Is this a counterfeit? Or the real deal.

[Tinman]

The man did see some hard times and filed bankruptcy. He also sold off most of his regular wheel collection. Some of his regular wheels went for some very inflated prices as he was able to capitalize on his personal fame and the fact that some of the models had been featured in his books.

I'm not interested in getting into a debate about his honesty, motives or his ability to spot fakes. Any person caught passing a fake as genuine should have to face the music. Someone in a position as an "expert" carries additional weight when they claim an item is genuine.

In the past, at least one noted "expert" was busted for selling fakes. After that fact came to light, many other fakes were discovered (all of which he had certified as genuine).

"Experts" are capable of making mistakes, missing key clues and overlooking something of importance, especially when dealing with a large volume of models being sold off.

I'm guilty of overlooking some minor issues that others discovered while looking over some of my models. It's possible some issues with other of my models were not caught and sold on. However (and this is important), these were only a couple of models that were less common (they were far from being very hard-to-find or rare). Models in the latter category tend to be closely inspected and observed. It's just not logical for an expert to overlook some anomaly with a rare or really difficult to find model.

Since the auction in question (by this noted individual) is not part of a mass sale, it's reasonable to expect that it's been inspected closely for issues. If one determines the item to be a fake, it would place the famous seller in a difficult position.

Back to the topic of a seller's fame (and the models fame), I will admit , when I bought many of Dr. Ed Force's LLEDOs, I paid more than the going rate for some of them because they were from his personal collection and featured in his publications. When I decided to sell my collection, those same LLEDOs were passed along with their heritage and fame being part of the attraction.

Fame and reputation carry significant weight with collectors and that drives the prices higher and (at the same time) increases the buyers comfort that they are getting a genuine item. Could a famous collector/author sell off some questionable items for a premium price? Yes. Could his/her status ease the concerns of buyers? Yes. Do people who hit the skids and hard times relent to temptation of easy money? Sadly, we see this often in life.

The model should always be the deciding factor, not the fame of the seller. By the same token, let the merits of the model determine if it's genuine or not (even if the seller has a sterling reputation) as mistakes can be made by anyone.

[kwakers]

I am very Happy with your Excellent advice Joe. Everyone must be careful ALL the time when buying, and if extra photos are required, Please get them. If something about a given model bothers you today, that same uneasy feeling will still be with you 40 years later if you still own it.
I was also Happy to hear of Ed Force, a man I have not seen in many years. His scholarly wisdom and enthusiasm in our Diecast hobby was always a pleasure for all collectors to enjoy. I never knew him to sell any Lesneys, but the varied and odd 'Import' models he did display were a hit at many early Toy Shows we attended. kwakers