suspicious red Mustang

[paelzermaen]

Looks suspicious for me:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Matchbox-Lesney- ... OSwA3dYjL8~

red Fiat, same seller. Paint perfect (as far one can see in this blurry pic), windscreen cracked and scratched ??
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Matchbox-Lesney- ... SwA3dYijYp

Bedford coach, same seller. Baseplate definitivly not matching the body:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Matchbox-Lesney- ... SwjDZYjmBN

Does anybody know this dutch seller?

Just checked his sold items. Cresta and GPW Fire Chief´s car looking not OK. Notorious faker??

[johnboy]

Worn tyres and the bases are not consistent with the condition of the models. The paint on the Mustang is thick and looks like a homebrew to me, and the base looks like it's been cleaned, (cannot tell anything from the blurry Fiat photo). The coach has repro decals which are shaped differently to originals.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

I agree, each model has points against their status as original.

The Mustang's paint is far too thick and the rear rivet has too much paint around the countersink, plus is that the remaining evidence of tampering just near the rivet on the base.

The Fiat just does not look right, it has that cracked screen and it also has a dodgy paint filled rivet.

The Coach is the best so far until you look at the front area of the base..more tampering damage!!!

Ghosthunter.

[Tinman]

Mustang has a reproduction plastic window insert.

Fiat color is wrong, luggage color is incorrect (although it could easily be switched and the windows have too much play wear.

The reproduction decal is a dead give-away on the bus.

[Tinman]

I looked at his other models and some are obvious repaints.

[Maestro]

I have done business with this seller approx. 7-8 years ago without any problems and 100% original models.
It is a Dutch seller who back then shipped from France (which was indicated clearly in the description).
However I can't judge his trustworthiness at this moment.

I have to admit the paint inside the Mustang's rivet is too thick (as well as the Fiat's rivet).
Knowing the fact that over the last 2 years a lot of red Mustangs have been offered/sold on the Dutch market (not through EB), and of which almost all have been proven to be a 100% fake, I'm very suspicious with every red Mustang offered in or from The Netherlands!

Could it be possible that mentioned seller also bought a fake and now tries to sell it as an original?
I myself will not burn my fingers on this one!!

Maarten

[kwakers]

If it were a question of only the orange Mustang Maestro, we might say he just got "Stuck" and was passing on a fake he bought without noting it as such. That in itself is something none of us want to ever see from ANY honest Seller, BUT.....
All of the models mentioned above are poorly done fakes also. The fact that you bought good models from him years ago means he WAS an honest Seller that is now educated enough to deal in tough to find FAKES. All of us hope to continue to expose Bad Sellers of this type on our Forum in order to help ALL collectors stay far away from them. If anyone sees any model that looks suspicious like this Mustang, Please remember this excellent Post by Paelzermaen that will help keep buyers away from Notorious Fakers like this one. YES, NOTORIOUS.......kwakers

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Hi Maarten. I fully endorse what "Kwakers" has said in his post. What we do not intend to do to members is make them feel inadequate because of any past transactions with dubious sellers. Most of the time fake models are purchased quite innocently by collectors and only discover they have a fake after joining the forum, so we feel we have done a service to those collectors and if the transactions are very recent, try to guide that collector in getting a refund on said fake models.

So, regardless of what you have purchased from that seller in the past, it does not tarnish you now, knowing of the seller's current status as being very dubious verging on an outright faker of collectible model cars.

Ghosthunter.

[Tinman]

Looks like the bulk of the lot currently for sale are all fakes and repaints. So, the seller has for sure gone over to the dark side. It's worth the time to double check anything that was bought in the past from this seller as well.

[KennewickMan]

OK - let's get the uncomfortable admission out of the way. I purchased the Mustang (without the benefit of seeing this thread) and it is, indeed, an "enhanced" model. While the paint is heavy handed and other signs are fairly plain, I am at a loss to see how the base was removed to replace the window unit. But again, I am still learning.

I don't know about the other units or the experience of the others with this seller, but on virtually the very day I received the Mustang, he reached out telling the story of what he had read on the VBD forum. He immediately initiated contact, wanting to make things right. I now have all my money back and an embarrassing unit on the shelf (now permanently marked to avoid accidental passage to future buyers).

He presented the model as one of a group he had bought "in France" and is aware there are probably other units in that group that were counterfeited.

In my case, I will vouch for his integrity and rapid desire to make things right. I sense no intent on his part to be part of intentionally peddling a fake.