Masatsune Gendaito katana possible fraud?

[Brian]

Not 100% sure of this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/Japanese-sword-26-k ... 0244684379

I see it is the exact description used here: http://www.swordsmanandarcher.com/Japan ... #131093978

Different pics though. Have email the owner, but auction only has a few hours left. Be careful if you are watching this one.

 

Brian

[drbvac]

Brian:

 

I have purchased a couple of items from Carmen Altmonte at Swordsman and Archer and he at least in my case was above board and clear. Maybe the seller on e-bay is the "sale pending " noted at Altomonte's and is trying to flip it for a profit before actually buying it !!! I'd trust Carmen over the unknown although I have never met either!

 

Good eyes by the way@

 

EDIT Sent e-mail to CARMEN and he wrote back :

 

"Thanks Brian. Yes. You are correct. I was just notified by another friend of mine and I subsequently reported it to ebay. Is there anything else you reccommend I do to help rectify this matter? WTF is right! I already sold the sword privately, but I still have it, as the guy who bought it is still making payments. I hope someone catches this criminal before I do! Thanks again, Carmen."

 

Thanks to your eyes Brian !

[Brian]

Tell Carmen that if he can positively identify fraud like this, then the best thing to do is go bid $1,000,000 on the item himself so that no-one else buys it. The seller can't give neg feedback, as he is a criminal anyways.

 

Hope the buyer (katanluv?) isn't going to pay him for this.

 

Brian

[drbvac]

This gets really weird!! I told Swordsman and archer who contacted e-bay and the buyer who he was trying to let know of the fraud and the BIDDER was the same guy who bought the blade originally from him! Said he didn't know it was the same one and the original seller (S&A) still has the blade and is holding it for the buyer pending payment. I told him have the cash in hand prior to shipping cause the entire thing is too strange.

 

Further to some other comments on this forum it just goes to show BUYER BEWARE, check the reviews, see if the guy has been a seller for a longer time and if he also has more than one item for sale. I also check to see if they have a non e-bay sales page which many of the more legit sellers have.

 

In terms of the good sellers list some were talking about on an other posting and the ones I have had no problems with , other than the items being slightly overstated, are fujisanblack , fwic2803,zen-gallery, and old PO, BUT, you should have some idea what you figure the item is worth or what you are willing to pay and bid that near the end of bidding and forget about it until it is over. If like some you watch it go up you may very well overbid.

 

Like many, I have no access to any nihonto within thousands of miles and I have dealt with AOI and some other dealers , but it is still fun to surf e-bay- but as they ised to say on Hill Street Blues, be careful out there!