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
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 pictures of the above original lot are admittedly very small and unclear when blown up, so positive ID is difficult using perfs as reference points. But look closely, what are the odds that 10 OUT OF 13 common 10cent items all purchased by chickfrdstk in one lot would have the EXACT SAME cancels IN THE EXACT SAME POSITION, with the same side-to-side centering, as 10 extremely rare coils described and sold a short time later by the seller "schuylerac". |
This lot of stamps, shown to the left, was purchased by chickfrdstk on 2/9/02 as eBay Item number 1329420764 and was titled as "USA Lot Washington".
Stamp 1. Item 1340568549 “356 USED CAT$1250” 3/24/02 $9.99 hammer to djlussier
Stamp 2. Item 1346904616 349,51-53,56 USED COILS CAT$1282" 4/19/02 $9.99 hammer to lz4444@aol.com
Stamp 3. Item 1351307565 "351,53,56,86,88 USED COILS CAT$1810" 5/11/02 $6.99 hammer to bull305
Stamp 4. Item 1339266510 “356 USED CAT$1250” 3/18/02 $9.99 hammer to bbullmaster
Stamp 5. Item 1338549557 “TREASURES WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED” 3/17/02 $31.00 Hammer to grumpaw1
Stamp 6. Item 1340567397 “352-356 USED COILS CAT$1515 3/24/02 $16.50 to phidadle
Stamp 7. Item 1339262140 “TREASURES WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED ” 3/18/02 $20.60 hammer to horsinwolter
Stamp 8. Item 1340396864 “356 USED CAT$1250” 3/23/02 $9.99 Hammer to khunter311@aol.com
Stamp 9. Item 1338554331 “TREASURES WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED” 3/17/02 $16.15 hammer to crowdaddy49816
Stamp 10. Item 1339938296 “356 USED CAT$1250” 3/31/02 $22.51 hammer to jakegib
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| Original Stamp Image |
Altered Stamp Image
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Fraudulent Description |
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356 USED CAT$1250
Item # 1340568549
The seller "schuylerac" after making the ridiculous title claim goes on to describe the item in the ad thusly.
"THIS STAMP SHOULD NEVER BE BOUGHT/SOLD AS GENUINE WITHOUT CERTIFICATION. WE ARE SELLING THIS AS IS. !........VIEW THE PHOTO AND BE YOUR OWN JUDGE TO MEET YOUR OWN PERSONAL CONDITION REQUIREMENTS AND PERCEPTIONS."
$9.99 hammer to djlussier. |
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For a little more "fakes, forgery and alterations" fun, click on the picture above and look at the whole lot that "schuylerac" sold. Do the other stamps in the picture seem right to you? |
349,51-53,56 USED COILS CAT$1282
Item # 1346904616
Once again, the seller "schuylerac" after making the ridiculous title claim, goes on to describe the items in the ad thusly.
"EACH STAMP IN THIS LOT MEASURES LESS THAN THE GENERALLY ACCEPTED MINIMUM MEASUREMENT. THIS LOT IS SOLD AS IS!!! ......VIEW THE PHOTO AND BE YOUR OWN JUDGE TO MEET YOUR OWN PERSONAL CONDITION REQUIREMENTS AND PERCEPTIONS."
$9.99 hammer to lz4444@aol.com |
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For a little more "fakes, forgery and alterations" fun, click on the picture above and look at the whole lot that "schuylerac" sold. Do the other stamps in the picture seem right to you? |
351,53,56,86,88 USED COILS CAT$1810
Item # 1351307565
And for a third time, the seller "schuylerac" after making the ridiculous title claim, goes on to describe the items in the ad thusly.
"EACH STAMP IN THIS LOT MEASURES LESS THAN THE GENERALLY ACCEPTED MINIMUM MEASUREMENT. THIS LOT IS SOLD AS IS! ......VIEW THE PHOTO AND BE YOUR OWN JUDGE TO MEET YOUR OWN PERSONAL CONDITION REQUIREMENTS AND PERCEPTIONS."
$6.99 hammer to bull305 |
| Time for the educational part
The 2002 Scott Specialized Catalog of US Stamps and Covers states on page 53 "Beware of stamps offered as No. 356 which may be examples of No. 338 with perfs. trimmed at top and/or bottom. Beware also of plentiful fakes in the marketplace of Nos. 348-355. Authentication of all these coils is advised".
