Middlesbrough, Teesside, UK – June 6th 2014 - There are around 30 million items listed on online auctions sites (mainly eBay) at any one time, which result in billions of pounds being exchanged every year. Many users are simply out to buy or sell a few items rather than use eBay on a business level, and are simply not aware of the level of fraud on these sites, so it is little wonder online scammers see auction sites as a way to source easy pickings.
Reproduction furniture dealer and owner of Newby House Interiors, John Lloyd, today said he was shocked at the sheer number of fake antiques and even fake reproduction items he has spotted during the last few weeks on eBay.
"One item I noticed was an "antique” Chinese opium bed. Now if it had been as described in the listing, this item would have been worth around £4000. As it was, it had a BIN (Buy It Now) price of £450. You simply cannot buy genuine antiques at 15% of their true value. I am not saying it never happens, but as someone who has dealt in antique and antique reproduction furniture since the 1960s, I can count how many times I have been that lucky on the fingers of one hand.”
John also goes onto warn about the number of fake clocks being sold on eBay. “Typing in "antique clock” brought up a number of listings from China. "I am not saying there are no honest sellers in China, but there do seem to be an extraordinary out of proportion number of British railway station clocks being sold from China. Anyone who purchases one of these clocks expecting it to be authentic is going to be disappointed, I am afraid”.
John goes on to say there are some guidelines a buyer can follow to decrease the chance of being scammed by fake antique sellers on eBay. He says as a guideline, if something is described as being 100 years old, he will deduct about 60 years, and usually comes up with a truer number. John explains "If the seller is in the UK and does not usually deal in antiques, and otherwise has good feedback, he is probably not intentionally trying to scam a buyer, but is simply misrepresenting the item due to lack of appraisal knowledge. For example, many sellers describe items as gold gilded, when in fact they are simply sprayed with gold paint. In most cases the seller has probably done a quick Internet search to determine a description for his item - and may not intentionally be intending to falsely get money from anyone."
John states that another warning sign can be if a seller has hundreds of antiques for sale that are essentially the same; for example bronze statues or art nouveau items. "These are almost surely reproductions" says John. "And you can find some lovely reproduction statues and art nouveau pieces, but obviously you do not want to be paying a price you would only pay for the real thing, when in fact you're buying a reproduction."
John Lloyd is the owner and founder of Newby house interiors, and is an expert at restoring antique and reproduction furniture. He opened his first shop in the UK town of Middlesborough in 1969, and soon earned and excellent reputation for his work and knowledge of all types of antiques and furniture items.
In 2008, John decided to move his business entirely online which enables him to sell reproduction furniture and other items at a price previously impossible when maintaining an off-line warehouse and shop. For no-nonsense honest appraisals and great deals on thousands of antique reproduction furniture items, visit John's website linked to below.
Company Name: Newby House Interiors
Contact Person: John Lloyd
Email:Send Email
Phone: 01642 321748
Address:Newby House, Newby
City: Middlesbrough
State: Cleveland
Country: United Kingdom
Website: http://www.newbyhouseinteriors.co.uk
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