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Safely Buying Artifacts On Ebay

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  • #16
    There is an excellant book out now from Jim Bennett, "Avoiding reproduction and altered ancient indian arrowheads". Get a copy. Jim also gives one day courses once or twice a year.
    invest in a good 40x stero-microscope, and learn what to look for the minute you receive your purchase. It will be worth its weight in gold
    Fakes abound on Ebay, BakerwCOAs are not worth the paper they are printed on. Stick to the region you are familiar with. I collect only midwest points but still am fond on SE points, particularly quartz. Today there are a abundance of so called "crystal quartz "fakes on Ebay, some of then just clear or old glass.
    I can usually spot them immediately because of over 60years collecting quartz, but I've been fooled a few times. Knowledge is key. Good luck my friend, just be careful .

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    • #17
      A lot of good advice here! I always question ANY perfect G10 artifacts with or without papers because 95% or more of real artifacts are no where near perfect. There are exceptions but they are VERY few and far between. If a person actually has a g10 you would have to question why they would sell it. Most folks that actually find them would not sell their regular field grade points much less a perfect masterpiece. So the chances of finding one for sale at a low price is about the same odds as winning the lottery. The internet makes it look like they are abundant but the only abundance of these perfect examples are modern examples that are as fresh as the print on the “certification” it comes with. There are honest sellers and nice authentic artifacts out there for sale. You can find some here on arrowheads.com but if you choose to take a chance on other sites just be cautious when ya see something that seems too good to be true because it usually is.
      SE ARKANSAS

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      • #18
        One of my friends bought a Paleo off eBay can’t say the price but it wasn’t much for what he got. I looked at it with a loop and I couldn’t find any flaws. Either it’s the real deal or the best fake I have ever seen.
        NW Georgia,

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        • #19
          Yes I too have learned some expensive lessons from eBay But there are some good sellers also!! One of the biggest things are these fibers I guess there from sand paper sanding the rough edges off

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          • #20
            I’ve been fighting the eBay addiction for several years now and have bought some nice artifacts and a few that I’m not sure about. Lately I’ve been going to local auctions and had about the same results as with eBay. Overall my best advise for you is to never buy arrowheads glued to anything!

            Von

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            • #21
              Buying and selling, eBay and FaceBook has ruined this hobby IMHOP. I feel sorry for anyone buying artifacts from Florida on eBay from what I've seen and heard. If you buy artifacts make sure they are not put in with your personal finds, keep em separated and mark them as bought. I don't see bad feedback on OBVIOUS bad points/sales....people don't give bad feedback in fear of getting bad feedback from bad sellers. eBay stinks that way bigtime. I may sell on eBay....
              Professor Shellman
              Tampa Bay

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              • #22
                The funniest part of eBay right now is that people don’t return stuff. They get something, don’t like it, and keep it anyway.

                It’s probably never been more secure to buy stuff, pay with PayPal, and have 100% certainty of getting an item AND being able to return it if a seller offers a return. Heck most of the sketchy sellers accept returns simply because if they return your money they can remove any negative feedback buyers leave them.

                If you are willing to buy items, know how to use a scope, and promptly return them if they are questionable, you can build a decent purchased collection. I know a couple of guys who have built great collections by buying & returning probably 9 out of 10 relics. If the seller balks at honoring the return they go through PayPal and get their money back.

                Personally, I’ve switched to buying mostly older, published relics. I’ve found a few rechips on flint along the way, but I haven’t seen an actual Meuser hardstone relic that is clearly pictured in his collection from the 40’s-60’s be fake. (Lots of items listed as coming from his collection that don’t match his catalog or simply aren’t pictured, are fake. Some older gray slate items that are pictured in low res black & white can’t be accurately matched.)
                Hong Kong, but from Indiana/Florida

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                • #23
                  I go into fleabay and watch some of the junk being sold for big bucks. I bought one point from them in the last 2 yrs. It was a nice corner notch that was broken, called a heartbreaker upon looking at it close it was a super impact fracture as impact fractures ring my bell I bought it and it is a good point. Good patina and mineral deposits under the scope. Who would make a nice point then break it ? If it would sell it will be done. In any case it was a good point and am happy with it.
                  That being said buying there is like buying your medication there, very iffy. One personal find is worth 20 bought points that you will never be sure of.
                  Last edited by oldrocks2; 07-07-2019, 12:54 PM. Reason: spellying
                  SE IA

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                  • #24
                    Check this seller out..... Not one single real artifact. 100 percent positive feedback. People are so stupid to fall for these sellers and eBay will not do anything ab out them. All these fakes wind up in collections, tainting everything in the collections forever until given the ballpeen treatment. https://www.ebay.com/usr/dicroman?_t...p2047675.l2559
                    Professor Shellman
                    Tampa Bay

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                    • CMD
                      CMD commented
                      Editing a comment
                      All real bad fakes as well.

                    • LongStride
                      LongStride commented
                      Editing a comment
                      Odd all his items have 5 bids and are all at 25.00$ , shill bidding and fake items, 1800 eBay score with 100% feedback , what a pro

                  • #25
                    I know this is an old thread but I think they were going for a uvalde point and the material is not recognizable to me . I’ve no t done any digging in San Antonio area but Kerr county is the closest I’ve got to that area. It’s not typical of the uvalde points I’ve found or seen. Not to add controversy this late date but I personally would not buy it .

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                    • #26
                      I don’t buy arrowheads on EBay’ —but over the last 20+ years have occasionally checked what’s listed in the Far West Region. —My observation— And I am speaking specifically about Far West arrowheads which are primarily Obsidian- roughly 80% of the arrowheads in old collection’s will be Obsidian. The rest Basalt’ and smattering of other Lithic like Jasper. Obsidian is Glass and Glass is harder to hide or fake as an antiquity. Glass chips/Knapps easier but also leaves tale tale crushing evidence. You can see fresh chipping with the naked eye on most obsidian artifacts. With just a 10x Loupe’ it’s plainly obvious. That being said— it’s astonishing watching people buy points that are so obviously ‘NOT’ Ancient Authentic/Fresh chipping/grinding evident— but people buy them because that scarce Beautiful point is amazing and those field grade points don’t look as cool,or they have a broken Ear stem or slight fracture. I’ve seen real deal authentic Western Artifacts for sale on eBay. If the photos are excellent and the sellers got 100% feedback. One thing I would do is check what else the sellers selling. Ya might get lucky—-If it’s an old Riker’ frame of points from an Estate sale with yellowed cotton or old dirty felt I take notice! Especially if the Ebay’ seller buys all forms of antiques —I use this tactic when cruising antique stores or estate sales. I’m looking for Old collections!!!! I’ve picked up a few old collections 30+ years ago. Nowadays most collections get split up. —— Bottom line take advantage of the great resource this Site offers and the knowledge many fine collectors here share!!! And buy the Books and research!!! As far as Papering’ an artifact by a so called Expert—-I only tried it one time! I Sent a beautiful 2 3/4” Parman’ point my Dad found back around 1970’ outside Lakeview OR. I was with him when he found it. I Sent it to a so called authenticator’. 4 weeks later I get a letter saying not authentic along with 8 pages of arrowheads they were selling!!!! That was 20 years ago

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