The Experts Book, A Practical Guide to the Authentication of United States Stamps, Washington/Franklin Issues 1908-1923, by Paul Schmid 1990 has a few points to make about the 356 issue as well. I will quote him. "This issue is often faked. Over 30% of the almost 600 examples submitted to the Philatelic Foundation and APS expert committees proved to be bogus". |
How to spot this issue as bogus. Advice from an FPI*
Bogus Scott 356's, if they have double line watermarks, can only be made from Scott 338's. The Scott 338 in F-VF condition USED has a catalog value of $1.40. You can see why fakers like this issue when a genuine 356 catalogs at $1250 USED.
A census of genuine 356 examples show that this issue is usually a tall coil, ranging in height from 25.0mm to 25.2mm. The census also shows that 45% of all genuine examples are centered with bias to the bottom. 30% are well centered, and the remaining 25% are centered to the top.
The 356 is typically yellow or light yellow. Deep yellow or dark yellow orange like our fakes shown above are often fakes made from perforated sheet stock such as the Scott 338. |
| Original Stamp Image |
Original Sellers Description |
Altered Stamp Image
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Fraudulent Description |
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Item Number 1333813252
Sold 2/12/2002 to "chickfrdstk" for $26.00
166 90c banknote USED cv$250
This is a perfectly good 166 with really nice centering. Clipped on left side of stamp
The stamp on the left was altered and resold. It has found a new life on the RIGHT. |
Things to note:
Reperforation job on left and the magical appearing grill whence one didn't exist before. It is not revealed in his description that HE added the grill himself and therefore he is personally aware that this is a FAKE. |
Item Number 1346387378
Sold by schuylerac 4/17/02 as a
144 USED GRILL CAT$1600
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 IMPLIED THAT THIS IS A GENUINE
GRILL!!!
SOLD FOR $56.55 |
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Item Number 1333326616
Sold 2/15/2002 by brinerstamps to "chickfrdstk" for $10.60
USA #76 Just Fine, Scent Brown
This is a really nice 76 with fair centering. The honest seller was kind enough to show us the back of the stamp. Because this issue is printed on the thicker opaque paper, grills of the later issues stand out more than there banknote counterparts. There is no GRILL present when originally sold
The stamp on the left was altered and resold. It has found a new life on the RIGHT. |
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Item Number 1347085890
Sold by schuylerac 4/20/02 as a
95 USED F GRILL CAT$750
The seller schuylerac describes the following: TINY PRESSED CORNER CREASE. CENTERING COULD BE BETTER, COULD BE WORSE!
SOLD FOR $34.99 to paparickj
Once AGAIN THE MAGICAL APPEARING GRILL SHOWS UP AND PHILATELIC HISTORY IS MADE. |
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PART 1 of a combination auction that consisted of a pair of Scott 63, which are shown to the right.
Item Number 1337782972
Sold 3/13/2002 to "chickfrdstk"
Described by the honest seller as:
US #63
Left stamp - corner wrinkle: right stamp - SE |
Educational Stuff:
It should also be noted that "schuylerac" calls this item a 63a, which is a color variation. The auction below is called a 63b, also a color variation. Color is very subjective and the only reason it's mentioned here is the seller is only trying to deceive the buyer, by implying that this is more valuable. The original pair was a 63 and color variations would only happen to a full sheet. Never to individual stamps |
Item Number 1345687440
Sold by schuylerac 4/11/02 as a
63a DARK BLUE CAT$90
The seller "schuylerac" describes the item as follows:
IT HAS SMALL FAULTS BUT LOOKS DECENT---PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING. IT REMAINS CONSTANT FOR ALL LOTS LISTED. YOU ONLY NEED TO READ IT ONCE. SEE THE PHOTO FOR THE CENTERING AND MARGIN SIZE. FOR THE CONDITION OF THE PERFORATIONS. FOR THE CANCEL TYPE AND DEGREE. FOR THE SHADE OR SHADE VARIATION(THIS IS VERY SUBJECTIVE TO PERSONAL OPINION). VIEW THE PHOTO AND BE YOUR OWN JUDGE TO MEET YOUR OWN PERSONAL CONDITION REQUIREMENTS AND PERCEPTIONS.
SOLD FOR $9.76 to "bharley4@ptdprolog.net"
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PART 2 of a combination auction that consisted of a pair of Scott 63, which are shown to the right.
