Who's going to break the bad news to the seller?

[recon]

Another Gibson for sell (http://cgi.ebay.com/Gibson-F-5-Classic-Mandolin-Black-With-Gold-Trim_W0QQitemZ290325061720QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_De faultDomain_0?hash=item4398b8e058&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A10|66%3A2|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1 |293%3A1|294%3A50)

[man dough nollij]

Looks like an authentic Gibson mandolin guitar to me. Dead giveaway: it's black with gold trim. :)

[mandotool]

Cork sniffers beware....
looks to have been oversplayed a bit....mebbe re-necked, re-topped re-backed, refretted and restrung too.
definite players apparattus...
Screw thru the pickguard is %100 authentic ....
Truly in a rare category..
indeed...

[Scott Holt]

At least the current bid is only $1.
Scott

[emitfo]

But it says "The Gibson" (or is that "The Slibson"?) right there on the headstock! You people are just too picky.

[mrmando]

At least the seller's honest:
We have very little knowledge as to the origins of this instrument and it is being sold AS-IS.

[f5loar]

Up to $71 now so it's getting close to it's true value.
I reported it to ebay. We will see if it gets taken down or not. Love the close up of the fake label with the rubber stamped fake serial no. Very authentic looking.

[MikeEdgerton]

I am shocked. A pawn shop with a fake Gibson for sale on eBay. How did this happen?

[gibson mandoman]

At least the seller doesn't have a buy it now price of $3,800 like the seller of this other fake Gibson F-5 mandolin. Starting bid of $1,500 for what appears to be a Johnson f-style mandolin with "The Gibson" on the headstock. Surely no one will be so ignorant to buy this mandolin thinking it is a genuine Gibson mandolin. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=150352706439&Category=10179&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26its%3DI%26otn%3D2

[Jim MacDaniel]

I'm gonna hold out for a genuine Givson.

[Paul Statman]

I reported it too. I feel for the poor folks who unwittingly bid on the thing in good faith..

[journeybear]

At least the seller doesn't have a buy it now price of $3,800 like the seller of this other fake Gibson F-5 mandolin. Starting bid of $1,500 for what appears to be a Johnson f-style mandolin with "The Gibson" on the headstock ...

As the seller says: IT'S USED BUT IN A MINT CONDITION. Now, he doesn't specify which mint, just "a" mint. Could be astonish-, amaze-, amuse-, or merri-mint. :))

[Tracy Ballinger]

Don't forget peppermint, spearmint, and double-mint!

[Paul Statman]

Don't forget peppermint, spearmint, and double-mint!

Mintal health..?

[Gary Hedrick]

http://cgi.ebay.com/GIBSON-F-5-MANDOLIN_W0QQitemZ150352706439QQcmdZViewItemQQptZL H_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2301b83b87&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A16%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7 C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

and the beat goes on and on and on and on.........

[woodwizard]

I am shocked. A pawn shop with a fake Gibson for sale on eBay. How did this happen?


Just hard to believe ain't it... wonder where that pawn shop fellow from another related thread is to defend these sellers. :popcorn:

[mrmando]

I am shocked. A pawn shop with a fake Gibson for sale on eBay. How did this happen?
I blame the market.

[journeybear]

Just hard to believe ain't it... wonder where that pawn shop fellow from another related thread is to defend these sellers. :popcorn:

Oh no - anything but that! :disbelief: Be careful what you wish for ... :whistling:

You know, something really scary just occurred to me. What we see here must be only a fraction of the fakes being offered at pawn shops all over. At least here, we have vigilant, knowledgeable people, who are able to spot these fakes and alert those who may not have suspected they were in danger of being duped. This resource isn't available to someone, say a kid who has saved his lawnmowing money all summer, and then plunks down all that hard-earned money on something that isn't worth half of what he paid for his mower. That's whom this malarkey really hurts. :crying:

[Django Fret]

I'm gonna hold out for a genuine Givson.

You're in luck, Jim as long as you don't mind waiting the shipping time from India:

BRAND NEW~GIVSON ELECTRIC MANDOLIN~INDIAN SITAR /GUITAR (http://cgi.ebay.com/BRAND-NEW-GIVSON-ELECTRIC-MANDOLIN-INDIAN-SITAR-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ290325131996QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_ DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4398b9f2dc&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A10%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7 C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50)

[MikeEdgerton]

I blame the market.

I thought we were supposed to blame Gibson.

[Tom C]

They know exactly what they have (or don't have). That's why they state....
"We have very little knowledge as to the origins of this instrument and it is being sold AS-IS"

[grassrootphilosopher]

They know exactly what they have (or don't have). That's why they state....
"We have very little knowledge as to the origins of this instrument and it is being sold AS-IS"

In this case they claim that the mandolin is made by Gibson. The seller may not be made responsible for any deficits that the instrument may have apart from the fact that the maker is not who they claim he is. This is a value determining factor that the buyer can fall back upon if he finds out that he has not bought what he thought he would buy.

