Philatelic Fraud on eBay! Part 5

Establish a pattern and M.O.

Low catalog value stamps purchased by eBay user "Stazy4" and "chickfrdstk" were altered, repaired, bleached clean or reperforated and then sold as part of an estate sale by eBay seller "pcheltenham".

Part 5. So many stamps, so little time.

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
Buy the Sonic Imagery Labs Specialty Perforation & Grill Multi -Gauge

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

The lot shown to the left was puchased by eBay user chkfrdstk on June 5th, 2002. The closing hammer was $300.00 and it was eBay item number 1356755639.

Scroll down the page and see if you can play the game which we in the forensic's world call "SPOT THE ALTERATION!".

Original Stamp Image Purchased by, Amount, Original Description and eBay item number
Altered Stamp Image used in Auction
 Fraudulent Auction Information
eBay Item Number 1362099116
Sold for $589.36 on 6/30/2002

REPERFED!
eBay Item Number 1362119659
Sold for $188.82 on 6/30/2002

REPERFED!
eBay Item Number 1362118601
Sold for $18.50 on 6/30/2002

Now it's your turn to "SPOT THE ALTERATION!" Hint: Think about doing the laundry.
eBay Item Number 1362124245
Sold for $23.75 on 6/30/2002

Now it's your turn to "SPOT THE ALTERATION!" Hint: Think about doing the laundry and washing the whites.
Original Stamp Image Purchased by, Amount, Original Description and eBay item number Altered Stamp Image used in Auction Fraudulent Auction Information
eBay Item Number 1362121988
Sold for $38.05 on 6/30/2002

Now it's your turn to "SPOT THE ALTERATION!" Hint: Think about doing the laundry and washing the whites with bleach. OOPS...I gave it away.

The ink in this issue changes to a blackish green when exposed to sodium hypochlorite.
eBay Item Number 1362129142
Sold for $35.50 on 6/30/2002

Now it's your turn to "SPOT THE ALTERATION!" Hint: No hints this time.
eBay Item Number 1362098078
Sold for $10.50 on 6/30/2002

Now it's your turn to "SPOT THE ALTERATION!" Hint: No hints this time.
eBay Item Number 1362120523
Sold for $198.85 on 6/30/2002

Now it's your turn to "SPOT THE ALTERATION!"
eBay Item Number 1362127493
Sold for $51.00 on 6/30/2002

Now it's your turn to "SPOT THE ALTERATION!"
eBay Item Number 1361760806
Sold for $38.11 on 6/30/2002

Now it's your turn to "SPOT THE ALTERATION!"
eBay Item Number 1361758976
Sold for $12.50 on 6/30/2002

Now it's your turn to "SPOT THE ALTERATION!"
eBay Item Number 1362097070
Sold for $42.00 on 6/30/2002

Now it's your turn to "SPOT THE ALTERATION!"
eBay Item Number 1361760167
Sold for $27.00 on 6/30/2002

Now it's your turn to "SPOT THE ALTERATION!"
eBay Item Number 1362144870
Sold for $33.26 on 6/30/2002

Now it's your turn to "SPOT THE ALTERATION!"
Original Stamp Image Purchased by, Amount, Original Description and eBay item number
Altered Stamp Image used in Auction
 Fraudulent Auction Information
stazy4 6/20/02 $32.18
Item # 1359963792 U.S. #77 Used w/blue cancel"...tiny pen mark on the back…"
ESTATE COLLECTION
pcheltenham 7/14/02
Item # 1366743574

chickfrdstk 7/14/02 $8.01
US Stamp # 113 Used
Item # 1360876588
"Stamp is considered a second (damaged) with faults"
pcheltenham 7/14/02
ESTATE COLLECTION 1869 issue
Item # 1366745743
"...grill is faint no gum…"


Of course it has no gum; it was USED until our alterer washed off the cancel.

Note: The bleach has faded the color of the ink.


chickfrdstk 6/24/02 $19.80
US Stamp # 72 Used
Item # 1360883337
Stamp is considered a second (damaged) with faults
Click to see a larger version		 pcheltenham 7/14/02
ESTATE COLLECTION 90 ct washington
Item # 1366770714
"repaired.......…"

and cleaned and reperfed and cancels added and…..

How's this for "presentation"? Tough to see the rough back when it's tied to a piece. I always suspected he had lots of hand stamps to play with.

chickfrdstk 6/22/02 $25.00
Scott# 96 CV $200+
Item # 1360325181		 pcheltenham 7/14/02
ESTATE COLLECTION 10ct grill
Item # 1366742412

cleaned, reperfed
Original Stamp Image Purchased by, Amonut, Original Description and eBay item number Altered Stamp Image used in Auction Fraudulent Auction Information
stazy4 4/28/02 $20.30
SCOTT #98 15c Lincoln..used SPLIT GRILL- RARE
Item # 1347820961		 pcheltenham 7/14/02 cleaned, reperfed
ESTATE COLLECTION: 15ct grill
Item # 1366722225

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.