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Author Topic: Learn My Lesson But is it Time for revwarcannonballs  (Read 6348 times)

Blondcharley

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Learn My Lesson But is it Time for revwarcannonballs
« on: April 02, 2015, 09:24:29 AM »
So I'm a newby here and have learned lots already - also been ripped off it seems - my fault, caveat emptor and all that.

Several months ago went on eBay, bought a 12 pound ball supposedly from the Battle of New Orleans from a seller named revwarcannonballs.

Got it, the documentation was most questionable but at least the 12 pounder was a nice ball.

So now he is selling another 12 pounder - using the very same picture, and the very same description, and the very same supposed documentation.

What is to be done to stop this rip off?

emike123

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Re: Learn My Lesson But is it Time for revwarcannonballs
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2015, 09:50:47 AM »
There is an entire forum (used to be called Fakebusters but is called something else now) dedicated to identifying unscrupulous practices in the Civil War ebay categories and some members here are active on it.  That seller is one of many they have railed about for years and nothing has changed. Occasionally that crew gets something removed, but it's like digging a hole in sand. 

There are several others who get away with questionable practices time and again (a cartridge seller has been discussed under the bullet thread and I referred to 2 in response to another thread of yours).  We are not the ebay police here and that fakebusters forum went private because some ebay sellers threatened them so I'd prefer not to follow them down the drain and turn this into that kind of website. 

Anyone who thinks ebay is going to self police this is delusional.  I have reported several fakes in the past week and they are all still up on ebay.  The sad shame is getting burned discourages new collectors we want coming into this hobby and is a big turn off that sends them away instead.

So, if ebay isn't going to do anything, "caveat emptor" specifically applies to each of us as buyers to get educated about stuff and who these sellers are.  We here can help you although, again, you cannot blame people for unwillingness to declare someone a shyster on a public forum.  Still, a lot of feedback has been provided about items within this forum and through private messages and emails.  Don't be afraid to ask questions -- this is our hobby so we like to talk about it and do so freely for fun.

Blondcharley

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Re: Learn My Lesson But is it Time for revwarcannonballs
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2015, 12:29:40 PM »
Thanks - I did report it to eBay but it sounds like they will do nothing.  At least I know where to seek advise and buy in the future.

CarlS

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Re: Learn My Lesson But is it Time for revwarcannonballs
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2015, 05:50:22 PM »
I always find it sadly amusing when on some dealer's web page or eBay you see an item that you sold and now somewhere along the line it picks up some fanciful story.  Unfortuatenly we have to take any story or provenance with a grain of salt unless you got it from the digger or the originating family.  It comes down to buy the relic; not the story.
Best,
Carl

Blondcharley

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Re: Learn My Lesson But is it Time for revwarcannonballs
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2015, 07:32:14 PM »
That's is what I was trying to get at in a n earlier post about documentation.  This joker sells me a ball with questionable pedigree - I don't want to pass the story on because all the professionals will know as soon as I mention his guys name the story will be considered false as well as it ought to be.

But the actual solid shot ball is the right age, with all the right characteristics, and is heavily pitted - so it is simply an un-pedigreed ball - Civil War but nothing else except some bad story.

So do we start a record?  So at least from this point forward - a pedigree and a line of ownership is started that will maintain and support a value in the future?

dlw1610

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Re: Learn My Lesson But is it Time for revwarcannonballs
« Reply #5 on: April 03, 2015, 01:18:45 PM »
The guy, Rick Armstrong, even bills himself  as a retired Air Force General.  He is from Gore, VA.  Oft times his items aren't that bad, the provenance is made up to enhance the value


Blondcharley

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Re: Learn My Lesson But is it Time for revwarcannonballs
« Reply #6 on: April 04, 2015, 10:36:24 AM »
You do have to give the guy some credit for putting together good stories - what is the guy's supply for shot from New Orleans, Sumter, Ticonderoga, Yorktown, the Alamo and I am sure I missed some?

emike123

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Re: Learn My Lesson But is it Time for revwarcannonballs
« Reply #7 on: April 04, 2015, 11:52:54 AM »
Several of those don't look to be cannon balls at all.  They are off sized, have smooth surfaces suggestive of being steel as opposed to cast iron, have grinder marks, etc.  This loink on our site writeen by Pete and Nemo may be of some help going forward:

http://www.pochefamily.org/books/SolidShotEssentialsMod.html