Rogues Gallery from  - Caveat Emptor!
It drives most serious Confederate students absolutely crazy. For years I was signed up as an eBay buyer and seller but had to stay away because the flagrant misrepresentations and misidentifications simply annoyed me to the point of not participating at all. Some from the professional Confederate philatelic community have tried to officially police that section with the sanction of the American Philatelic Society, but resigned in disgust when their solicited advice was totally ignored on such obvious things as framelines drawn in on Scott #12s (see "Trouble Spots" under "Confederate Primer Online" accessible from the "Articles" link on this website)
Advice for buying on eBay:
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Don't let your lust for a bargain lead you astray. Is it really the bargain you think it is?
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A seller saying that he/she found these rare Confederate stamps in Great Aunt Millie's attic doesn't make it so. They may be scam artists or they may just be ignorant of the facts.
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Many Confederate facsimiles and forgeries were done immediately after the Civil War. They may indeed be old, but that does not make them genuine Confederate stamps or covers.
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I had a lot sent to me recently (not eBay) where the seller declared the stamps were taken off the battlefield by great-great grandpappy and sent home to his family after he died. I found that they had dealer signatures, collector markings, forgeries, hinges and other clear indications that screamed "foul". He swears it was an innocent mistake.
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If you are a beginning Confederate collector, stay away from eBay and buy from reputable specialized dealers and auction houses who stand behind what they sell. Expensive or problematic items should always be purchased subject to certification.
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Compare the terms of sale listed by the seller of your prospective purchase with the Code of Ethics adopted by American Philatelic Society (APS). Do they measure up? Would you feel confident that you could return an item that is found to be not as described?
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Is the seller a dealer member of APS or the American Stamp Dealers Association? Have they been in business, especially in Confederates, for a substantial number of years? Will they provide references if asked?
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Educate yourself! Knowledge is power! Read up on Confederates stamps and postal history before you buy!
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What is the return policy, and how much do they charge for shipping? Don't be impressed by money-back guarantees and cheap shipping. If it is a scam, they aren't going to give your money back and they aren't going to ship anything.
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If you do buy, examine your purchase very carefully upon receipt. Is there an undescribed fault? Sometimes the item is genuine, but the condition is not at all what was described. I once had an eBay seller tell me that at the price I paid for the "Superb" stamp described as having "no faults", I should have expected some faults! I persisted and threatened to leave negative feedback. He gave me my money back and immediately reoffered the stamp with the identical description! (it had a large undescribed thin and was thus anything but superb looking) If needed, ask for a refund promptly.
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One seller ploy is to run a photo of one item and send you another. Keep a copy of the photo/description and if you are not immediately refunded, report the scammer!
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If you use PayPal, use your credit card rather than your own bank account. Many credit card issuers will refund money stolen from you. It is another layer of protection.
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Beware of stamps or covers offered "as is". They are likely no bargain.
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Most transactions on eBay go smoothly, but there are bad apples in every walk of life, and eBay is no exception. Stay aware and get educated.
This rogues gallery, or "Hall of Shame" as some of my friends call it, will grow to illustrate just a few of the types of items you might encounter - scams, fakes, forgeries, undescribed faults, and gross misrepresentations will be presented here.
 Item number: 350073193499 with a starting bid of a whopping $1,400, end time June 30, 2008. Seller: "dodos007" from Miami and Buenos Aires. Item described as "Confederate Postmaster Provisional signed G. Gran at Henderson, North Carolina (not in Scott) lot (sic) to shape, with cert."
The facts: This Henderson "provisional" is a pre war hand stamp. Henderson used red ink before the war and black ink during the war. The purported certificate is not shown nor quoted, nor does the description mention the issuing authority. If it isn't listed in Scott or the CSA Catalog, there is probably a reason!
When asked for a copy of the certificate, the seller said there was no certificate, just that you could get one if you wanted one. At the least, get a scan of the so-called certificate and verify it before you bid/make a very expensive mistake. It would be wise to check first with an independent authority you trust. Seller was informed by several Confederate specialists that this was not as described, but chose not to remove it from sale. Fortunately, no one fell for this. It did not sell.
Okay, so this isn't a Confederate example and it isn't recent, but this is certainly one of the largest philatelic scams perpetrated on eBay. A seller offered a C3a (Inverted Jenny) for sale with a winning bid of $35,000. The seller did not own the stamp and had simply used a photo from the February 1999 Siegel auction catalog which he posted as the stamp for sale. These rarities are very well documented so it was inevitable that the perpetrator would get caught. It is just fortunate that he was before any money was lost. The scam was uncovered when the winning eBay bidder refused to pay until he could examine the stamp and the provenance. The seller claimed it was an inheritance from his grandfather. The same seller was also offering other expensive stamps and coins that he did not own and using scans of old auction catalog photos. This is an extreme case, but it also happens with much lower priced material where the seller simply keeps the money and never delivers the material. If it's too good to be true, it probably is.
 Item number: 250274709749 ending July 29, 2008 described as (copy/pasted exact wording with spelling errors) " USA. ORIGINAL PLATE ESSAY!! WITH CERT. IN EXTENSE!!! SCOTT 1 CV US$ (40,000) ...CONFEDERATES. ORIGINAL PLATE ESSAY IN STOUT RICE PAPER IN OTHER THAN ISSUED COLOR...SUPER TOP RARITY...A MAGNIFISCENT ADDITION TO THE TOP WORLD NR ONES TOPICAL COLLECTION. WITH CERT IN EXTENSE. Starting bid $390. Buy it now price $800."
The facts: This is a Birmingham forgery offered by the same party, slightly different name, as the Henderson NC item in the first example. See Birmingham description on this website on the CSA Gallery of Curious Things Fortunately, when shown information on this website as Birmingham forgery, the item was immediately withdrawn.
 Item number: 180290007921 ending September 23, 2008. eBay seller name: siriusstampsandcoins, California. Cover described in heading as "cover may 17 1862, prisoners cover ?" with a starting bid of $120. When questioned, the seller said, "hi i think it is because it is a put together cover made out of wrapping paper of a thin tissue. i really dont no, thats why i put a question mark for those who might no. it still is a unique cover."
The facts: Nothing about this remotely says "prisoner of war". Had he done even the tiniest bit of homework in an area about which he clearly knows nothing or taken heed of comments, this would not be so listed. It is a common cover in poor condition not worth anything near the starting bid. Warning: If there is a big question mark or disclaimer in the description, you'd best shy away unless you know the area well.
 Item number: 250283829550 ending August 24, 2008. eBay seller: mjones78660 of Kyle, Texas. Described as "Sc# CSA 7, 5c Jefferson Davis, 1862, MNG, See Photo! Mint with no gum. Low Start & No Reserve!". Unfortunately, this garnered five bids and sold for $5.50 plus $1.00 shipping.
The facts: This is a common New York counterfeit and a filthy ugly copy at that. These are one of the most commonly offered frauds on eBay. Almost not a week goes by without one being offered. There are loads of resources on these, including on this website, yet collectors and uninformed dealers trade them regularly.
See CSA Gallery of Curious Things under "CSA Authentication" link on this site. Details of the often encountered New York Counterfeit and how to differentiate it from the genuine may be found there.
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