| Buying on eBay can be rewarding, fun and cost effective. You can pick up some amazing bargains but you can also get ripped off something awful. If you are prepared to take the risk and buy from eBay then please read this and the other guides thoroughly so that you can go in fully informed. Some professional say that 80% of autographs and memorabilia sold on eBay are forgeries, others claim that these figures are exaggerated but whatever the case I pays to be careful. These auctions companies are raking in a lot of money through these sales and even though established sites like eBay offer a lot of support to buyers who believe that they have been ripped off it is hard and lengthy process. Over 1500 autographed items are on sale on eBay every day. This consists of 5000 certified, 2000 uncertified and 5000 preprints. One of the best indications of a fake is the price. No reputable dealer would let a genuine George Best, Beatles or Bob Marley (for example) autograph go for £20 - £50. These autographs should fetch over 20 times this. Also fully squad signed football shirts, do you know how hard it is to get 20 signatures on the same shirt yet I see sellers selling 10 of these a week. So always check previous sales, if they are selling the same or very similar item again and again its best to stay clear. Avoid sellers with private IDs or PO BOX addresses, many conmen will do this to hide their true identity, also hotmail and Google mail email addresses, addresses like blueyonder, BT or a website address needs to be registered to someone so you know that you can trace them if they need to be found in the future. Don’t get distracted by bells and ribbons like Gold star sellers, power sellers or members of this and that, these don’t contribute to the authenticity of the autograph. If the listing says “Obtained in person” don’t be afraid to ask for details. Good sellers will be pleased to offer you this information. Be aware of signed clothing like signed football shirts because of the inconsistency of the item it is hard to prove that they are nor real. Also look at the picture carefully, most autographs are not perfect and in a clear position and if it is multi signed look at the style if they are all similar (i.e. loopy) then that is a good indicator. Many Certificates of authenticity are worthless for me info on this read out COA’s guide. Number one thing to remember is that if the item seems too good to be true it probably is Now that you have read this and feel confident to start buying on eBay you can sign up for free here. |
