3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

[D1861]

I thought you guys might want to take a look at this one: http://cgi.aol.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI...category=36035

David, you must sign your full name to all posts on this forum - Mike Chapman

[SCTiger]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

Looks like a total fake to me, why would anyone stamp the Company and Numerical designation in their kepi? Also notice the same stencil that was used for the jacket is also used for the kepi. That was alot of money lost. Funny how all these "lost" jackets keep popping up out of attics and "estate sales."

[Minieball577]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

Funny how all these "lost" jackets keep popping up out of attics and "estate sales."

Not to debate the autheniticty of the jacket or kepi, but where else do you think these "lost items" are going to turn up? It may be termed simply "lost", but really the items could have just been "lost from public viewing" in a private collection. I know of an "estate" of a private WBTS collector that is going to turn up some mighty fine, 100% original and authentic stuff in the coming months and years, as the "estate" was collected for the last 50 years by an avid collector who has passed on.

Again, not arguing the authenticity of this particular set, but I think there are too many skeptics around. Estate sales do take place.

[Michael McComas]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

My first reaction was, 'someone's going to be very disappointed when the postman arrives'. The stenciling could be post-war UCV reunion stuff. That sort of thing was done. The thing that tipped the scales for me was the buttonholes. They sure look machined. Look at the supersize of the picture of the jacket open. The buttonholes are too straight and too squared off. I'd like to see a clearer picture to say for sure, but as it stands, I think someone is going to be calling the Ebay fraud line soon.

For what it's worth, I have seen a jacket that came out of an estate sale. A guy bought a locked trunk for $100 and found a jacket and a battle flag inside when he jimmied the lock, along with documents, journals, and other personal items.

[Blum]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

Also, on the picture where you can have a look of the inside of the kepi, the visor seem to be sewn like the farby kepis... :)
The shape of the visor is strange and the leather too thick !

But it may be interresting that one of the kepi's specialist give an advice.

[tenfed1861]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

It'd look great for a mainstream event as a ragged trooper.
Cullen Smith

[D1861]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

The Kepi got my attention too. Their appears to be salt stains on the brim. Is that possible after 140 years?

David Slay

[Company Tailor]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

This jacket could quite possibly be authentic. It's impossible to say from a low quality digital image like this, but I've seen other one hundred percent bonafied uniform items that looked much more "suspect" than this one. I think we're a little jaded as far as items on eBay are concerned since there are so many fakes that show up there. If it shows up on eBay it's automatically suspect, especially if someone is saying, "I can't guarantee the autheticity but it looks good to me...". You know what I mean.

That being said..... there is one BIG red flag on this bid and it's not the identical stencil on the cap and jacket (veteran associations would do stuff like that at reunions etc.) It's the is the low opening price. When there are so many other venues for dealing in original artifacts, where you can get a fair market value for your original item, why would one take the chance of getting only $50 for an item that is obviously worth thousands? I'll tell you why, in those other venues the individuals you are tyring to sell to are educated and the item is subject to the scrutiny of experts.

I think we're wise to be very, very cyincal of items like this, but remember there are still lots of original items in attics waiting to be dusted off.

Cheers.

[BHoover]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

That being said..... there is one BIG red flag on this bid and it's not the identical stencil on the cap and jacket (veteran associations would do stuff like that at reunions etc.) It's the is the low opening price. When there are so many other venues for dealing in original artifacts, where you can get a fair market value for your original item, why would one take the chance of getting only $50 for an item that is obviously worth thousands? I'll tell you why, in those other venues the individuals you are tyring to sell to are educated and the item is subject to the scrutiny of experts.

I agree with what you said, but to be fair, there was a "reserve" price on the auction. I can't tell what it was by looking at the page now, but the idea of a reserve price is that you start the bidding low to build interest, but if the price doesn't rise to at least the reserve, then the sale doesn't happen.

[Michael McComas]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

I believe, from looking at the bids, that the reserve was somewhere between $3000 and $3500. That's just my gut feel for it. Otherwise, sjlebl wouldn't have chased kb008 all the way up to $3000. If $3000 was the reserve, kb008 would have hit it and his bid would have been visible, and there would have been no need to try so many times to beat his proxy bid. When he hit $3000 and sjlebl could see the bids were even, and he could have just bid the increment to win it, but instead he bid an additional $500. That tells me the reserve wasn't met at $3000. sjlebl bid again to meet the reserve (probably $3500), and was outbid seconds later.

-Michael McComas
forensic eBayologist

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

He turned down my offer of a handfull of change from under my couch, a ball of string and some old Pabst Blue ribbon cans (empty).

IT MUST BE REAL!

[Michael McComas]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

Those PBR cans might be worth something, if you have the pull tab variety. Get Dennis Hopper to sign them, and you're golden!

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

Those PBR cans might be worth something, if you have the pull tab variety. Get Dennis Hopper to sign them, and you're golden!

Nah, they are from last weekends BBQ, I could sign them.


This thread should be in the sinks.

[Company Tailor]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

I agree with what you said, but to be fair, there was a "reserve" price on the auction. I can't tell what it was by looking at the page now, but the idea of a reserve price is that you start the bidding low to build interest, but if the price doesn't rise to at least the reserve, then the sale doesn't happen.

I missed that and stand corrected. That being said... I've looked at the images a little closer and I'm coming down with everyone else on this one. I think it's a fake. Not an altogether bad one, but still a fake. The staining has a pattern that looks very much like other fakes I've seen (might be coffee, tea or one of a number of other "aging" agents) and the wear doesn't jive with what one would find on a clothing item that was stored in a trunk and might have been worn to a reunion etc. It might be genuine but odds are it's bogus. I'd love to examine this one first hand. Anyone know the buyer?

Cheers.

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: 3rd Georgia Original Shell Jacket on Ebay

I missed that and stand corrected. That being said... I've looked at the images a little closer and I'm coming down with everyone else on this one. I think it's a fake. Not an altogether bad one, but still a fake. The staining has a pattern that looks very much like other fakes I've seen (might be coffee, tea or one of a number of other "aging" agents) and the wear doesn't jive with what one would find on a clothing item that was stored in a trunk and might have been worn to a reunion etc. It might be genuine but odds are it's bogus. I'd love to examine this one first hand. Anyone know the buyer?

Cheers.

The jacket looks to me like a "pam and oven" fake to me. There is allot of sneeky aging tricks out there to make things look, feel, even smell old. Without seeing something like this up close or without a certificate of authenticity I wouldnt touch it.