Wow- Lowest Yahoo!Japan trick I've seen yet!?

[Curran]

Moderators and others please jump in and correct me on this one- I'd like to be wrong.

 

http://page2.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/b89504990

 

Looks nice, and the book photographed is suppose to be the Sukashi Tsuba book. If you own the book and flip it open to page 114 you see why yes-- it is the same tsuba.

 

OR IS IT? Dah dah dum....

The tsuba is not the same as on page 114 of the Sukashi Tsuba book. Sure, design is the same as the actual tsuba from the book, but the tsuba for sale has been photoshopped or otherwise superimposed on an image of page 114 of the book and added to the auction.

 

Perhaps it is naivete, but I am surprised to what level the seller (and he or she is often a seller) has stooped. It must be intentional. It isn't the same tsuba in the book, though the page is otherwise identical. My understanding of Japanese is improving, but still limited. Does the seller say anything to explain this in his auction? I read something about a crack, but am unsure to what or where he is actually referring.

[Guido]

I don't have my books with me yet, so I can't comment on the photo. However, the seller doesn't claim that it's the same Tsuba, just that it looks similar and *could* be the one in the book. Anyhow, he already got a negative feedback for selling another fake Higo Tsuba, so I would stay away from this auction.

[Bungo]

probably just " identical " design, may be a cast copy ?

Tsuba are not ( usually ) one of a kind as we all know, and i have TWO identical kiri design sukashi tsuba very similar to Sasano's sukashi book.

 

Arhhhhhh, that gives me the chance to " show off " my e-snip page again.........

 

click and take a look see

 

 

http://www.esnips.com/web/tsuba?docsPage=19#files

 

http://www.esnips.com/web/tsuba?docsPage=20#files

 

p.s. from the Yahoo page, I see there's the " identical " rust" bulge " at the kogai hitsu ana area present in both book illustration AND pic of the auction tsuba..............what's the chance of that ( they being the same? or............. cast copy ? )

 

 

milt

[Ford Hallam]

So the tsuba they are selling is apparently identical in appearance ( the same image ? ) to the one in the copy of Sasano's book they are referencing. But in your copy of the same book the tsuba is a similar design but clearly not the same object ( tsuba ).

 

Seems just a little suspicious....but you have to admire their deviousness if they have photo-shopped the tsuba they are trying to sell, into a well regarded reference book. Come to think of it, it's brilliant! :D

[Baka Gaijin]

Evening All

 

The Tome Raider strikes again...... :lol:

 

 

Malcolm

[Bungo]

re-reading Curran's message.......

 

you mean they cut out the orginal pic in the book and REPLACE it with the auction tsuba pic ?

Now's that devilish !!

 

 

mi8lt

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Now's that devilish !!

 

Come to think of it, it's brilliant! :D

 

Both. To me looks a lot like italian. :lol:

[Curran]

That is exactly what I mean...

They took a photo of the tsuba they are selling and overlaided or photoshopped it over the picture of the Sukashi Tsuba book. The page is identical, but the image of the tsuba is NOT!

 

The image of the book is a partially falsified image.

 

The designs are the same, but the one in the book is slightly thinner and more elegant. For starters:

(1) The one in the actual book has no small sukashi opening under the kogai ana.

(2) The sekigane are different.

(3) The seppa dai on the one in the auction has a little node on it that doesn't exist in the photo in the actual book.

 

I think I am just amazed at the effort the guy went to in order to sell the tsuba. That Buy It Now price is darn low for a Hayashi. This one is a bear trap he might be hoping someone steps in.

 

Yahoo!Japan has gotten much worse in the past year or so. Many more crude gimei being dumped there now, with Posservice often buying them up and dumping them on USA eBay. Other sellers shill their own auctions and the one seller that I respected a bit pulled his most recent auction shortly before the finish when it wasn't getting enough bids. I was high bidder at the time and it had NBTHK Hozon papers.

The seller of the doctored photo tsuba (sw_libro) doesn't even rank in the pantheon of bad sellers. I'm glad to see that this tsuba hasn't got any bids yet. Hasn't fooled anyone? At 20,000 I'd almost take it out of perverse curiosity to have the design for a bit. Worst case it is a paperweight for my desk.... but still shocked at what lengths he has gone to spin this auction.

 

If anyone else has the Sukashi Tsuba book, crack it open to page 114 and take a comparison. The fonting and layout is very distinct. It is suppose to be the Sukashi Tsuba book.

 

Curran

[Brian]

Curran,

Well spotted! I think that is an excellent catch. Most ppl wouldn't bother comparing a listed page from a book to the actual book. This is indeed a lot of effort to go to, and a wierd one to pull. Maybe a test case for future grander schemes?

Hmm. More and more things to watch out for.

Buy the tsuba, and send him photoshopped pictures of cash in payment?

 

Brian

[Curran]

Brian,

 

Hope you are feeling better. I believe I read in another thread that you were near pneumonia.

 

As noted, I was bidding on a second generation NBTHK papered version of this tsuba last week only to have it yanked by the seller. That another should pop up so quickly with such a low Buy It Now was ~interesting~. Recognizing the formatting of the book and having just looked at it last week, I got the book off the shelf. It took me a second or two and then I had to double check the web listing to realize the photo had been doctored.

 

Someone has bid on the tsuba, if it isn't the seller shilling his own auction. Anyone want to go after this puppy (bid on it), be my guest. If cheap enough, it might be a good buy. I'll stick to just watching this one and remember to be careful with this seller.

 

Curran