To report a Fake or not.

[Turves]

Just found these 2 fakes on ebay. (I think).

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Ernst-Le...197?pt=AU_Vintage_Cameras&hash=item19d32f6995

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Ernst-Le...159?pt=AU_Vintage_Cameras&hash=item19d32f7527

Morally the guy should advertise as copies. And would hate to see someone buy them thinking they were real. Do I question him and start a situation. Or just report to ebay?

 

[bugmenot]

They are fakes. You can always believe in the good of mankind and assume the seller does not actually know they are fakes. If it really bothers anybody, I suppose a friendly message to the seller would not hurt.

 

[jsrockit]

Maybe you should just contact him... since he claims to not know anything about what he is selling. Not everyone is lying on ebay... he may just really not know. Not everyone is a camera geek.

 

[Bob Michaels]

Just found these 2 fakes on ebay. (I think). ................

Your phrase "(I think)" answers your question. If may be a debate if you were 100%, absolutely, positively sure they were fakes. But when there is any shadow of doubt in your mind, be quiet.

 

[goamules]

Bwaahahaha, of course they're fake! That's part of the fun with Soviet cameras, and the price reflects it. You're not going to get a real Leica with a giant swastika emblazoned on the top for $300 bucks. No one believes they're real, just let it go.

 

[Rob-F]

They are both fake. I suggest reporting it.

 

[Vics]

He identifies one as a Zorki 3...

 

[Keith]

This is half the fun of FSUs IMO.

If people are naive enough to assume all these 'Leicas' on ebay are for real without taking the time to research the market to establish what might actually be genuine ... they deserve to be duped!

It's a game and it's been going on for a long time! 😀 (let the buyer beware!)

 

[Tony Whitney]

Keith is absolutely correct. This kind of stuff has been available in Eastern Europe for decades. For people who buy them, they're interesting WW2 "souvenirs" and little else. And who would you report it to? I can imagine the response of your local police force to such a trivial matter. It IS a game, as Keith points out, though to many people, there's nothing amusing about the Reichsadler.

 

[Turves]

Thanks fellow LCM copy users.

As you said he has updated the description.

Damn no opportunity to use my spite and sarcasm on the interweb thingy. Probably a good thing too.

MT

 

[farlymac]

Yep, someone beat you to it, and saved you from the decision. At least the seller was honest enough to make the change. And who knows, someone may still take him up on the offer. I think he would do better to relist them at auction , and see where the price goes. Sad to see old Zorki's done up that way.

PF

 

[goamules]

... I think he would do better to relist them at auction , and see where the price goes. Sad to see old Zorki's done up that way.

PF

There is some evidence FED (don't know about Zorki) cameras were altered to look like Leicas as early as the 1940s. These Nazi versions of course probably came out in the 50s - 90s. Millions of FSU cameras were made, probably more than Leica made of these types, so it's no big loss.

http://www.cameraquest.com/fakerusk.htm
http://www.cameraquest.com/leica_II_fake.htm

By the way, there are HUNDREDS of these being sold on Ebay the past 20 years. The OP would be very busy "reporting" them. Here are a few dozen:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_nkw...cat=0&hash=item48463a13d9&_ssn=tiger_antiques