Safely Buying Artifacts On Ebay

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Good advice guys and thanks for the responses. So no opinions on the piece I posted?

[Kyflintguy]

Lol, ive been addicted for sometime now, although ive slacked off quite a bit lately. There are some great sellers on ebay, and if your careful you can score solid pieces at great prices. But on the downside there are more fakes now than ive ever seen. Ive had my share of bumps and bruises there but ill share a few of my methods for buying artifacts from ebay...
*Make sure you look at every item the seller offers, if I see one or two obvious red flag items im done with that seller period, that says they don't have good enough judgment to vet fakes or are trying to sell fakes, this is the best way to stay safe, I often watch sellers for a long time before buying anything that way I got a feel for how knowledgeable they are/nt. This way you find some sellers that have a good eye for "authentic" and stick with them, those are usually the good guys and they rarely need to rely on a coa to know something's good .
*"Dual Coa's" along with the majority of single coas are an immediate red flag, don't even go there its not worth it imo.
*Make sure the seller offers atleast a 14 day return policy. And if you receive something and it feels bad get a knowledgeable person(s) to look at it quickly so you stay within the return period, don't hesitate or you'll own something bad before you realize it is...
*I always try to stick with my area and materials I know, that way I can recognize when material doesn't match the area it supposedly came from. Learn what you buy so you know when something is off.
*Check feedback, many bad sellers have perfect feedback so its not always an indicator but sometimes it helps.
* If its too good to be true, it probably is. Don't think that because other people are throwing bids at something " it must be good", fools abound on ebay and some people will continue to blindly purchase obvious fakes no matter what.
*listen to your gut, some sellers are very sly and know how to get people to make impulsive bids or purchases.
* Don't be shy about talking to pepole and asking questions, you have to play psychologist here but often shady people give good indicators of there character if you know what to look for it can save you some trouble. aaca, collectors associations and all that is great but remember anybody can play up honest ties to cover up bad habits.

Good luck! Hope this advice will help you out, the more you see the more you learn. Buying is a good way to see stuff you otherwise wouldn't, if you do it enough mistakes can and will happen most likely but hopefully this advice will help you steer clear of those bad buys... Im sure a few others here can offer good advice too.

[Havenhunter]

I don't know about the AACA members but there are more fake "artifacts" on eBay than ever before. Right now there are dozens of Clovis points selling for rediculously low prices than an actual Clovis is worth. Professional photos that have been Photoshopped make the fakes look real. Even authentic artifacts that have been oiled or waxed makes the lithic colors pop. Axes and celts are being turned in sellers' workshops. And don't trust the COAs from just anyone.
Finding a reputable dealer takes research and even the best of them get bilked from time to time. When it comes to eBay about all I say is buyer beware.
One or two of the forum members can likely put you on to a dealer that's trustworthy but you'll pay an honest price, not for a knockoff.
Thats just my two cents worth.

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So I'm starting to buy pieces on Ebay, and I can already see that it's going to be an addiction for me. Can you guys give me some pointers? I've already ordered a few things and I don't know if they are legit other than thinking they look it. If a seller says they are a member of the A.A.C.A. can they always be trusted?

So anyhow this is the first piece I received. Does it look to be legit? Said to be found in San Antonio, TX. I paid $28.00. Did I over pay for a point like this?



I appreciate your help guys, thanks in advance.