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regardless what we write or think of this, they make big money on crap.

I'm inclined to agree with Dick on the issue regarding this seller. It seems to be a sell-off of a large collection and, out of a huge volume of models, the owner may have a handful of pieces that might be suspect. This collector might not have the education in the models and the hobby as some of us do. They might be the ones who were taken advantage of and not be aware that they are the victims of fraud.

With regards to the #30 prefect, that's from a time when lots of dodgy rivet work came right out of the factory. Many older rivets would be suspect by 1960s tooling standards. Let's not forget the Blue Morris Minor with metal wheels owned by Greg D., which shows no signs of tampering (yet is completely out of the time line).

I recommend contacting the sellers and sharing the concerns about the models in question. But, to send them up the river at this point is not justified.

I also want to remind some members of how the mcch had it out John McCloskey and tried to give him a bad reputation. That was all based on the fact that he provides reproduction boxes with some of his loose models. A couple of folks didn't bother to read the item descriptions and thought they were being sold fake boxes in place of a real box. That combined with his volume of sales, items descriptions that some felt were too lengthy and the reproduction boxes got a couple people bad mouthing him. Others joined in to support fellow members (without knowing anything about John) and it all got ugly for no good reason.

No one had bothered to contact John except me and I had to become the voice of reason. I was challenged on the subject when a member pointed out that I sold restored and repainted models and that I was somehow in alliance with the person in question. It all got settled, but was quite a dust up. Just so you know, John McCloskey is on our VBD Trusted Sellers list.

Seems strange how all the ones of concern were put on ebay together.

Anyway my question was answered and its basically a top mint model will make a very high price. Castings for both models are the same, so it was just condition. amazing. J

Tinman wrote:The AARP will have an investigator around in the morning to see Numi. Oh, the shame of it all, elder abuse ...

Ouch Tinman..... Anyway,heres my open apology to one and all as I hadnt realised this was abuse in whatever form,esp to an elder and never a diabolical intention.
numi

Hi Kwakers,firstly do accept my apology if I had embarrassed u or spoke to u in a condescending tone or offended u in any other way.Was merely my want for having to say what I needed to say aloud with fewer words and without getting into any jeer or semantics but not necessarily having to say that u dissect,bisect or biopsy my alerts/comments/opinions on certain suspicious sellers as though ure subjected.

Yes,I wrote to this seller in short and here it is without edit :

Dear two-old-folks,
""We have downsized and are in the process of liquidating hubby's toys.
Starting with some of his "Hard to Find" pieces.""

YOUR HUBBYS "HARD TO FIND" PIECES ARE FAKES!!!!
Just so u know that i am a member of the matchbox club and we are all watching your auctions of these faked rare variation toy models.That 2-tone hatra is a fake and the story about u re-glueing doesnt gel with me and u know this for a fact cos the base has glue holding it and was bought on Ebay from XXXblubberxxx.The Purple Vw Item: 191455830228 is also a fake and your description doesnt state that it was a base-swop.really disheartening to know thats your pseudo-guise.The Blue Prefect is also a fake.This model was never made with metal wheels and the base rivet was tampered.Karma is a bad thing and follows wherever u go especially in the later old-age days when sickness creeps in and costs money that u "so hard earned".If u do not know what ure selling then i suggest that u check with any of your buyers.What ure doing is committing fraud and i urge u to stop!""

"Just so u know that i am a member of the matchbox club and we are all watching your auctions of these faked rare variation toy models." Im sorry but i say this to all the suspicious sellers,fakers & fraudsters as a form of "authority".

The models that I mentioned in my posts & responses are clearly customs/intentional fakes and made no comment on the amber window trucks and any other king-size/major models.This seller had been selling these customs/repaints for quite a while now and another one being a SPW Green VW Caravette.In this instant,the 2-tone hatra is a fake and I know it,The Blue Prefect is a fake and I know it and the Purple Vw is a fake and we all know that.Its clearly apparent that this seller is a confidence trickster (selling off fakes/customs without full disclosure among other legit matchbox models) so I know of no better alert that I should send out to buyers/newer members.Its much worse not knowing than actually knowing the truth.
Just a suggestion without it being seen as a challenge that if any member on here feels that im all wrong then do write to this seller if u so wish and extend/quote my claims which could also be a way to offer them a chance to categorically prove that these models mentioned are true factory specimens and hereon defend themselves.If im found to be proved wrong then i would loudly apologise for my misdemeanour & fails to each & every member and to "The Two Old Folks".Its now 62 hrs later and i had not received any response from these "Two Old Folks".

Your intentions to enthuse the collectors is exemplerary and i admire u! Moreover ure entitled to get upset and hot under the collar and I cannot blame u but maybe its best that I stop writing/participating in these types of topics via our forum so as not to kill-off our exciting hobby.For those who know me quite well,do know that i say things as they are!

