I don’t know about you, but I’m always a bit leery when I see auctions for expensive items on eBay. You know the type of auctions that make you question whether the item is an authentic item or a counterfeit. How can I tell just from some text and some pictures?

I just finished watching a video about an eBay buyer taking an eBay seller to small claims court, AKA Judge Judy, for such an issue. The buyer bought a very rare baseball card from what seemed to be a trusted seller. When the buyer received his card he questioned whether it was real or fake. So he got the card inspected by someone whom authenticates baseball cards. The inspector strongly suggested the card was a fake.

The seller in his defense said the card was an original due to the card being handed down to him from his father. He also states the card has been in his family since he was a child. When he brought the card to several trade shows, the vendors all claim the card to be an original. So the card must be an authentic card.

Guess who won the trial? That’s right, the buyer, due to the seller not being able to prove that the card was an authentic card. It also didn’t help that the buyer brought an authenticator as a witness.

PART 1

PART 2

This got me thinking about how we, as eBay sellers, can provide authentication within our listings. How can we show proof to potential buyers that what we are selling is authentic? In a world full of knock off designer clothing, handbags, shoes, watches, etc. You name it, I’m sure there is a counterfeit version of it.

Here are some ways I feel we can do this.

1. Take as many pictures as possible
   If you’re selling designer items, take pictures of the tags, labels, lining, and any serial numbers. I’ve sold several Hermes Ties and always took pictures of the inside label and code number. This allowed the potential buyer to take the code and do some research on the tie.
2. Show any Certificates of Authenticity (COA)
   If your item comes with a COA show it! Don’t just mention it within your listing. I had to learn this the hard way. I once had several collectible knives for sale that came with a COA. I listed some with a picture of the COA and some without a picture of the COA. Guess which ones sold for bucket loads more money?
3. Show proof of purchase
   If you are the original buyer, show then the receipt. This will prove that you purchased from a reputable store that would not be selling fakes. I did this when I sold a Nintendo wii during the holiday season. To my surprise my auction received the more bids and a higher selling price than other listing sold during the same time.
4. Get your item authenticated
   If you’re selling an item that can be authenticated, by a reputable authority in your field, do it! As you can see from the videos, if the seller just got the card authenticated, he would have not any problems. Plus he most likely would have gotten more bids and a higher selling price.

By doing any one of these in your listings I’m positive you will be able to make potential buyers not worry about real or fake. This will certainly allow your listing to get more bids and get a higher selling price. Remember, as sellers, we need to make the buyer feel secure. So go start selling the right way!

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Here are this weeks deals on authentic baseball cards

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