Is this one worth to go see?

[Civilis]

This sword is offered on ebay from the Netherlands. Do you guys think it worth a 300 mile drive to go see in person?

 

ebay item number:

 

281030058687

[Jorgensen]

Hi,

 

It really depends on you and how much time you have over. IMHO if you can arrange with seller to see his other items/collection and make a good day out of it, see some interesting items and learn from it, I would say yes, then its worth the trip. Maybe he has other swords for sale, you might better like, when having them in hand. If you are slightly interested I dont know if its worth it, however it always better to have the opportunity to study the blade in person, before buying. 3000 usd is some kind of money to the most, so taking the drive to ensure take a look at it, wouldnt be the worse you can do. Being there in person also gives you better options on dealing with the seller and might get the blade for a lower price.

 

But in the end, its up to you to decide =)

[Brian]

All of his items use descriptions taken from other Japanese sellers on eBay..maybe that is where he bought them and is reusing the eBay description, but that is something I noticed. Some descriptions are from fwic? He has feedback though, so don't think he is listing items using stolen descriptions and photos. Maybe just someone listing stuff he has bought from eBay over the months?

 

Brian

[Civilis]

Thanks Jorgensen and Brian for the replies. I first saw the blade on marktplaats, which is the dutch equivalent of ebay. Normally only chinese fakes are offered on that platform, so this one stood out. I contacted the seller with some questions and it seems that he himself brought back some swords and other militaria from Japan. The blade in question went to shinsa medio 2012 which I thought was strange since it is already on sale again and to my knowlegde there were no shinsa's in Holland in 2012.

 

He has some other swords for sale, but based on the pictures they did not interest me as much, but maybe in real person things could be different. The seller gave me a price indication before the ebay ads were listed in euro which was a little bit lower than the 3000usd starting price on ebay. I was not planning on blindly paying the asking price if interested in blade as I thought there would be some room for negotiation.

 

An other question arises, if what he said is true, he flew to Japan, bought three swords a uniform and some other small items for trading purposes. At what prices can these type of papered blades be bought in Japan that he still has room to negotiate taking costs and such into consideration?

 

btw the nakago look extreme small to me, maybe approximately 12 / 13 cm, am I correct in this?

[kusunokimasahige]

Hi Albert, it depends, if he is a seller on marktplaats and you can visit him in Holland why not.

 

Do not visit him halfway, if he offers to show you the sword at some parking lot. Go visit his house,

tell your friends and family you are going there. Do not take cash with you.

 

Check his contact details through the Dutch phone system or address system.

 

If he is the guy from Almere, he should check out. There has not been a shinsa in Holland for years.

I am not sure he is a legit dealer, but well, on ebay I am as unsure about people as at Marktplaats itself.

 

Try to see the sword in hand I would say, but be on your guard.

 

Best wishes,

 

KM

 

PS: his last statement is wrong :

 

The Japanese sword is registered in The Agency for Cultural Affairs as artwork and The Board of Education(Cultural properties protection Committee), and the Japanese sword is managed by a law. The sword having a registration card is made with the Japanese traditional hand forged blade.

 

All Japanese swords leaving the country should NOT have a registration card anymore.

[Civilis]

He might be a legit dealer but I think probably a fairly new one considering nihonto. He's done a lot of transactions thrue ebay 100% positive feedback and is more than 5 years active on marktplaats, so that looks oke. Don't worry you'll never encounter me on a parking lot with big money on me, but thanks for caring.

 

BTW He's not from Almere but from Grootebroek near Enkhuizen. When I decide to visit, I'll make sure to check things out further.

[hxv]

Hi Albert,

 

The sword in question, even though papered, has quite a few cosmetic flaws, especially on the shinogi-ji, making it ... unattractive. I'm not sure it's worth the 300-mile drive. If you have $3000 to spend, I think you have better options, even with papered blades. Figure out what type of sword you are looking for: papered/unpapered, mei/mumei, koto (Kamakura, Nanbokucho, Muromachi)/shinto/shinshinto, tradition/school, etc. Then, sit it back and be patient. A sword within your parameters will come along in your price range.

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[Civilis]

Thanks for the advice Hoanh, as a matter of fact I do not have 3000 usd to spend. So I was not planning to pay that amount for the blade if I decided to want to buy it. If I had 3000 usd to spend, I seriously do not think I would have spended it on this sword.

 

I have an reasonably idea of what kind of sword I want, but since my budget is limited, consessions will have to be made. Just not sure yet what type of consessions I want to make. Hope I explain myself clearly enough...

[hxv]

Hi Albert,

 

Yes, I do understand you. Most of us are on a budget. You are not alone

 

Regards,

Hoanh