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FAKE!, Fantasy & Reproduction Wing Examples


pconrad02
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Somehow I missed seeing this section of Patrick's post:

 

... is it me, but does it seem that the most recent Pink and Green book went from being a well researched and critical examination of USAAF wings, to a catalog of someone's very expensive (and currently being auctioned off) collection? :think:

 

Several have been sold for very expensive prices but are they all of them really as good as others might wish to have us believe?

 

While most wing badge collectors are aware of lost wax casting to make reproductions, how many know about another process called centrifugal casting? Centrifugal casting is a means of making better quality badges not possible using the lost wax casting method. The technique works something like this: With the aid of a small electrical motor an articulated arm is used that is free to spin around a vertical axle. The entire mechanism is usually enclosed in a tub or drum to contain any hot metal should the mold break or an excess amount of metal be used. Single use molds are first prepared using the lost wax method. Then a small amount of metal in a crucible (a sort of ceramic pan) next to the mold is heated with a torch. When the metal is in a molten state the arm is released, forcing (by centrifugal force) the metal into the mold. The high forces imposed on the metal overcome the viscosity, resulting in a finely detailed badge with few or no air bubbles. Similar results may be obtained via vacuum casting or pressure casting.

 

Odds are that no one is using this process today... at least not to any great degree but several years ago there were a few fellows around that were known to.

 

Caveat emptor and let those interested draw their own conclusions. While I am not implying that any specific badge that was offered or will be offered is a bogus one, it is strongly suggested that several of them deserve a much closer look.

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rustywings

Here's five wings currently listed on ebay by the same seller. Opinions?

Ebay #160449835332.

_BwqE___CWk___KGrHqEOKiEEwPT_28YyBMJ_zqTKow___3.jpg

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rustywings
Every one a hideous fake.

 

Absolutely my friend! But big money continues to be thrown down for this seemingly unending collection of crap. Did you see the final prices on the five he listed last week?

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flyingfortress

Buyer beware although there are already bidders on two of the wings. Lots of fraud and deception on eBay and too many uneducated buyers. Sad commentary for the collecting community.

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Buyer beware although there are already bidders on two of the wings. Lots of fraud and deception on eBay and too many uneducated buyers. Sad commentary for the collecting community.

 

It is ironic because novice collectors probably have the best opportunity to learn about wings than all of us who have preceded them in the collecting world ever had. Between internet resources (like this one), the high quality and clear photographs of a wide range of wings in the first two Pinks and Greens books, websites, and even ebay, no one should ever be able to argue ignorance anymore.

 

Oh well.

 

Maybe the mods can at least move these pictures to the fakes and reproduction thread?

 

Thanks for posting them Russ.

P

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It is ironic because novice collectors probably have the best opportunity to learn about wings than all of us who have preceded them in the collecting world ever had. Between internet resources (like this one), the high quality and clear photographs of a wide range of wings in the first two Pinks and Greens books, websites, and even ebay, no one should ever be able to argue ignorance anymore.

 

Oh well.

 

Maybe the mods can at least move these pictures to the fakes and reproduction thread?

 

Thanks for posting them Russ.

P

 

 

The first act of a potential buyer, especially on Ebay, should be to size-up a seller. Not by looking at feedback ( most selling fakes have 100 percent ) but by seeing what else the seller is and has been selling. In my experience most of those selling fakes tend to be people who specialize in Militaria. Sometimes it's a means to get rid of bad purchases on their part, mostly it's a deliberate effort to defraud. But by looking at a seller's history it's often possible to characterize a seller. This is by no means foolproof, but I think when contemplating a purchase on Ebay it should the first step. Next step is to work from a premise that the item is a fake, and then work towards what makes it genuine.

 

Coincidentally an airborne wing with British-made pin identical to the one that was discussed here recently is now on Ebay, so there must be a batch of them.

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Larger image of Ebay #160449837702

 

 

The one in Post#12 might have been a genuine "sweetheart" wing that has been "upgraded" by punchmarking a heap of stars on the top of the shield and sticking on the "US".

 

Regards

Mike

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rustywings

The first act of a potential buyer, especially on Ebay, should be to size-up a seller. Not by looking at feedback ( most selling fakes have 100 percent ) but by seeing what else the seller is and has been selling. In my experience most of those selling fakes tend to be people who specialize in Militaria. Sometimes it's a means to get rid of bad purchases on their part, mostly it's a deliberate effort to defraud. But by looking at a seller's history it's often possible to characterize a seller. This is by no means foolproof, but I think when contemplating a purchase on Ebay it should the first step. Next step is to work from a premise that the item is a fake, and then work towards what makes it genuine.

 

 

 

Wise words horsa. Your approach to Ebay buying is a must for us all.

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