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After almost three years of time, energy, and stress, we think it is time to let everyone know we were the folks who uncovered the fake Weiss costume jewelry flooding eBay. We were stunned by the thousands of pieces being churned out as Weiss costume jewelry and sold by Power sellers on eBay. Cast poorly from Weiss molds, with glued rhinestones, they were first sold in lots of 25 to resellers hoping to cash in & they did! We repeatedly reported the fraudulent jewelry to eBay’s Trust & Safety Department, with no response. We sent the jewelry to a forensic jeweler known for his expertise in identifying counterfeits, there was no doubt these were fakes & bad ones to boot!
At this point, we contacted the New York Times and were thrilled Katie Hafner was interested in the story. Many conference calls between us and Katie as well as the involvement of author Antoinette Matlin to purchase & verify the items as counterfeits became the “bones” of the story. We were elated to see Katie’s story on front page of the Sunday New York Times. A flurry of media interviews were followed by jeers from many disbelieving jewelry sellers on eBay. Of the four of us, two were receiving hate calls & threats. The eBay power sellers of the counterfeit Weiss continued selling. eBay created a special category for their jewelry “vintage reproductions”, except they were not reproductions. We were fortunate enough to discover the actual owner of the Weiss patent living in New York City . He operates a large wholesale jewelry business and was a bit overwhelmed by what was happening & did not wish to become involved. Out of respect, we never revealed his name!
Today, there are counterfeit Weiss and other fake vintage costume jewelry pieces on eBay, Ruby Lane, antique malls and every swap meet here and in Britain . We can recognize fake Weiss and other fake vintage pieces by their identifying marks, their construction, and actual materials. We are passionate about selling genuine antique and vintage costume jewelry. We continue to learn more & are always interested in sharing our knowledge with you! And, Katie Hafner, we thank you for taking on “the Giant”!
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