Its not necessary now for Jason to change the topic/thread details nor any moderator to shift same,its impertinent at best!.

I further extend my apologies to any member if i had ever been wrong with my findings about any faker,fraudster or any suspicious seller or had in any way given false hopes or information.
Being a woman with a love for this hobby and the fact that i had fervently and selflessly and without any fear of reprisal gotten rid of quite a good few fraudsters off Ebay who had the luxury of slimeballing collectors & buyers alike in all those instances should now be forgotten as a thing of the past.Its sad to see innocent buyers/collectors being ripped off by these types of unscrupulous sellers.
numi

Numi, firstly thanks for the kind birthday wishes. Secondly, have you had any reply from "two old folks"?.

Your constant vigilance and willingness to stand up for true matchbox collectors interests is very commendable. Please continue expose fakers Numi. You are very good at it

motorman wrote:Numi, firstly thanks for the kind birthday wishes. Secondly, have you had any reply from "two old folks"?.

Your constant vigilance and willingness to stand up for true matchbox collectors interests is very commendable. Please continue expose fakers Numi. You are very good at it

My pleasure MM...
Its 62hrs later and nothing.Zero response from this seller.These old folks must be curling up now
My gut tells me that "Two Old Folks" are actually a false front for a younger entity/person.
numi

Numi,

Pointing these things out is great and I appreciate your activism in the matter. I am surprised at the resistance you are getting in this case. This should be an issue all collectors support you in, and I imagine there is a silent majority of people out there who do. This hobby needs more people speaking out against clear-cut fakes and less people offering resistance to those who choose to talk about it or defending the sellers. This is especially true with Superfast issues at the moment.

-David

Vetrad, I am fully supportive of Numi's efforts when her case is well documented, and the facts are there to back up her beliefs. Maybe I am blind, but I see no facts here. I am not a force of 'resistance', I am logically questioning accusations made here, that's all.....
Dear Numi, no need to apologize, you and I disagree on our facts about the E Bay Seller 'Two Old Folks' that's all. Should I be embarassed? Over what? I am stating facts, nothing that a record of 3000+ sales does not show for this Seller. I am not defending them myself, I am letting their own E Bay selling record and Great Feedback do that for me. It is there for all Forum members to check for themselves, and I have done so very carefully on this old couple till I was bored to death.
In your latest Posts Numi you are now stating as fact information that you have not shared with us here on the Forum. From the Seller's listing, nothing can be accused on the Hatra except it was re-glued into a later out of timeline Bronner Blister pack. The owner states he re-glued it into that pack right in his listing, so why not ask him for that explanation nicely for a courteous response. If you indeed know any history on this particular two tone model, then clearly state it here for us to know also. Your comment is that you may know who the Buyer bought it from by name in your message to him, but somehow you will not share it here so we may learn it's history???? If that is true, why not give us the facts on the two color model you suspect may be dodgy so we can find out why you believe that to be true. We cannot see the articulating rivet, so no one here can assess the model's authenticity at all the way the Seller has chosen to sell it.
I must have missed that 34 VW with SPW you have mentioned in your Post Numi, when exactly did they sell that one? It sounds like maybe we might learn more from that model that would support your views on 'Two Old Folks'.
I am not upset at all Numi over any of this, but we do need facts rather than just 'thoughts'.
The metal wheeled 30A in blue is a well-documented rarity, making the blue with plastic wheels variation look like rather 'common'. (Tinman even noted that every good collection has the blue with GPW in it) This particular blue model with metal wheels has been on my 'Want List' for over 40 years now, and was seen in person by noted collector Harold Colpitts in the U.S.A., who had then noted it in his early newsletter and his published AIM Guide. Your opinion of it not existing is just that, your thoughts, nothing factual Numi. It is an ultra rare variation, nothing less. If you open up Michael Stannard's 1985 Lesney Guide, you will see this rarity not only listed there as his code 7, but he also has pictured it in the colour section of that Guide. When you contacted this Seller with the accusation that this variation was never even produced Numi, do you really expect them to answer you, they know it was made. If the collector in question has been around half as long as I have, he now views your whole written opinion as that of a 'New' collector Numi.
Motorman Please Note: I may also be sticking up for a true 'Old' Matchbox collector here, and also for their interests, I just don't have any idea who these Sellers' identity may be. If they are systematically selling fakes, their record does not somehow reflect that?? That is what I am questioning here, not at all Numi's sleuthing abilities....... ....... kwakers

Yes,i did take Kwakers tip and perused this "Two Old Folks" 100% feedback incl recent sales on Major Packs and heres what i found.
numi