The eBay Conspiracy or a Simple Gallery of Bogus Junk

Low catalog value stamps purchased by eBay user "chickfrdstk" were altered then sold as high catalog value rarities by eBay powerseller "schuylerac"

I don't really like the word conspiracy in this case. When people hear the C-word, they think of the X-files or some political cover-up. Purposeful deception and fraud for monetary gain is probably the best description in this case. Purchases by "chickfrdstk" were run through a special "enhancer-ator" and offered by "schuylerac" on eBay only weeks later.

Since January 2002 to the end of March 2002, "schuylerac" has grossed close to $24,000 in sales on eBay. That is more money than most collectors spend on the hobby in their lifetime. Every item he sells "AS-IS" is never what he states it is.

Compare these examples below and remember the key phrase on eBay is "Caveat Emptor". (Did I spell that right? Let the buyer beware!)

The Top of the Fakes Pages
Another Bogus Scott 519 - New November 2002
The Fake Scott 346 Private Perf - New October 2002
The Most Impressive Fake Scott 62B
The Secret Life of an Altered Scott 72
The Secret Life of a Chemically Altered Scott 78
The Secret Life of an Altered RW5 Duck Stamp
A Fake Scott #320 with Schermack Type III Perforations
Fake Scott #743a
Detecting a Flat Plate Press Vertical Coil, Fake Scott 441
Fake Reperfed 514a
Fake Reperfed 508c
Fake Reperfed 546
Fake Scott 143 w / Bogus Grill
Fake Scott 137 w / Same Bogus Grill as Fake 143
Fake Scott 139 w / Same Bogus Grill as Fake 137 and 143
Fake Scott 315 - Revised June 2002
Fake Reperfed Scott 519 - Revised June 2002

A Gallery of Bogus Stuff Part 1
A Gallery of Bogus Stuff Part 2
A Gallery of Bogus Stuff Part 3
A Gallery of Bogus Stuff Part 4
A Gallery of Bogus Stuff Part 5

Credits, Inspiration and Links of Interest


New Rev5.1 Design, November 2007

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Download Instruction Sheet for the Sonic Imagery Labs Specialty Perforation & Grill Multi -Gauge

Download a MAIL ORDER form for the Sonic Imagery Labs Specialty Perforation & Grill Multi -Gauge


Original Stamp Image Original Seller's Description
Altered Stamp Image
Fraudulent Description
Item Number 1330235519

Sold 2/9/2002 by bel-kirkstamps to chickfrdstk for $19.99

Pair of US #147 Unused No gum

This is a pair of US #147 which is unused and has no gum. There is a light stain on the left stamp. About half of the perfs are separated. .

The stamp on the far left was resold and shown to the right
Item Number 1347078060

Offered by "schuylerac on 4/7/2002 as:

136 UNUSED GRILL CAT$325

Notice the key word here, GRILL! Hmmm... Scott 147's don't have grills.
Item Number 1330235519

Sold 2/9/2002 by bel-kirkstamps to chickfrdstk for $19.99

Pair of US #147 Unused No gum

This is a pair of US #147 which is unused and has no gum. There is a light stain on the left stamp. About half of the perfs are separated.

The stamp second to the left was resold and shown to the right
Item Number 1343726073

Offered by "schuylerac on 4/7/2002 as:

136 UNUSED GRILL CAT$325

Notice the key word again, GRILL! Hmmm... Scott 147's don't normally have grills, so one must conclude that either chickfrdstk or schuylerac added one. See what their bogus grills look like
here.
Item Number 1333914758

Sold 2/25/2002 by jylland to chickfrdstk for $19.00

US SC#153, 24c.1870 Miss.Cor. tooths val$120

The red arrow points to the original cancel. Also note the straight edge on the right.

The stamp to the left was resold as the very rare Scott #142 and shown to the far right.


