Fake Sixteen Ivarsson and Bo Nord pipes.

[warren99]

About 7-8 years ago a "high rated" eBay seller began listing obvious fakes, including a Jess pipe that sold to some schmuck for $8300. A number of people contacted the seller and eBay about the fakes he was putting up, Marty Pulvers even contacted some of the carvers who stated that the pipes were not their work. eBay did nothing and the seller continued to be a "high rated" seller after the brouhaha.

The calculation you mention applies to 99% of pipes, but with with prices ranging upwards of 20 to 30 thousand for some Bo pipes, no one is going to make that kind of money using their own name. So where where the scam pays off is with collectible pipes that get low to mid 4 figures and up. Faking a Sasieni isn't going to pay off, Faking a Nordh, Jess, Ivarsson, etc level pipe will pay off.

It occurs that a relatively unknown, dishonest, skilled craftsman who could sell his own pipes for maybe $300-400 wouldn't hesitate to take a chance on counterfeiting a Bo, Jess or Lars which could fetch into the four or five figure range
.

 

[georged]

It occurs that a relatively unknown, dishonest, skilled craftsman who could sell his own pipes for maybe $300-400 wouldn't hesitate to take a chance on counterfeiting a Bo, Jess or Lars which could fetch into the four or five figure range
.

They would be spotted in a second by any knowledgeable collector, of course.

The kicker apparently being that there are NOW enough people---meaning in the post B&M, online-everything era---who for whatever reason (foolish trust? Dunning-Kruger confidence? They actually don't care, they just want to impress their ignorant FRIENDS?) to make the plain ol' Shit Copy model of theft by deception workable.

 

[sablebrush52]

They would be spotted in a second by any knowledgeable collector, of course.

The kicker apparently being that there are NOW enough people---meaning in the post B&M, online-everything era---who for whatever reason (foolish trust? Dunning-Kruger confidence? They actually don't care, they just want to impress their ignorant FRIENDS?) to make the plain ol' Shit Copy model of theft by deception workable.

There are always been knowledgeable and ignorant well heeled collectors.

 

[warren99]

They would be spotted in a second by any knowledgeable collector, of course.

The kicker apparently being that there are NOW enough people---meaning in the post B&M, online-everything era---who for whatever reason (foolish trust? Dunning-Kruger confidence? They actually don't care, they just want to impress their ignorant FRIENDS?) to make the plain ol' Shit Copy model of theft by deception workable.

Unfortunately there are a lot of people out there with money who are not knowledgeable collectors and will buy anything with a name on it either to impress their friends or in the hope it will be a good investment. It reminds me of the ‘80’s when you almost couldn‘t give away a 1972 or 1973 Bordeaux or Burgundy in Europe or the US to a collector but they sold for incredibly high prices to the nouveau riche in Japan, just because they had a Chateau Lafite or Domaine de la Romanee Conti name on them. While they weren’t fakes, they might as well have been since they were in no way comparable to even marginally decent vintages.

 

[renfield]

Pro tip: If you can make out the words “Georgia Pacific” stamped on the pipe, it’s not an authentic Bo Nordh.