Auction House Misrepresents Type 95 Shin Gunto.

[IanS]

I briefly looked at a couple of explanations of the law and yes you're right about the hammer falling. It is said that although the contract is with the seller, the auction house must not misrepresent the item. Now with on-line auctions, lots of potential buyers are unlikely to visit the saleroom to inspect the item and there really should be something in the way of protection if the item is misrepresented, as in this case. I'll plod on with my enquiries.

On the type 98 sword at the same auction house, they mention a nick not far from the hilt, they don't mention the one further down nor the ones on the kissaki (tip). I love their expression about the nick they mentioned, "you have to look to see it", you have to look to see anything!

[Surpmil]

....

PS I've written again to the auction house, telling them that I'm shocked to see they sold this sword as Japanese after I told them it was Chinese. What's the betting they won't reply.

They might just ban you for your lèse-majesté!

As happened to someone I know when he pointed out a similar "error".

[IanS]

As you say, they might cancel me. If they do, I'll see if I can embarrass them in some way, their choice.

They didn't reply to my message, thought that might be the case. I just hope that somebody with enough knowledge of these swords tells the buyer it's a fake and he takes it back to the auction house. At £600.00, he must believe it's genuine.
He has also been ripped off with the commission, it's 29.9%, this auction house is making big money and still seems to need to misrepresent items.

I've got seven swords, two I bought from a well established dealer, they are my best two and in good polish but not cheap. The others I bought at auctions, all need some work doing, from which I'm learning.

[IanS]

Just spotted another fake being sold as a genuine WWII type 95. I've written to this auction house too, telling them what's wrong with the sword and that I believe it to be a Chinese fake,let's see what they do.

[CINDERS]

they are my best two and in good polish but not cheap

Some 10 years ago my friend sent his 15th century samurai sword to Japan to be cleaned up a bit and re polished as that is a very specialised art in itself at the time all those years ago I asked him its monetary value he replied $30,000 Aud.
He was not short of a quid having sold his computer business also he has in his collection he has a legit M40, L42, M85, HT & T rifles.

[browningautorifle]

$30,000 Aud.

I guess that price would be best done to spec, help increase value.

[bigduke6]

Interesting thread, I have known a Militaria dealer since I was Kid who is based in Liverpool, his main interest is Japanese swords, so if I ever do find one at the right price he's more than happy to give me info on it etc.

Auction houses ...... Well, I've recently helped out one in the North West, as they had a rifle that they thought the real deal, I doubted it from the start and with the help of a member in Australia it confirmed my doubts, see thread in the Enfield part of the forum 'Australian No6 Mk1'

Then again its not just auction houses in the UK, Some established dealers go out there way to tell a yarn about certain items, I've seen auction items up close and then see them sold by dealers with added bits plus complete makeover and a story to go with it.......

The worst ones are fake German sniper rifles that used to go through one auction in particular, then theres the abundance of Commando knives, I bought one from a well known dealer in the UK, pictures on line did make it look like the real deal, but when it arrived I didn't have to take it all out of the packaging, just the hilt proved it was as Ian says "Scrap"

Just glad I'm on the down side of collecting now, apart from Larkspur or Clansman radios....

[IanS]

Hello bigduke6,

it's a nasty old world out there. There's so many Japanese type 95 swords that are fake.

I've just let my FAC expire and my No4 Mk1T is with an RFD for sale, my son has my shotguns. One is a Damascus hammer gun, it's in very good condition, the bores are beautiful and it's been nitro proofed. Not like the one I used on the farm, pitted to hell and had to be locked with a hand inserted pin (through-bolt). The pin was attached to the trigger guard with a piece of snare wire! It was Damascus too with the same cross-bolt breech. My current hammer gun is pre 1904, it carries the old black powder proof mark, it's probably mid 1890's.

You don't happen to be a radio amateur do you, being into old radios?

Ian

[IanS]

I wrote to another auction house about a fake NCO sword and they wrote back thanking me for telling them it was a fake. They have changed the description to " Chinese copy". I was quite surprised as I didn't expect them to do anything about it.

[browningautorifle]

They have changed the description to " Chinese copy". I was quite surprised

I would think the only reason they wouldn't is because they have an in house pompous appraiser that's a self declared expert and won't budge on his opinion. Otherwise it's a good business move to re-evaluate.