Since this is an educational website devoted to the exposure of philatelic fraud, let's ask a question. QUESTION: If the original seller misidentified the stamp because he didn't notice the grill, and chickfrdstk/schuylerac simply made a lucky purchase, why would they feel the need to add a second cancel and make it a less attractive item? ANSWER: Most likely, the paper of the stamp is quite dirty and grey. When the forgers reperfed the stamp, they probably exposed clean white paper on the edge of the stamp. By adding another cancellation, they could cover the white edges and hide the reperf job.
Item Number 1345555203

Offered by "schuylerac" on 4/10/2002 as:

142 USED GRILL CAT $6500

While the seller schuylerac does mention the reperforation job to the right side of the stamp, he neglects to say who did it. Was it chickfrdstk or schuylerac?

SOLD FOR $27.01
Item Number 1333342858

Sold 2/22/2002 by jimsrpo to chickfrdstk for $10.51

US SC#71, 30c. used CV $70 No min., no reserve.

The red circles detail key perforations used to identify the bogus 81 on the right

The stamp to the LEFT was resold as the very rare Scott #81 and shown to the far right.


Since this is an educational website devoted to the exposure of philatelic fraud, let's do a little research and learn something new! The Scott 2002 US Specialized Catalog states "Eight copies of 80 and 80a (four unused and four used), and eight copies of No. 81 (one in a museum and not available to collectors) are known to exist. All are more or less faulty and/or off center. Values are for off-center examples with small perforation faults.
Item Number 1348420124

Sold by "schuylerac" on 4/26/2002 as:

81 USED CAT $60,000

The seller schuylerac stated: "THERE IS AN ALL OVER GRILL OF LINEAR ROWS WITH GRILL POINTS IN STRAIGHT LINES. THE GRILL IS INTERRUPTED AT SPOTS AND LOOKS VERY REALISTIC. THE GRILL DOES NOT BREAK THE PAPER AS SCOTT SAYS IT OFTEN DOES. THIS IS SOLD AS IS WITHOUT IMPLICATION MADE OR INTENDED THAT IT IS INDEED GENUINE. WE DON'T EVEN DARE IMAGINE THIS IS GENUINE AND NEITHER SHOULD YOU!

Sold for $36.55
Human nature is a funny thing.
Original Stamp Image Original Sellers Description
Altered Stamp Image
Fraudulent Description
Item Number 1330815910

Sold 2/12/2002 by pareed to chickfrdstk for $48.00

#72 90 cent Washington *NR*

Hinge still on back, Small cut on lower edge.

The stamp on the far left was altered and resold. It has found a new life on the right.
Item Number 1340554908

Offered by "schuylerac on 3/24/2002 as:

72 USED SUPERB BEAUTY, CAT $425

The seller schuylerac describes the following: " FRESH, BRIGHT AND CLEAN. VERY WELL CENTERED.RATHER LIGHTLY CANCELLED FOR THIS USUALLY HEAVILY CANCELED STAMP. THERE IS A SMALL PATCH ADDING ONE PERF BUT THIS IS ONLY NOTICEABLE FROM THE BACK. A GREAT STAMP!!!

SOLD FOR $49.99 to ebay user wise79
Item Number 1333848686

Sold 2/24/2002 by rogernorth to chickfrdstk for $72.99

38 LOVELY GRID CNCL HUGE JUMBO MARGIN

The stamp on the LEFT was altered and resold. It has found a new life on the RIGHT

Time for some more education: The item above has all 4 sides reperforated with the top side having been entirely redone. New cancels have been added most likely to make the few improvements to the BACK a little less noticeable from the FRONT- except note what looks like a tear on the botton right.
Offered by "schuylerac on 3/24/2002 as:

38 USED CAT$450 WONDERFUL GEM

Item Number 1343729890 didn't sell the first time around. But did sell the 2nd time as Item Number 1345114289 on 4/11/2002

The seller schuylerac describes the following: FRESH COLOR, NICE CENTERING. THIS STAMP HAS HAD A FEW IMPROVEMENTS MADE AND ARE NOTICEABLE
FROM THE BACK.

