Omg... This Fake 315 Really Tops The List...

Click on the listing to see the seller's absurd explanations
and diagramming to try to convince buyer's it's a 315...

(sorry, don't have my software with me to crop it out)...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Scott-315-A...121654314497

I wonder how that 315 would look compared to this 304?

srailkb...Just made your stamp imperf..now you can get more money for it...haha

Robert

That is one nice looking stamp, Ken. I hope no one ever tries to "improve" it with trimming "enhancements."

That is a beautiful jumbo. I'm jealous, most that I have from that series cut close or into the design on one or two sides.

This one probably came from a fairly good margined #304, with a guide line on the right.

OK guys, now who can remove the cancel?

Just having fun!

Cheers

David (Stampmaster)

So did anybody report that first fake 315 to Stamp Smarter?

Yes, they should have removed the cancel and regummed BEFORE trimming off the perfs.

Seller did the right thing, and ended the listing...

Presumably to keep his/her APS membership intact...

So daunting to see dealers do this as early in to classics as I am. Six steps forwards and five back sometimes it seems. Good thing I'm stubborn and have y'all to help me when I beg and annoy everyone enough.

Not sure if anyone else contacted him so I did and let him know the minimum size requirements for a certifiable stamp was 21.5x25mm. He responded promptly and professionally.
Don

This thread started out by talking about a particular stamp being offered for sale on ebay and the features that made it suspicious. Then somewhere down the line the subject shifted to talking about the selling process, the behavior of sellers, and the reporting of aberrations. I see this a lot, and I suppose for some it is a normal progression that is to be expected.

The SCF website has separate forums for discussions about US classics and discussions about ebay. All of us agreed to abide by the rules of the site when we signed on, but tend to allow those rules to bend so we don't offend. I don't mean to offend or be offensive, but out of all the forum choices here at SCF, I come to the Classic US forum in order to discuss STAMPS and issues relating to identifying and caring for them, and to a lesser degree info on how to acquire them. Telling me that a particular stamp is available for sale, and that it is fake, and how to tell the good from the bad, all that is right and proper for this forum because it is focused on the stamp. But then to go into a lament about the way a particular seller does or does not respond to our complaints, or is a sleaze not to be trusted, or that ebay can be a jungle - that I think moves into the subject matter for a different forum.

I would prefer that we discipline ourselves to uphold the rules intended to keep order in this site, by staying on topic with our discussions. An occasional foray into other turf is one thing, but when it becomes a standard deviation of topic, then a gentle word needs to be said. Words like, "Time to take this to the ebay discussion forum." should be seen as a gentle reminder.

Of course we could let the site owner decide what is proper, but can't we do that ourselves and not risk getting anyone in trouble? And let's not dredge up those epithets of "Nazi" or "policeman" because someone reminds us of the rules we all agreed to uphold. Contrary to popular notion, they were NOT made to be broken.

The site owner has made provision to support all the kinds of conversation we wish to have on these subjects. Can we live with that and respect the differences?

Essayk,
In reviewing the thread, I would be hard pressed to see how the thread wandered from the OP's topic. No one launched into a diatribe about ebay, their lack of oversight, or the general issue of fakes that are sold online. A few folks offered suggestions as to how that fake might have been generated, is that what you are talking about? If not, please specify which posts you feel wandered from the OP topic.
Don

I agree with essayk in principle, but not as to this thread. The original post raised mixed questions of identification and seller's conduct. Therefore, none of the replies were off topic. And a mixed question like this is appropriate for either the US Classics topic or a more general topic.

Chris

It is sometimes difficult to keep a thread from wandering because, by human nature, folks will tend to do so, either when they speak or write. As cjpalermo1964 correctly notes policing it here sounds great in principle and I DO agree with Essayk that threads that do wander too much can be distracting, so trying to steer them "on topic" or direct them to the correct forum/category is probably a good idea. But who is going to be the policeman? Is Essayk volunteering to do so? If he is, that's great, or if others want to intgerrupt a thread and try to direct it to the correct place, that's OK too, but on other philatelic forums there are usually several Moderators that try to keep things on topic. That seems to work pretty well, I think, but I also agree with essayk that we can try to do it ourselves as long as it doesn't get into big disagreements as to when it's OK to "redirect" and when not. That's my quick two cents on this issue....