you easyy 5 till 6 years in jaill .
And if you doubt about an person and you wanna buy let first someone contact him that is living in his country .
That an auctions close early can have something to do if he get s an offer an was ask to close the ebay auction , I did this also several times and ask the people several times to close it.
Nothing wrong with that .
It seems this guy has some money so nothing strange .
The same have europeans with dealing to the other country s .

I did see here American welknown people buy in Amsterdam with Cristie s
weapons and see them sell them in the USA .

Ben

Michael Blalock · 4th August 2007, 05:27 PM

It's would appear the seller was fishing for an offer to end the sale early. It's the only item he has listed without a buy it now offer. All the other items that he listed had buy it now prices that were about double what the items were worth and all appeared to have photos and descriptions taken from other sites and set to end a few hours after the sword. The Sabean plaque is still for sale at the real Barakat Gallery in Beverly Hills.

This seller was previously known as tiflis73

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/boa...1018#msg221018

rand · 4th August 2007, 07:51 PM

Have been to the Barakat Gallery in Bevery Hills and very doubtful about many of the items there...

rand

Bill M · 5th August 2007, 01:06 AM

Looks like Ariel was right again.

3rd August 2007, 10:20 PM	#3
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,660	Nothing wrong with flipping an item, but I personally would deffinitely ask the seller for some detailed pictures before I bid a significant amount of money on this shamshir. This is a good advice for almost all sellers on eBay, I guess, but in this case it will also provide me with a proof that the seller does have the item in question in his possession. I also do not quite understand why the bidding needed to be private, since eBay automatically hides IDs when a bid exceeds $200, which I am sure is far less than what a shamshir like this one could fetch. Finally, the seller found it necessary to change his ID recently, which certainly does not help gaining my trust. I agree with Ariel the whole auction, ended earlier, leaves a bit of a bad taste. Maybe I am just paranoid. Last edited by TVV; 3rd August 2007 at 10:21 PM. Reason: typos

4th August 2007, 06:30 AM	#5
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	In Germany fraud is high punished when they catch you easyy 5 till 6 years in jaill . And if you doubt about an person and you wanna buy let first someone contact him that is living in his country . That an auctions close early can have something to do if he get s an offer an was ask to close the ebay auction , I did this also several times and ask the people several times to close it. Nothing wrong with that . It seems this guy has some money so nothing strange . The same have europeans with dealing to the other country s . I did see here American welknown people buy in Amsterdam with Cristie s weapons and see them sell them in the USA . Ben Last edited by Dajak; 4th August 2007 at 06:55 AM.

4th August 2007, 07:51 PM	#7
rand Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 539	Barakat Gallery Beverly Hills Have been to the Barakat Gallery in Bevery Hills and very doubtful about many of the items there... rand

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3rd August 2007, 08:37 PM	#1
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	I sincerely hope all was kosher with this listing. If the seller got affronted, I apologize profusely and sincerely for the misunderstanding. Having said that, I am still intrigued why would anyone put a $5,000 sword on e-bay using only 2 dinky pics from the auction house catalogue? Wasn't this sword in the seller's possession? Couldn't he make more pics to entice high-end customers? I must be very ignorant about sale techniques...

3rd August 2007, 10:09 PM	#2
Michael Blalock Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: dc Posts: 271	Something is odd with this seller items. Just ended: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=280137210834 This Sabean Bronze Votive Plaque has the exact same description, to the millimeter, as one from the real Barakat Gallery in LA, with a picture of a different plaque. http://www.barakatgallery.com/Store/...emID/10241.htm

3rd August 2007, 10:26 PM	#4
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,658	My concern would be the payment options, in this case cheque or Money order/Cashiers check . Neither method gives you any insurance AFAIK (in the case of fraud etc.) and I would imagine legal action would be difficult when buyer and seller are in differing countries. Also there would be the cost of taking such action which would have to be personally funded.

4th August 2007, 05:27 PM	#6
Michael Blalock Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: dc Posts: 271	It's would appear the seller was fishing for an offer to end the sale early. It's the only item he has listed without a buy it now offer. All the other items that he listed had buy it now prices that were about double what the items were worth and all appeared to have photos and descriptions taken from other sites and set to end a few hours after the sword. The Sabean plaque is still for sale at the real Barakat Gallery in Beverly Hills. This seller was previously known as tiflis73 http://www.forumancientcoins.com/boa...1018#msg221018

5th August 2007, 01:06 AM	#8
Bill M Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA Georgia Posts: 1,599	Looks like Ariel was right again.