Fake Pens

[Betty]

Speaking of fakes....just walk in to your local 99 cent store. There are fake Sharpies (they look real besides the packaging), fake Colgate toothpaste, and fake Plenticell batteries (they always change the name a tiny bit to fool people who don't really know the brand name).

 

I read an article that China had fake baby formula, causing those babies to die

 

I don't know why China fakes even the cheapest stuff. There is fake Soy Sauce and vermicelli too! $1 items are even faked and sold for the same price. The sad thing is that there's so many different companies who fake the same item that you don't know which is the real one anymore, or you can't find the real one anymore because the stores all import whatever is cheaper

 

On the pen side, I've seen fake mont blancs and some of them are pretty instantly fake looking with the wacky colors they decide to use. But the black and silver or black and gold ones can definitely fool someone from eye's view.

[wspohn]

So in terms of how to avoid fakes on ebay, what would your list of locations NOT to buy include (understanding that fakes can come from anywhere)?

 

Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Mumbai.....

 

Obviously taking a good hard look at pictures and knowing your stuff helps, but there is always a time when you get what looks like some Mom and Pop antique store trying to sell outside their area of knowledge, with poor photos (or classic - scanner images), and you just can't resist a possible bargain......

[NG-Huy]

Unfortunately, you can't count on country origins: for example, some of fake MB are being sold by european ebayers like UK or Italy.

 

In most cases, you can tell if a fountain pen is a fake or not by its nib. When it is a well-known brand, you'll never see an "iridium point germany" on the nib. Mont Blanc nibs, for example, are handmade nibs made of 14k/18k Gold or mix of Gold/Rhodium. Furthermore, it's marked 4810 on the nib (which is the height of Mont Blanc).

 

The first thing I do when I want to make sure when I bid on Ebay now is to ask the seller a more detailed photo of the nib.

[wspohn]

Yes, there are a lot of ebayers that will not sell to Italy, and some who won't sell to France either, although I've not had any problem there.

 

A friend of mine is an intrepid buyer and has purchased on ebay from Argentina, Peru, Singapore, and the Ukraine, so far with good results. OTOH, he got ripped off by a seller in Toronto....it can happen anywhere.

 

 

I've sold watches to Britain and the Continent, but usually feel it is safer to sell within North America. I suppose the same goes for buying.

[theking]

The reason for buying within the US is probably not for the reason of authenticity, but for recourse. It's much easier to go after the seller is you get something fake if you purchase something here. At least it's easier to refuse the payment.

 

But just in terms of authenticity, I don't think location is a guarantee. In generally, there are fewer fakes in the US, but I have seen plenty of fake MB pens from sellers all over the US.