Concerned about a recent eBay purchase....

[BilgeRat]

I am starting to buy more pins from eBay, and I'm getting increasingly concerned about scrappers/counterfeits. I'd like your opinion on my latest purchase.

I was interested in ONLY TWO of the three-pin set, Pin 110947 DS - Disney Pixar Cars Boxed Pin Set. Most eBay sellers were selling them as complete sets, but I found one seller who split the set up, and was selling individual pins from the set. FIRST RED FLAG. But, I only wanted the two pins, so I took a chance and ordered them. After I got the pins, I went back to check on the seller again. He had listed the third pin (that pin I did not order) for sale, and another one of the same pins I HAD ordered; but there were no more listings for the other pin I had ordered. GOOD SIGN, because it did not look like this seller had a whole bunch of other pins to sell. I'm guessing he bought two sets at D23, then sold them.

Another GOOD SIGN: the seller had a handful of other D23 items to sell, so it looked like he went to D23, bought some stuff, and was just trying to make some profit off his D23 membership. No crime there!

As for the pins themselves; they both look real good, but I'm not the best at identifying scrappers/counterfeits. Another GOOD SIGN; one of the pins has the Disney serial number (if that's what it is!) printed on the back. BUT, the other pin DID NOT have that number printed (but, it was a smaller pin, with less room for the number). If anyone has the set, they can check the back; my pin Pin 112963 has the serial number printed, Pin 112964 does not.

Any thoughts about this purchase given the info I've given here? I'm not sure pics will help, but I can post them if necessary.

Cheers, and thanks!!!

BilgeRat

 

[hopemax]

Is the seller's name a material followed by a place you might find someone performing on a trapeze?

If so, based on the sellers other items, it looks like your standard "Comic-Con" reseller, and I wouldn't have any concerns.

 

[BilgeRat]

Is the seller's name a material followed by a place you might find someone performing on a trapeze?

YES! Nice detective work! Yeah, a re-seller was what I was hoping for. I think (hope) you might be right. There were just a few 'red flags' that were bugging me!

Thanks!!!

 

[Litleclay]

There are a couple sellers I refuse to buy from. Other sellers I'm always leary - even if they are well intended they may have bought or traded for a scrapper without knowing. I always ask for extra pictures if they aren't already in the auction and I ask how the pins were acquired. Also, sellers in LA are more likely to sell authentic pins than those in Chicago it likewise.

When it comes to comparing your pin to an authentic pin I first turn to PinTradingDB.com. I love Pinpics, but at PTDB users can post multiple pictures for a pin and then are typically better quality. You can't garauntee the pictures here are authentic, but lots of very reputable people from this site are the ones who post the pictures (and it says who uploaded it) so its pretty reliable.

I've had a few pins that I bought via auction that I was concerned about. Looking at pintradingdb.com I was able to compare coloring as well as the backs from an authentic pin to mine and see that they are 100% identical, even the points I was concerned about.