Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion New to sign world and I think I got ripped off

Purchased a new home and wanted a few signs for my awesome garage and I think I got ripped off on eBay. Wish I had known about this forum before I made the purchase. Could someone look at the images below and just confirm it for me? Ill never buy a sign from eBay again, only looking on this wonderful site from now on.

Purchased from jaw0499jeff
http://imgur.com/a/C29ID

Thanks

that is a 20. aftermarket model .. ...
Chad, welcome too oldgas
if your not sure don't buy it-
ebay is 95% aftermarket
education - education - education

If you are interested in a sign on Ebay and you are not sure...ask here first.

As stated...all 3 are reproduction signs, with the usual fake chipping and acid dip rust to fool potential buyers. Expensive entry lesson into the hobby, but anymore these 12" repro signs are what most new collectors buy first, and most are pure fantasy signs never made/used by the company originally. Welcome to the site and start learning!
Darin

Chad,

A few things. First, as you now know a vast majority of all sign on eBay are fake. But since you are new to this site, I want to direct you to this thread...

http://www.oldgas.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=664999&page=2

....if you scroll to the bottom, you can see a large list of people who sell fakes on eBay. The problem is, it's probably a small percentage of those that do. For every name we add, 3 more sellers of fakes pop up.

Secondly, you should get your money back with eBay's money back guarantee. Write the seller and file a 'money back guarantee complaint' with eBay. Even if you are over the time limit, still do it and you will probably win. You were a victim of a fraud on their website. Those are all $20 reproduction signs.

And lastly, don't think it's just the 12" signs. India is re-popping signs up to 48".

Welcome to Oldgas, and sorry to hear about your purchase.

-Steve

Chad, Welcome to Oldgas. As stated above, your best defense is to get educated and gain as much knowledge as possible. The members on this site are a wealth of information and willing to give their opinions on fakes and frauds versus the real deal. Best of luck in recovering your money.

I really appreciate everyone's input and knowledge. I try to be as honest as they come and couldn't sleep at night if I did this to people. Ill never purchase a sign off eBay again. Can you guys recommend any place else to look for authentic signs or just keep an eye on the for sale forum on oldgas? Really want to get my garage decorated but now I am super gun-shy. Thanks again, all, this site is wonderful.

99% of the time... if something seems like a really good deal... then there is a reason why.

my best advice to new people to the hobby... start looking at old gas station photos! familiarize yourself with the brands and what signs they used. research the signs before you buy them.

if you see a 12" musgo sign... search google or oldgas for 'Musgo sign' you will quickly learn that the only musgo originals are highly sought after, and not something you're going to find for $80 on ebay.

the hobby is a competitive one... if you want to decorate your garage with original porcelain signs, you can expect to pay thousands... not hundreds.

Try to get to a petroliana show. On the main page of this site, go to BUY/SELL and click SWAP MEETS. You can learn a ton by just talking to people and looking at items. You will also make friends who can help you in the future. And of course you can buy some good items there.

All these recommendations are valid, but don't be discouraged, we all started out with more emotion then knowledge so this site can be very helpful in your learning curve. Don't give up and have fun in the hunt.

What are the clues on these that leads everyone to think they are fakes? I am guessing one of the clues is the rust is red; rust should be brown.

Sometimes it as simple as looking at the small stuff. LOL

This is a 42" sign that has hanging holes in the top also where if they had really made one it would have fit in a ring to be hung.

Rasheed: "Yes,That is how you spell it,Habib. P,e,n,n,s,y,l,v,a,n,t,a- it is a country in America."
Habib:" What? Oh alright then Rasheed, if you say so-you are the boss."
Rasheed, thinking to himself: And to think we pay that guy 100 Rupees an hour.

Another good idea would be to familiarize yourself with reproduction signs available. Easy to do, just look at the websites.

Like already stated the 3 signs you bought are all readily available for $20.00 a piece everywhere, including e-Bay. If you had taken the time to search these signs even on e-Bay before bidding on them you may have saved yourself some money.

That's hilarious Jim !