Repro Columbia Rip off

[MrColumbia]

I was just contacted by an elderly gentleman who was sold a restored antique 1940 Columbia, suposidly restored 10 years ago. He was told to check my site and the serial number would back up the year. As soon as I saw the picture of the serial number I knew it was one of the 2002 reproduction blue bikes. Further pictures of the entire bike backed up my suspicions.

I have no doubt this was a deliberate act of deception. The elderly man paid a few hundred too much for the bike but worse he did not want a reproduction and is heartbroken that someone would take advatage of him in that way.

I am really bothered by this. Stuff like this happens all the time but I will never be comfertable with it. I have no idea how someone can sleep at night acting this way.

 

[stoney]

+1 to that. There is too much deception in any hobby or area of collecting. Many people are just money hungry out right greedy liars. Sometimes you can't police everything you buy. Especially elderly individuals who see no problem taking people at their word and are very trusting. I feel bad for him. I hope karma gets the turd who sold it to him.

 

[island schwinn]

Too bad the seller's info didn't suddenly appear somewhere.

 

[catfish]

That sucks. Hopefully he can go back to the seller and get a refund.

 

[the tinker]

We see this all the time. I read some of these adds and the sellers act like they're just some uninformed person, selling an old bike. Being purposely vague in the description, but 100% sure, because,"It was grandpa's old bike." This stuff has always gone on, but in the last ten years it's gotten worse. Dishonesty and greed, plain and simple. I feel bad for the old timer.

 

[gkeep]

When I was a kid following my dad around at toy train and antique toy conventions in the 60s and 70s we saw this all the time. People would bury some repro cast iron toy for a few months and think they were fooling people because it was a bit rusty. Just plain stupid practice that earned them a permanent bad name in the community.

 

[Greeced lightning]

“etc caveat emptor” This has been going on forever, both ways. You have to be aware & do your homework, preferably before the sale. There was the old joke about the Brooklyn bridge being sold numerous times.