[Gary Hedrick]

I blame Gibson......they made all those mandolins over the years that set the historical standard for good mandolins and thus were the starters of all of this......

They shouldn't have been successful and then we would be chasing after Martin mandolin fakers.......

In the 70's we could have been talking about Randy Wood as the supreme huckster of the fakes.

At one time it was an impossible concept to have a name other than Gibson on the peghead.....having Gibson there was like having sound holes or a bridge.....it just was part of the being of what defined a mandolin for many....including myself......

[Bob Andress]

I thought we were supposed to blame Gibson.


---------- :whistling: -----------




.

[Jim MacDaniel]

http://cgi.ebay.com/GIBSON-F-5-MANDOLIN_W0QQitemZ150352706439QQcmdZViewItemQQptZL H_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2301b83b87&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A16%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7 C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

and the beat goes on and on and on and on.........

LOL! (This didn't sell at $150 + $30 shipping to the US, so they lowered the price to $125 but raised the shipping -- but I'm onto their shell game! ;) )

[journeybear]

You're in luck, Jim as long as you don't mind waiting the shipping time from India:

BRAND NEW~GIVSON ELECTRIC MANDOLIN~INDIAN SITAR /GUITAR (http://cgi.ebay.com/BRAND-NEW-GIVSON-ELECTRIC-MANDOLIN-INDIAN-SITAR-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ290325131996QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_ DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4398b9f2dc&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A10%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7 C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50)

Wow - an actual Givson. They're hard to find. And it's three instruments in one!

This seller seems to specialize in multi-tasking instruments. He also has SAROD~INDIAN FRETLESS GUITAR/MANDOLIN~BANJO/MANDOLA (http://cgi.ebay.com/SAROD-INDIAN-FRETLESS-GUITAR-MANDOLIN-BANJO-MANDOLA_W0QQitemZ290323784971QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH _DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4398a5650b&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1240%7C 240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50) (so it must have a combination wood/skin top), SARANGI~AN INDIAN VIOLIN~HARMONIUM,SITAR,TABLA ,TANPURA (http://cgi.ebay.com/SARANGI-AN-INDIAN-VIOLIN-HARMONIUM-SITAR-TABLA-TANPURA_W0QQitemZ300323595698QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH _DefaultDomain_203?hash=item45ecae65b2&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1240%7C 240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50) (since it's also a drum, I guess you can beat on it), and
HARMONIUM~TUNE~TABLA~SITAR~FLUTE~TANPURA~DRUMS~KEY BOARD (http://cgi.ebay.com/HARMONIUM-TUNE-TABLA-SITAR-FLUTE-TANPURA-DRUMS-KEYBOARD_W0QQitemZ290325133944QQcmdZViewItemQQptZL H_DefaultDomain_203?hash=item4398b9fa78&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1240%7C 240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50), which is not only also a drum, but even a flute, so you can blow on it! These babies can do anything!!!

Somehow this reminds me of the time I went to a Chinese restaurant and asked the waiter what a certain dish was, to which he replied, "Chicken with Chinese vegetables - very nice." I asked him what another dish was and he said the same thing. I knew that going in; I wanted a little more specific information. I can imagine asking the seller what one of these was like, was it like a mandolin - oh yes! Was it like a banjo - oh yes! And so on ...

[f5loar]

The black top fake F5 is back with the same pawn seller and this time he's being honest. No mention of the name
"Gibson" in the description. Playing the "I don't know" routine which is playing it as safe as "as is".
http://cgi.ebay.com/F-5-Classic-Mandolin-Black-With-Gold-Trim_W0QQitemZ290326495231QQcategoryZ10179QQcmdZVi ewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m183QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DSIC%2 6its%3DI%252BC%252BS%252BIA%26itu%3DIT%252BUA%252B PSS%252BUCC%252BCRS%252BIA%252BUCI%252BSI%252BUS-BWR%26otn%3D1%26ps%3D33

[grassrootphilosopher]

I almost tend to like the "this is a mandolin guitar"... routine. It´s a sad and beautiful world and I just hope that the bidders take the item for what it is.

[mrmando]

<oops>

[mrmando]

I stopped by a pawnshop in Renton, Wash., today, and there was a plywood Asian A-style labeled "Gibson A9, $999.00."

First time I've seen one of the scam-mandos in the flesh. If I hadn't been in a hurry to get home, I could have had some fun...

[tango_grass]

Martin, was it downtown?

[mrmando]

It's the pawnshop near Jet City Espresso and Pho Saigon. Don't know the name of the shop, or if it even has one. Is that considered downtown?