#23 caravan with windows

[kwakers]

The sad part of this Post is that it is VERY WELL HIDDEN under it's E Bay heading. Many members will not even see it once it goes inactive. With heartache on my behalf and many others, we lost our original threads with our early thoughts, excitement, and then disappointment on the original Caravan to the Lefora problems. How sad for future reference by 'newbies'.
A realistic example of what has occurred by learning of this reproduction 'original' Caravan of Hardy's is the fact that we had just added a 41A without casting circles but WITH decals to Nick's variation tables based on the fact that Hardy had displayed and sold one just this last year. Now that the glazed Caravan is being presented as 'original' at Hardy's site, perhaps those used decals were added to that 41A of his? The missing casting lines are now a known variation without decals, but we now have to search for verification from other sources to support the decaled code on that one. Hardy's is the only one any of us have ever seen anywhere YET, but I am now made a bit of a skeptic on it just 3 weeks later. I was the witness to Hardy's offering, now I am uncomfortable on the 'factory' part of the variation with decal. With patience, decals can be transferred, especially when they ultimately display as 'used and flaked a bit' as on this early Jaguar. Tinman has predicted this event in an above post, the trust is now gone.
The fact that the contrived Caravan is now for sale with an interior picture is just as noteworthy as the original Caravan being bought publicly out of 'the garbage' (Tinman) by Tim for peanuts. My opinion of what it says about Hardy's attitude towards both models is much different than Christian's early thoughts. I will not look forward to my next seeing Hardy at a Toy Show as I always have. I always understood he is in a different position as a collector, but never realized we were so far apart in mindset towards collecting......kwakers

[Idris]

A realistic example of what has occurred by learning of this reproduction 'original' Caravan of Hardy's is the fact that we had just added a 41A without casting circles but WITH decals to Nick's variation tables based on the fact that Hardy had displayed and sold one just this last year. Now that the glazed Caravan is being presented as 'original' at Hardy's site, perhaps those used decals were added to that 41A of his? The missing casting lines are now a known variation without decals, but we now have to search for verification from other sources to support the decaled code on that one.

Good point, Dick.

[SMS88]

A realistic example of what has occurred by learning of this reproduction 'original' Caravan of Hardy's is the fact that we had just added a 41A without casting circles but WITH decals to Nick's variation tables based on the fact that Hardy had displayed and sold one just this last year. Now that the glazed Caravan is being presented as 'original' at Hardy's site, perhaps those used decals were added to that 41A of his? The missing casting lines are now a known variation without decals, but we now have to search for verification from other sources to support the decaled code on that one.

Good point, Dick.

I agree . Another contemptable fake variation (ie lunchbox special,pre-pro or outright fake) advocated by Hardy is the RW73 Mercury without the gas tank flap. Anyone who expects us to believe that a body tool created late 1971 could possibly be made & fitted with a RW baseplate 18 months after the SF version was issued needs to pony up decent photographic evidence.The 2nd model reported to Nick but never seen could also have been supplied by Hardy. For the credibility of Nick´s guide I repeat my call for this absurd variation to be deleted.Nobody here was able to list any other RW models that were factory fitted with RETOOLED SF bodies except for the known pair I named, the 3c + 75b,so its odd that anyone would support claims not backed up by photographs or AIM /NAMC guide listings that these were made as part of normal production.We know deep pockets collectors have access to unused factory decals, stickers,components including unspun bodies -anyone prepared to make outrageous fakes like the 23c on ebay could have acquired such confidence as a result of previous practice. I would not be surprised to find out there are dozens more items that could be fakes in past sales if looked at as closely as this 23c.The only thing that surprised me is how crudely that window set was busted out of its original toy causing so much damage -if he had hired mr moko to do the job nobody would have been able to see the difference in spun rivits!

[Idris]

I think Mick's right. If we query one of Harvey/Hardy's "finds", we query all of them. It is not credible to pick and chose.

[SMS88]

I think Mick's right. If we query one of Harvey/Hardy's "finds", we query all of them. It is not credible to pick and chose.

The multiple metallic gold RW 75bs ´´colour trials´´ without mask silver trim that have started to appear this past 2 years are coming to market via you-can-guess-who

[kwakers]

All this is very troubling. We on one hand had a very good source who continues to have ties with the 'old collectors' in the hobby that have some really nice unknown variations that are slowly coming to light. Some variations like the #20 Taxi without front tow slot are so limited in production that they were missed by all of us for 50 years. My friend John at Lesney Legacy sold a 43A in apple green out of his collection that had no angled brace at all on either side of the rear rivet post that has not ever been recorded to my knowledge. That kind of contribution to our pool of knowledge is what Hardy has become famous for at his very retail prices. How we separate the 'good' from the 'bad' is now the huge question. This is the same old question we collectors have faced over the history of this entire hobby. Buy carefully, spend only what you can afford, and most of all continue to share and pool our knowledge. We will continue to find exciting pieces shared here on the Forum, as well as search out some fake GPW that come out of Maine in the U.S.A. from a prolific faker. Use the knowledge we have gained here to educate others in the hobby so we may all be a bit happier for it. What next? We will see.......kwakers

[Tinman]

my intions was not to justify any doing by the man, just if he wish to comment, he is free to do so!! The whole thing stinks and we all seem to have made our mind up. But democracy allow us all to defend ourself, that I am a fan of.

just to get that straight

Seriously, at this point, what can he really say in his own defense? He's told different things to different people which turned out to be untrue (that's also called lying). He clearly destroyed the ultra rare original pre production model and then basically discarded that model (there is no doubt about that). He then creates a fake pre production model and offers it for sale under the protection of his quite clear disclaimer that tells everyone it's real. Temporary insanity is about the only defense that's left at this point in time.

The caravan is still offered for sale and I'm sure someone has brought this thread to his attention (or he has found it on his own). However, there has not been any further disclosure or changes to his listing.

[Idris]

My friend John at Lesney Legacy sold a 43A in apple green out of his collection that had no angled brace at all on either side of the rear rivet post that has not ever been recorded to my knowledge.

Just checked all of mine, but they've all got the two webs. (I bet Antonin's got at least one! )

[nearlymint]

My friend John at Lesney Legacy sold a 43A in apple green out of his collection that had no angled brace at all on either side of the rear rivet post that has not ever been recorded to my knowledge.

Just checked all of mine, but they've all got the two webs. (I bet Antonin's got at least one! )

My ones all have 2 webs, J

[kwakers]

I shared that variation with Antonin when John's Lesney Legacy name came up in a PM, but Diecast had missed John picturing that one very well in one of his E Bay sales. Antonin did not seem to know about that very early casting, but someone in our hobby now has that one in their collection. Unique? probably not. Have any of us ever checked our already hard to find green 43As webbing? I know I never had until I saw John's listing last year with his excellent pictures of the Post without any webbing. kwakers