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Idris wrote:

antoinecalleja wrote:In this instance the model is being auctioned by Vectis, who are reputable toy auctioneers.

Vectis are good, but not infallible. They have made serious errors of judgement in the past (example here), and will almost certainly do so in the future.

Given some of the other modes on offer (GPW 6b, BPW 25a, BPW 25b and, most especially, a 56a ViscoStatic), I have grave doubts about the source(s) of at least some of the scarcer items in this auction. My hand will be staying very firmly in my pocket.

It took a while, but I found the 25B with BPW. The axle ends look rather dodgy to me. Were these models sourced from an infamous faker, I wonder?

Squid wrote:Were these models sourced from an infamous faker, I wonder?

I see a number of Mr. Jonker's favourite subjects in there. Caveat emptor indeed!

If you're referring to Mr Jonkers as lesney12345 on Ebay, looks like he's got some 'rarities' for sale again - notably a SF 8 wheel crane in red with an orange boom and 6 RW models with rare wheels.

Could just be a coincidence......

Mogsta wrote:If you're referring to Mr Jonkers as lesney12345 on Ebay...

The very same, although the 56a ViscoStatic has come from another source (and, to be honest, that's the model which really set the alarm bells ringing for me).

I've been watching their auction items for almost 20 years now and there has been plenty of dodgy stuff that has sailed through as being genuine. I would guess the buyers would have to pursue some costly legal action to get the sale reversed. While they do have a good reputation, that is not to be considered a guarantee that all items are as claimed.

On another note,a friend of mine has the Y8 Sunbeam in exactly the same colour ( I must sort my pics out as I currently cannot find the photos). I have checked it out and definately authentic but finish is not as flat and shiny looking as this model, it's more a rougher finish to the paint.

Hi,

I would like to thank you all for your help in my reaching the decision to not place any bids on this model.

Your help is greatly appreciated!

Helping each other to defeat these fakers is of utmost importance!

Thank you once again and best regards to all,

Antoine

The 56A mentioned by Hugh does not set off any red flags with me...but then again, I'm not familiar with that model, and it's not easy to make an evaluation with the photos Vectis provided. However, there are also a couple of Yeateryears in this group that I consider suspect: a Y1-1 with a silver boiler door that looks rough in comparison with the rest of the paint, and a Y4-1 with BPW and suspect axle ends.

One would think that an operation such as Vectis would endeavor to provide multiple high-resolution photos of their offerings. But many of them only have one photo that leaves something to be desired in terms of quality. They do seem to state that, unlike eBay, they make some effort at evaluating and verifying their listings. And they do have some buyer protection, which is probably worthless if you're not in the UK (I've italicized part of said policy to illustrate what I mean):

Prospective purchasers must satisfy themselves as to the suitability of lots before buying. Only in the event that an item should be found to be a deliberate forgery, could a transaction be rescinded. Once this is proven to the Auctioneers, then all money paid will be refunded, provided the item is returned within 7 days of the sale in the condition it was sold.

That said, I'm convinced that many of the items in that collection are suspect. I won't be handing over any greenbacks for them.

Well.....one purchaser must have satisfied themselves that this was worth £2000 hammer price plus the obligatory 20% + VAT commission, a grand total of £2480.