Item Number 1337782972
Sold 3/13/2002 to "chickfrdstk"
Described by the honest seller as:
US #63
Left stamp - corner wrinkle: right stamp - SE |
Educational Stuff:
Reperfed at the top edge and the right edge The right edge originally was a straight edge. It should also be noted that "schuylerac" calls his item a 63b, which is a color variation. The auction above is called a 63a, also a color variation. Color is very subjective and the only reason it's mentioned here is the seller is only trying to deceive the buyer, by implying that this is more valuable. The original pair was a 63 and color variations would only happen to a full sheet. Never to individual stamps |
Item Number 1345698853
Sold by schuylerac 4/11/02 as a
63b USED CAT$90 SUPER STAMP
The seller "schuylerac" describes the item as follows:
FRESH AND CLEAN, WELL CENTERED, SOME PERFS IMPROVED!!! PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING. IT REMAINS CONSTANT FOR ALL LOTS LISTED. YOU ONLY NEED TO READ IT ONCE. SEE THE PHOTO FOR THE CENTERING AND MARGIN SIZE. FOR THE CONDITION OF THE PERFORATIONS. FOR THE CANCEL TYPE AND DEGREE. FOR THE SHADE OR SHADE VARIATION(THIS IS VERY SUBJECTIVE TO PERSONAL OPINION). VIEW THE PHOTO AND BE YOUR OWN JUDGE TO MEET YOUR OWN PERSONAL CONDITION REQUIREMENTS AND PERCEPTIONS.
SOLD FOR $10.49 to "vewjr"
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Item Number 1332643445
Sold to "chickfrdstk"
153 XF/VF Appearance Light Cancel Cat 160.00
The stamp on the left normally doesn't have a grill as issued. It has found a new life on the RIGHT.
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Item Number 1346912818
Sold by "schuylerac" on 4/19/02 as a:
142 USED GRILL CAT$6500
The seller schuylerac describes the following:
SMALL CLOSED TEAR--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 IMPLICATION MADE OR IMPLIED THAT THIS IS A GENUINE GRILL!!
SOLD FOR $31.00 to xrds
Once AGAIN THE MAGICAL APPEARING GRILL SHOWS UP AND PHILATELIC HISTORY IS MADE. |
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Item # 1330614789
Purchased 2/09/2002 by "chickfrdstk" for $20.40
Scott #7 Single Stamp F-VF Used Nice
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Educational Stuff:
The top 3 red arrows point to the cancels that are the same on both stamps. The interesting part is the addition of the curls added to the bottom. (Lower 2 arrows) This in and of itself does not make this stamp a Scott 5, Type 1 Pos7R1E, but the "schuylerac" probably didn't know that. It should also be noted that the left and right edges got trimmed. Perhaps to hide the other design features that seperate Scott 7's from 5's? |
Item Number 1343411903
Sold by "schuylerac" on 4/2/02 as a:
5 USED TYPE I CAT$45,500
The seller "schuylerac", after making the ridiculous title claim, describes the following:
ANY STAMP THIS EXPENSIVE SHOULDN'T BE BOUGHT OR SOLD AS GENUINE WITHOUT CERTIFICATION. THIS IS A VERY NICE STAMP. CLEAN, FRESH AND BRIGHT WITH A LIGHT CANCEL THE TYPE IS CLEARLY DEFINED IN ALL ASPECTS AS DENOTED BY SCOTT. WE DON'T DARE IMAGINE
THIS COULD BE GENUINE AND NEITHER SHOULD YOU. THIS BEAUTY IS SOLD AS IS!!
Sold to ahneve for a $91.00 hammer. |
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Item # 1331235973
Purchased 2/13/2002 by "chickfrdstk" for $20.40
1868 US #96 (sic) 15c black used
"Right margin has been trimmed and there is a tear on top left corner…"
The stamp on the left has had its very cool pen cancel removed. It has found a new life on the RIGHT.
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Item Number 1343411278
Sold by "schuylerac" on 4/4/02 as a:
98 UNUSED F GRILL CAT$1400
The seller schuylerac describes the following:
"THIS HAS NO GUM AND THE IMPRESSION IS PRETTY SHARP, WE THINK ITS' UNUSED BUT WILL NONETHELESS SELL IT AS IS. THE GRILL IS QUITE PROMINANT. THERE IS A TINY CLOSED TEAR SHOWING ON THE BACK!!!…
"Oh really? They only THINK it is unused. I think they know better.
Sold to rrumsby1@yahoo.com for a closing hammer of $49.99 |