SOLD FOR $64.99 to ebay user tuck154

This is what we call in the business as a major cleaning and reperf job.

Item Number 1339672098

Sold 3/22/2002 by
ebay seller 1newt1 to chickfrdstk for $15.49

#151, 12 cent Henry Clay


Time for some more education: The Scott #140 is quite rare and is usually bought and sold with a certificate of authenticity. Obviously the seller schuylerac again found a rarity in that the original seller 1newt1 missed the grill on the stamp. NOT! Once again either chickfrdstk or schuylerac added a phony grill and damaged another stamp. Uuuuggghh! See more of their fake grills here.
Offered by "schuylerac on 4/24/2002 as:

140 USED GRILL CAT$3000
Item Number 1348665552

The seller schuylerac describes the following: THE STAMP DISPLAYS A PARTIAL STRUCTURED GRILL WITH A SERIES OF GRILL POINTS IN LINEAR ROWS. IT APPEARS
REALISTIC. IT CANNOT BE MEASURED FOR DEFINITE VERIFICATION AND AUTHENTICITY AND IT IS SOLD AS IS
WITHOUT ANY IMPLICATION MADE OR SUGGESTED THAT THIS IS A GENUINE GRILL

SOLD FOR $26.55 to ebay user rrumsby1@yahoo.com

Item Number 1335243090

Sold 3/3/2002 by
ebay seller rvici to chickfrdstk for $16.25

USA '1870 - 30c black

Described by the honest seller as: '1870/82 - Alexander Hamilton, 30 cents black, good quality (# 154 or 165 ?)

Time for some more education: Look closely, Fill in the missing pieces of the cool grid cancel with a black marker to make it look a little different, add a "PARTIAL GRILL....", reperf the bottom, and voila! Increase the CV by 1200% The Scott #143 is quite rare and is usually bought and sold with a certificate of authenticity. Obviously the seller schuylerac again found a rarity in that the original seller rvici missed the grill on the stamp. What are the odds of this happening over and over again. NOT! Once again either chickfrdstk or schuylerac added a phony grill and damaged another perfectly good stamp. Uuuuggghh! See more of their fake grills here.

For those of you into mathematics and statisical probability concerning the odds of these stamps being authentic. Go to Google.com and look up Bayes Theorum and Poissions Probability Statistics.
Offered by "schuylerac on 4/14/2002 as:

143 USED GRILL CAT$2400
Item Number 1346387194

The seller schuylerac describes the following: THE STAMP DISPLAYS A PARTIAL STRUCTURED GRILL WITH A SERIES OF GRILL POINTS IN LINEAR ROWS. IT APPEARS
REALISTIC. IT CANNOT BE MEASURED FOR DEFINITE VERIFICATION AND AUTHENTICITY AND IT IS SOLD AS IS
WITHOUT ANY IMPLICATION MADE OR SUGGESTED THAT THIS IS A GENUINE GRILL

SOLD FOR $52.00 to ebay user srprojectman

Knowledge . . . .
. . . continues to be the collector's best ally. It is also what has separated the true collector from the casual accumulator. The more you know, the better your puchasing and collecting decisions become.

Don't get burned!

Get real... Get educated .... Get smart.
Knowledge really is Power. Updated 9/13/2003
Updated 9/13/2003
In the next few weeks and months, I will be adding more images and words for a whole bunch of fakes I and others have purchased on eBay. I can be reached at:
nerdman@ix.netcom.com
DISCLAIMER:
Thanks for visiting this site. I hope you learn something new as I am having fun doing this and stirring up the "doodoo" so to speak. You, the visitor, have my permission to copy my pages and images for the purpose of showing others how to look for fakes and forgeries. You also have my permission to link to my pages and to share the link paths to others. I only ask in return for you to send me an email if I have made a mistake or have done some other technical blunder that in my rush to put these pages up would cause the visitor confusion. Please also visit my other website www.slingshotvenus.com and support the live music arts.